Mamdani is a good fit for this Democratic Party
Port Charlotte, Fla.: In a June 17 article in the New York Post, George Arzt, NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s former press secretary said, “I don’t think Zohran is prepared for the mayoralty. He’s young and totally lacks credentials for the job.” Zohran Mamdani’s credentials are actually impeccable for today’s Democratic Party.
If the party placed an ad in the classifieds for an NYC mayoral candidate, it would look something like this: “Are you a former rapper who believes in free bus service, free child care, rent freezes, city-run grocery stores and higher taxes on the rich? Have you lived on your own for a whole 10 years and been a naturalized citizen for a full seven years? Do you believe the Israeli prime minister should be arrested? Would you like to raise the minimum wage to $30 per hour? Do you enjoy screaming at ICE agents? Do you have zero formal education in macroeconomics? Have you been endorsed by Bernie Sanders? If the answer is “yes” to any of these, we have the job for you.”
Mamdani has the perfect credentials to run as a Democratic mayoral candidate in NYC and leads the “where’s my free stuff?” movement. But why stop with free child care and busing? Why not free everything? We all need to drive to work — why not free cars or free homes?
The world of socialism sounds wonderful up to the day you find out your lazy coworker makes the same as you. With his credentials, Mamdani could have a bright future in Venezuela. Ben Furleigh
Irrational fears
Brooklyn: Re “Rabbis: Zoh ‘dangerous’ ” (Oct. 24): What exactly are the rabbis afraid of in attacking Mamdani? After all, he’s running for mayor, not president. Thus, he has very little to no effect on foreign policy. Do they think he’ll prevent them from buying lox at Zabar’s? Herman Kolender
God, real estate agent?
Providence, R.I.: Re “Mamdani will be bad for New York Jews” (op-ed, Oct. 24): “God gave us this land / It’s part of our roots” / Is no way to settle / Today’s land disputes. Felicia Nimue Ackerman
Business bias
Yonkers: It seems that whenever John Catsimatidis talks to Curtis Sliwa, he’s a Republican through and through, but when he interviews Andrew Cuomo, he’s a dedicated Democrat. But now that Zohran Mamdani has threatened Cats’ grocery empire with free-for-all grocery stores, Cats has thrown Sliwa out the window. Nicholas Maffei
Fit to flee
Massapequa Park, L.I.: If socialism works, then why do all the people who live in countries with socialist governments flee from those countries to live here? Think before you vote! Thomas Facchiano
Insincere smear
Rego Park: Your paper and op-ed columnists echoing President Trump and his new protégé, disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, persistently and openly either push the canard or insinuate that America’s next mayor, Mamdani, is a “communist.” You are certainly not dumb enough to believe that democratic socialism is in any way “communist”! Bernie Sanders is communist? AOC is communist? The Scandinavian countries are communist? Canada is communist? Get real, Daily News! Afraid of losing corporate sponsors? Richard D’Cruz
Administrative experience
Brooklyn: Voicer Sherri Rosen couldn’t be more wrong about NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch. A commissioner doesn’t have to have been a police officer to be effective. The commissioner is an administrator who oversees the people she/he puts in charge of various departments. Tisch has done a great job of cleaning out the corrupt leadership in the NYPD and reducing crime. FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker was never a firefighter, yet that agency has never been running better. R. Cashman
Home security
Bronx: Re “Vote Yes to create more homes for New Yorkers” (op-ed, Oct. 24): Any private homeowner who votes yes on any of the proposals on the ballot is making a big mistake! The proposals will take all control out of the local City Council member representing your community. Your voice will not be heard! Your house is most likely the largest investment you will make. Don’t vote against your own best interests! The housing situation has come about because of feckless politicians. Vote no on these proposals! Peter Green
Hard to gauge
Bronx: Another dumb rule passed by the city — a 15-mph speed limit on e-bikes. Two questions: How are they going to enforce this rule, and how are the people riding these e-bikes going to know when they are going over the speed limit? There are no speedometers on these bikes to let riders know how fast or slow they are going. It’s just like the city to pass a rule without looking fully into it. Jimmy Durda
Liable for damages
Jersey City: Where can we sign on to a class action lawsuit to force Trump to restore his clearly illegal destruction of the East Wing of the White House out of his own pocket? This latest act of contempt for our country is not covered by the ill-advised Supreme Court giving him carte blanche for actions committed in his “official capacity” as president, and he ignored all the procedures that every previous president who wanted to make even minor renovations to the house they neither own nor control has had to follow. Surely, we need to take a more proactive response than merely rooting for the Canadians in the World Series. The man ought to be institutionalized for his own protection, but first we need to make sure he doesn’t stick us with the bill for restoring the People’s House. John Esche
Gross glamor
New Rochelle, N.Y.: Builders, developers and restorers often turn to classic architecture for inspiration — some to the Parthenon, others to the Pantheon, and others in more modern times to Versailles. Then there are those who stay closer to home, as in the best little crap-house in Texas. Richard Rodrigue
Demolition man
Bronx: What a perfect metaphor, Trump tearing down the White House as he tears down our constitutional democracy. Wake up, America! Gilbert M. Lane
Immaturity reigns
Manhattan: Golly. One of the things I look for in my favorite paper are stories about role models — people who help, save or support other people or have great ideas and act on them; people who are good for kids to know about. They seem in short supply today, perhaps because our president does not set an example. Frankie Turchiano
Voting with our dollars
Manhattan: The No Kings events on Oct. 18 brought 7 million Americans in more than 2,700 locales into the streets to protest the disappearance of our democracy and the flagrant corruption and criminality of the Trump regime. These Americans are also customers. Disney felt the pain when 1.7 million of them canceled their subscriptions when Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air. It worked. Boycotts have tanked Target’s sales, driven down Tesla’s value and forced ICE contractor Avelo Airlines to close down routes. Flexing our economic power is just beginning. T-Mobile is already facing boycotts. Which complicit companies will be next? Companies contributing to Trump’s egregious ballroom, like Apple, Amazon and Comcast? ICE enablers like Citizens Bank, which invests in private prison companies that run detention facilities, and Spotify, which runs ICE ads? Companies with consumer brands should reconsider supporting a fascist regime that even reliable GOP voters are turning against. Jeff Natt
Falsified landslide
Nutley, N.J.: To all the people who believe that Trump won in a landslide, here are the facts. He won by just 1.5% of the vote, and with six more electoral votes than Joe Biden got in 2020. In 2024, Trump received fewer votes than Biden did in 2020 — 4 million fewer. Biden got more than 50% of the vote. Trump did not. Biden beat Trump by 4.4%. There’s the landslide. Gary Allan
Easy improvements
Whitestone: To NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: There are two things I hope you can fix. Don’t allow the players to wear bright yellow shoes or gloves, and can’t you figure out how to schedule the Jets and Giants to play at different times once in a while? Steven Huron
