Not long ago, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to handle his own mess. Now she's writing him a $4 billion check to bail him out.
Mamdani had barely settled into Gracie Mansion before he discovered what socialists always find out: Eventually, you run out of other people's money. His grand campaign promises — you know: free this, universal that — ran headlong into the reality that New York City couldn’t afford all the things Mamdani had campaigned on.
So, Mamdani went looking to Albany for a bailout.
And, originally, Hochul said no.
"The mayor and City Council need to work together, identify savings, and close the remaining gap," a Hochul spokesperson said last month. As a resident of New York State (I’ll accept your condolences), I was thrilled. But apparently, a lot can change in a few weeks, especially when polls show the race for governor is tightening.
On Tuesday, Gov. Hochul and Mayor Mamdani announced a sweeping new state funding package. The press release made it sound like a wonderful thing:
Governor Hochul, in partnership with the state legislature, has secured an additional $4 billion in gap-closing support, bringing the total new state assistance to nearly $8 billion over two years.
With this latest agreement, the Mamdani Administration will officially close the more than $12 billion deficit it inherited from the previous administration, stabilizing the City’s finances while advancing investments that make New York more affordable for working people. These new investments build on the $1.5 billion in assistance announced in the Governor’s 30-day amendments in February and funding for universal childcare.”
The announcement was dressed up in the usual Albany language about affordability and working families, with Hochul declaring it "a results-driven, responsible partnership."
That's one way to describe it.
Something changed between Hochul's stern message last month and Tuesday's joint press conference — and nobody's saying what it was. One can only imagine what kind of secret deal was reached to convince Hochul to reverse course so completely. My best guess? Mamdani promised to support her reelection campaign and hit the trail with her. A $4 billion commitment is an awfully expensive favor to do for free, and you better believe Hochul is getting something for it.
Both sides were eager to perform for the cameras. "Governor Hochul and I share a belief that government works best when we work together on behalf of the people we serve," Mamdani said. He added that he and Hochul had "partnered through every step of this process to protect the fiscal health of our city" and called her commitment to securing New York City's future something "working people can afford."
Because working people must live within their means, not the government.
Hochul, meanwhile, insisted she'd been committed "from day one" to New York City's success, arguing a strong city strengthens the state as a whole. She framed the deal as delivering "free universal child care," investments in education, public safety, and infrastructure, and the resources needed to keep critical services running. Touching stuff. It would be more convincing if she hadn't spent weeks telling Mamdani to figure it out himself.
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Not everyone in New York is buying the Kumbaya routine. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman went right for the jugular.
"Kathy Hochul just committed the largest daylight robbery in New York history, looting $4 billion from your family's grocery and rent budget to bankroll Zohran Mamdani's socialist experiment," Blakeman said in a statement.
He’s not wrong. I pay taxes in New York, and now I’m going to be covering for Mamdani’s socialist campaign promises. Hochul may think this will strengthen her position as she seeks another term in office, but how many people in New York State really want to be bailing out New York City?
Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.
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