In a few weeks I will no longer be a registered Democrat. Not joining the "dark side", but for the past ten years the Democratic party has disappointed me and even pissed me off.
The results from the mayoral election will decide a lot for me.
I still "like" most of the candidates.
Mamdani appears to be a nice man with wonderful ideas I actually agree with on the most part. But he is not the right fix for New York's issues, for now.
Offering a rent freeze and a free fare is nice, but that comes with consequences. The least of them is the tag "socialist". Once you talk about really helping people you get labeled a "socialist".
I personally have nothing against what Mamdani is proposing, however it won't solve the problem.
Home repairs cost money. So do taxes and insurance. Freeze rent completely and you handcuff landlords. Ok, so your rent is affordable (relatively speaking), but you won't get repairs for your stove or your hallway. You really have to complain about heat in your unit because the rent freeze won't help pay for that. At the same time it is not necessarily socialism to care about affordability for human beings. Capitalism shouldn't reign supreme like that.
To be honest, if Donald Trump wasn't the president of the United States, I would give Mr. Mamdani a try. But with so much a state, I can't afford to vote for someone who will possibly be a distraction. A distraction in Washington and a distraction in Albany. Strategically, not a good move.
And even though "Democratic Socialist" is not a dirty term to me, and I like their position with health care, for example, I am less than thrilled with how they deal with crime. I don't feel safe with bail reform. There are too many violent incidents happening in the city and it is distressing to learn that some of the acts are done by repeat offenders. But I guess you can't go ala-carte when it comes to this.
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