MAMDANI — The Morning After The Night Before
Last week, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York, upon which he bellowed a warning to Donald Trump. His supporters were ecstatic, but the same night some of that enthusiasm was cooled when at the celebration party instead of being treated to free drinks – as in the brilliant cartoon takedown of Mamdani’s fellow New York socialist below - they were faced with paying $13 for a pint of beer.
On top of that, Mamdani made an appeal for more donations to consolidate his transition team.
After the partying, there was even worse to come when Governor Kathy Hochul rejected his plan for free travel although she appeared reasonably enthusiastic about free state-wide childcare.
Mamdani still appears to be intent on increasing taxation on the rich – meaning those who are better off – in spite of a reported exodus. We’ll see how that pans out. With regard to free childcare, once upon a time this used to be a thing. If a married woman went out to work, usually part-time, her own mother would look after her young ones. Grandparents would often live close by or even under the same roof. Neighbours would take it in turns to look after each other’s kids, but that was before the days of screening, licencing and the like. How about encouraging more women to work from home?
When it comes to raising money for his pet projects, there is something else Mamdani could consider – creating a local currency. There are two local currencies circulating in New York State: Hudson Valley Current and Particle Notes, the latter in Glens Falls. These are only small enterprises but there are also L.E.T.S. schemes and barter. The Barter Company based in Atlanta was founded in 1996. There is no reason such innovations cannot operate successfully in New York City, at least as far as local trading is concerned.
If Mamdani reins in his ideas of facing off with Donald Trump, supporting so-called trans rights and other absurdities, he might just make a success of his tenure, or at the very least fair no worse than his far from illustrious predecessors Adams and de Blassio.