This is another observation I’ve wanted to make for some time. It is my practice to avoid expressing opinions about state and local politics except in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois. However, since the apparently impending election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York does touch tangentially on me, I wanted to make one comment.
I honestly don’t care who New Yorkers elect as their mayor. They are entitled to elect whomever they chose. I think it is worthwhile to recall that in 1975 New York City became the only city that the federal government has ever bailed out of its financial problems by extending the city a multi-billion dollar loan.
Mr. Mamdani has proposed a number of policies, e.g. extended rent control, increasing the minimum wage to $30 per hour, government-run grocery stores, free bus service, etc., that are likely to have adverse economic and fiscal effects. New Yorkers are entitled to support such policies if they care to.
However, the federal government should absolutely, positively not bail New York City out of self-inflicted economic and fiscal problems. If the city goes bankrupt, it goes bankrupt. Once is enough.
BTW, I think the same about Chicago. The city is digging a fiscal hole for itself. It should stop digging. I have no idea what Brandon Johnson’s supporters expected when they elected him mayor. Throughout his term he has done pretty much what I expected him to do. IMO he marks the second consecutive incompetent mayor of Chicago.
The federal government shouldn’t bail Chicago out, either.
