New York: Zohair Mamdani, newly elected as the city’s mayor, expressed excitement at being the first immigrant in generations to lead a city built by immigrants, emphasising his core priority, fulfilling his promises of affordability.
At his first news conference as mayor-elect, he announced that Pakistani American Lina Khan would be the co-chair of his transition team, which would vet candidates for jobs and work out the arrangements for him to take over the administration of this city of 8.5 million.
She was ousted as the head of the Federal Trade Commission by President Donald Trump, with whom Mamdani has been sparring.
Speaking to reporters in front of the Unisphere, a giant globe of the world at a city park, he spoke of its symbolism for his administration.
“We chose this location as a reflection of the borough [of Queens] that I serve, and the fact that we are proud to be known as the world’s borough.”
“I am excited to be the first immigrant to lead this city in generations and excited more, frankly, to deliver on an agenda of affordability”, he said.
“Central to that effort is a transition team that is defined by the excellence New Yorkers will soon come to expect from government”, he said.
A significant early personnel announcement was that he wanted Jessica Tisch to stay on as police commissioner, a move that would assuage the insecurities of people over crime and his earlier anti-police statements, calling them a threat to public safety and of being involved with the Israeli military.
Tisch, who is Jewish and known for her tough anti-crime policies that may be at odds with Mamdani’s stances, has not indicated if she would stay on.
Given some of his statements and his involvement with the anti-Israel protest verging on anti-Semitism that rocked the city, he said, “I look forward to being the mayor for every person that calls this city home. That includes the Jewish New Yorkers that voted for our campaign and those that didn’t”.
He made no mention of Hindus, having participated in a Khalistani rally where abuses were hurled at members of the religion.
Mamdani’s central campaign promise was to make the city affordable, a message that resonated with New Yorkers’ economic concerns and propelled him to the mayoralty.
Among them were freezing rents on some homes, adding more housinng to the city plagued by shortages, free city buses, city-owned shops, and childcare for all, and these were to be financed by increasing taxes on the rich.
“When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high [and] we will meet them”, he said.
But when the Democratic Socialist takes over the city administration with a $116 billion budget and 300,000 employees, he will face an uphill task.
Most of them will require the approval of state legislatures or officials and he will have to find the funds for it.
Trump has said that he will cut off funds to the city if Mamdani is elected.
Moreover, improving the economic standing of New Yorkers is beyond the city’s capabilities – and even at the national level it is a difficult task.
Trump posted his own reply this morning, “Our Economy is BOOMING, and Costs are coming way down. Affordability is our goal”.
Prices have continued to creep up, though at a slower pace, in part due to Trump’s tariffs, boosting Mamdani’s campaign.
Mamdani said that he would like to meet with Trump to see how they could work together for the city.
He added that he would also like to meet the city’s business titans like JPMorgan Chase CEO.
Dimon said in an interview to Fortune, “If he becomes mayor, I will call him and offer my help”.
That was a different stance from that of other business leaders who voiced their reservations about him and their future in the city.
Trump has called him a communist, and Dimon said he was more a Marxist than a socialist, given his earlier statements about nationalising means of production.
Where Trump and Mamdani could clash is on immigration enforcement – the city has so far been spared the most aggressive implementation that has hit other big Democrat-run cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
Mamdani said last night that to get the illegal migrants, the Trump administration “will have to get through all of us”.
He taunted Trump, telling him to raise the volume on his TV to hear him.
Trump responded with an ominous four-word Truth Social post, “…AND SO IT BEGINS”!
(IANS)
