By Curtis Scoon
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors. View more opinion on ScoonTV
The year was 1975, and New York City was in the throes of a financial crisis. Mayor Abe Beame was not only dealing with an $800 million deficit but also needed an additional $8 billion to cover an accumulated shortfall from the previous decade. The funds were needed for building homes, schools, public works—and to maintain cash flow while processing incoming tax revenue. A litany of social safety-net measures had overburdened a declining tax base—a decline caused largely by deindustrialization. In the garment industry alone, hundreds of thousands of jobs disappeared. Between 1969 and 1976, the city lost approximately 600,000 jobs.
The epicenter of capitalism was facing bankruptcy, and the repercussions would be felt far and wide. West Germany’s Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, warned that “the collapse of the world’s financial capital could push the whole world back into a recession.” He was not alone. New York’s Governor Hugh Carey warned Congress that a default by New York City would be an “economic Pearl Harbor.”
The embattled Abe Beame led a delegation of fifteen fellow mayors from mostly major cities— to Washington, D.C., to plead his case before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. The mayors testified that a default in New York could hurt every city across the country.
Governing New York has never been easy—and the dollar amounts from 1975 are but a fraction of what they would equate to in 2025. City Hall is no place for rank amateurs, idealists, or social experimentation. Then came one of New York City’s most iconic newspaper headlines of modern times, when President Gerald R. Ford delivered his response:
“FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.”
As the familiar adage goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
In 2025, New York City again teeters on the brink of a fiscal crisis—this time under threat from Democratic mayoral hopeful Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Mamdani immigrated to the United States at the age of seven and didn’t receive citizenship until 2018. After a brief career as a rapper known as “Young Cardamom,” he successfully ran for the New York State Assembly in 2020. He followed that up by running for mayor, and winning the primary with the largest primary voter turnout in the city’s history.
Mamdani appeals to a niche demographic of so-called “hipsters,” young people, and “aspiring artists.” Many in this group are genuinely struggling as their entrepreneurial or entertainment dreams fade. They tend to define poverty not simply as “not having,” but as “not having what others have.” New York is a city of big dreams—and even bigger disappointments. To court this disgruntled demographic, Mamdani proposes taxing wealthier neighborhoods he describes as “richer and whiter.”
Like many pseudo-intellectuals, he lives in the theoretical—a perpetual classroom of unproven political ideas. But in the real world, there are no political solutions for cultural deficiencies and chronic poor decision-making. His plan would likely drive his targeted tax base to relocate,
draining the city of vital revenue—while aligning with the intent of those who want to use New York as a “proof of concept” for their socialist agenda.
In every American city—regardless of how “affordable” it may seem—there will always be residents who simply cannot afford to live there. The reasons why some succeed while others struggle go far beyond politics. Yet, idealistic politicians often capitalize on pain, disappointment, and desperation. Although certain social safety nets can stabilize society, too many can have the opposite effect.
As former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously said: “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
The latest Slingshot Strategies poll shows Mamdani leading the race with 35% of those surveyed. Former governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost in the primary and is now running as an independent, is second with 25%. Rounding out the top four are Curtis Sliwa, running as a Republican, with 14%, and Mayor Eric Adams, dead last in this poll, with 11%. More than anything, this poll is a testimony to the power of the media in manipulating low-information or single-issue voters. The mayor has been relentlessly smeared with baseless accusations in the liberal media. What other explanation can there be for the lack of enthusiasm for a mayor whose administration achieved record job growth and the highest level of jobs in city history—despite managing the city during a pandemic and immigration crisis?
Furthermore, Adams has reduced or eliminated the city income-tax burden for over 500,000 New Yorkers. He also protected the child-care voucher system by allocating roughly $300 million to help fill the child-care gap left in this year’s state budget. The city now has its highest number of small businesses—close to 200,000—with 20% of them launched while Adams was mayor.
The biggest criticism of Adams is that he has a working relationship with fellow New Yorker President Trump. Both men hail from the Borough of Queens, and most importantly, both were targeted by a weaponized DOJ (Department of Justice) under the previous administration. Every Democratic mayor sought a great relationship with President Biden—former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms even serenaded the newly elected Biden for his 78th birthday in 2020. Adams would never say his combined race and gender played a role in the coverage he received in the mainstream media, but let’s address the “elephant in the room.”
There’s only one reason the likes of Curtis Sliwa could possibly poll ahead of a career law-enforcement officer and sitting mayor like Eric Adams. It’s the real reason despite the aforementioned accomplishments—Adams is dead last in a poll with perverts, grifters, and useful idiots. Sliwa has, on record, admitted to faking his 1980 kidnapping and five other exploits to help his Guardian Angels organization survive its early years as a volunteer crime-fighting group. In other words, raise money. Making matters worse is Sliwa’s implication of three fictitious transit-police officers in the scam, whom he claimed abducted him to get the Guardian Angels to stop patrolling the city’s subway. He’s also on record admitting that the constant media attention played a part in his hoax: “It became like an intoxicant, a narcotic.” Essentially, his public actions are driven by a thirst for attention and need for funding. It can be argued that the Guardian Angels are little more than an excuse for Sliwa to obtain donations and continue getting the media attention he so desperately craves. What better way to grift than running for office when you have no chance of being elected? Apparently, the people polled prefer wannabe cops to real cops, and publicity stunts to public service.
If Andrew Cuomo truly cared about New York City, he’d not only drop out of the race but endorse Mayor Adams as well. He could be the “kingmaker” in this manner and maintain a modicum of respect and dignity. I’m not alone in thinking Cuomo should bow out. On July 2, 2025, billionaire hedge-fund manager and longtime Democratic donor Bill Ackman took to social media platform X to say as much. In a lengthy post, Ackman detailed how he met with both Cuomo and Adams for an hour. He summed up his meetings with both in these words: “In short, my takeaway is that Adams can win the upcoming election and that the Governor [Cuomo] should step aside to maximize Adams’ probability of success.”
Fellow former New York Governor David Patterson has also chimed in, suggesting Cuomo and Adams meet to decide who has the best chance to beat Mamdani. Patterson did not want to appear to take sides, but he knows Adams shouldn’t have to step aside for a challenger saddled with baggage such as Cuomo. According to Mayor Adams, Cuomo called him to request that he—the incumbent mayor—drop out of the race. That level of arrogance and entitlement is exactly why Cuomo lost the primary to a virtual unknown.
The primary was supposed to herald the political resurgence of Cuomo’s lifeless career. His surname looms large in New York—his father, Mario, is a legend in New York political circles. Mario Cuomo also served as governor and was once seen by the Democratic establishment as a viable presidential candidate. His scandal-plagued son has done his legacy a disservice. For Andrew Cuomo to even be a serious consideration in this mayoral race speaks volumes about the hypocrisy and not-so-subtle bigotry of the white liberal establishment. His present role in the race is that of a figurative “hitman” sent to take Adams out. Make no mistake—his backers only do so to secretly assist Mamdani while distancing themselves from the anticipated and desired chaos that will surely follow if Mamdani wins.
Not surprisingly, Cuomo has received the endorsement of billionaire and former mayor Michael Bloomberg—a political “shape shifter” if ever there was one. Just last year, Cuomo had to resign as governor after an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Ample claims from no fewer than eleven women accusing the then–governor of unwanted touching, kissing, and groping sparked calls for his resignation. Yet, Attorney General James did not display the same zeal she brought to prosecuting President Trump when investigating a fellow Democrat. She ultimately concluded that the women were truthful, and that Cuomo violated state and federal laws by subjecting them to a hostile work environment. A violation of state and federal laws with no prosecution to follow—but endorsements from billionaires—is how cronyism works in New York liberal politics.
So consumed was Cuomo with his female subordinates and colleagues that he failed to notice the attention a young female family member was receiving from one of his own bodyguards—right under his nose. This man can’t even manage his household, much less the city. Who in their right mind would vote for such a lascivious man? The limousine liberals know all too well that Cuomo will only siphon votes from Adams at this juncture—and that’s exactly why they’re supporting him. The Democratic cult has taken the position of “anyone but Adams.” They would rather hand the city over to a carnival barker than see a Black man who refused to be the face of their anti-American agenda get re-elected. White liberals like their Black politicians subservient—and disposable.
Now, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist is leading all candidates with less than four months to go. Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has been bolstered by his appeal to New York’s substantial youth vote—approximately 1.9 million potential voters aged 18–30. Moreover, young adults aged 18–24 are facing a very high unemployment rate. The young are frustrated about their prospects for the future, and this is a problem far bigger than any local politician can tackle without federal involvement.
Across the country, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates has reached its highest level since 2012, excluding pandemic years—and now exceeds the national average. Young adults are finding it increasingly difficult to assimilate into the workforce and provide for themselves, much less start a family. Inflation and a weakening dollar are making the cost of living unbearable.
Mamdani is out of his depth on these matters, but his socialist rhetoric resonates with a burgeoning domestic “proletariat.” His slew of empty promises has mobilized a cadre of hopeful supporters. Among his proposals are: eliminating all bus fares, raising the minimum wage to $30/hour, spending $70 billion on public housing, implementing a rent freeze, expanding tenant protections and mental health services, and making childcare for ages six weeks to five years free.
His messaging is striking a chord. A 2022 Pew Research survey found 36% of U.S. adults view socialism positively, with that favorable view rising to 62% among 18–29-year-olds.
The proverbial chickens have come home to roost for the Democratic Party: they have “sown the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind.”
In an attempt to sway Black voters who are still lukewarm to his campaign, Mamdani has sought the endorsement of social pyromaniac Reverend Al Sharpton. He appeared alongside Sharpton at a National Action Network event in Harlem after his primary win. The same Al Sharpton who was exposed as an FBI informant wearing a wire while conducting negotiations for a drug deal. Sharpton’s follies are many, but this isn’t the first time he’s opposed Adams. He once criticized Adams, as a police officer, for conducting tutorials that taught young Black men how to interact with law enforcement safely. Recognizing a threat to his grievance hustle, Sharpton condemned Adams for teaching young Black people what he called “how to live under oppression.” A collaborative effort between Sharpton and Mamdani is just water seeking its own level.
In 2021, Eric Adams was elected mayor of New York as a Democrat. It didn’t take long for the Democrats to turn on him over President Biden’s immigration policy that flooded the city with undocumented aliens from the start of his term in 2022. To this day, no one can adequately explain why Democrats allowed an estimated 11-13 million immigrants to illegally enter the country during a global pandemic. Roughly 250,000 newly arrived, reportedly “unvaccinated” illegal immigrants financially strained the city’s budget. They simultaneously exhausted city resources and by some accounts—contributed to rising crime rates, with over 3,200 immigrants detained in taxpayer-funded shelters arrested between January 2023 and October 2024 for offenses including assault and attacks on police.
In hindsight, it almost seemed as if the Biden administration expected Black mayors and politicians to bear the brunt of their unpatriotic agenda. Many complied like house pets. For conforming, they are either no longer in office or on their way out. Gone are London Breed in San Francisco, Lori Lightfoot in Chicago, and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Atlanta. Soon to be gone are Karen Bass in Los Angeles, Brandon Johnson in Chicago, LaToya Cantrell in New Orleans, and Cherelle Parker in Philadelphia. To be a Black Democrat is a lose/lose situation—but to be a Black masculine man in the party is political suicide. They treat Black politicians and voters as their chattel.
Adams is the only Black mayor to resist the national Democrat agenda—and they’ve pulled out all the stops to derail him. His cardinal sin was actually serving the best interests of the people who voted for him—something voters have yet to fully recognize and appreciate. The party elites will stop at nothing to maintain their grasp on power. Incredibly, disparate issues such as immigration, vaccination, transgender rights, Palestine, and abortion have all been tied to race because old dogs don’t learn new tricks. The once-powerful Democrat coalition of the disenfranchised has now become a coalition of misfits and malcontents. The emergence of a pro-Palestinian, pro-LGBTQ, pro-abortion Muslim, Marxist candidate as their nominee in the heart of capitalism has been a long time coming.
In a feature for an independent political publication, Mamdani was described as having a “kind of class-clown appeal.” New Yorkers must understand: when a clown sits on the throne, he doesn’t become a king—the palace becomes a circus.
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