![\"BREAKING:](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mceclip0-1763008908-q80-4.webp\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This article may contain commentary
which reflects the author’s opinion.<\/p>\n
The wheels are coming off the socialist bus.<\/p>\n
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is tapping the brakes on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani\u2019s $700 million plan for free city buses, casting early doubt on one of the far-left lawmaker\u2019s biggest campaign promises, The New York Post\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the SOMOS political retreat in Puerto Rico on Saturday, Hochul said she\u2019s already spent heavily to support the city\u2019s struggling MTA and questioned how much further the state could go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI continue to be excited at the work of making the slowest buses in America fast and free,\u201d Mamdani said Monday during an unrelated press conference. \u201cAnd I appreciate the governor\u2019s continued partnership in delivering on that agenda of affordability.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Hochul\u2019s comments in San Juan marked the latest break between the moderate Democratic governor and Mamdani, the Democratic socialist she endorsed just two months ago.<\/p>\n
Hochul happily rode Mamdani\u2019s coattails during the campaign as he energized progressives with promises of affordability and social programs, but she has shown far less enthusiasm for actually paying for them.<\/p>\n
The governor has rejected several of Mamdani\u2019s cornerstone ideas, including proposals to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to fund $10 billion in new benefits like free child care and fareless transit.<\/p>\n
Her caution could create a serious roadblock for the incoming mayor, whose ambitious plans rely on support from Albany to move forward.<\/p>\n
The top two Democratic leaders in the state Legislature \u2014 Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins \u2014 have signaled more willingness to help Mamdani pursue his agenda.<\/p>\n
That divide leaves Hochul increasingly isolated from the party\u2019s energized left flank, which has been openly pressuring her to embrace higher taxes on the rich.<\/p>\n
During recent public appearances, activists have twice interrupted the governor with chants of \u201cTax the rich,\u201d drawing a sharp rebuke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you push me, the more I\u2019m not going to do what you want,\u201d Hochul told the SOMOS crowd in response.<\/p>\n
Still, Hochul did not fully reject Mamdani\u2019s wish list.<\/p>\n
She said she\u2019s open to working with him on expanding free child care, though she made clear it would be an expensive and long-term goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be on a path to get there, because I\u2019m committed to this as \u2018mom governor\u2019 \u2014 I get it,\u201d Hochul said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also to do it statewide, right now, it\u2019s about $15 billion \u2014 the entire amount of my reserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cautious tone was a reality check for Mamdani, who has portrayed himself as the champion of \u201ceveryday New Yorkers\u201d and promised to make the city more affordable through massive new public spending.<\/p>\n
Hochul\u2019s remarks also came as she continues her own political maneuvering ahead of a likely 2026 re-election bid.<\/p>\n
After the SOMOS conference, she flew to the Dominican Republic to attend a breakfast celebrating cross-cultural exchange \u2014 an event seen as an appeal to one of New York\u2019s largest and most influential immigrant voting blocs.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers trace family roots to the Dominican Republic, making the outreach a politically savvy move for a governor seeking to rebuild her base while keeping the party\u2019s left wing at arm\u2019s length.<\/p>\n
Whether Hochul and Mamdani can maintain their uneasy alliance may determine not only the future of free buses and child care, but also the balance of power within the New York Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
Zohran Mamdani: The Grassroots Progressive Making Noise in New York Politics<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Zohran Kwame Mamdani may not yet be a household name like his close ally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but within New York\u2019s political circles, he\u2019s become one of the most dynamic young voices of the progressive movement.<\/p>\n Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 to a Ugandan mother and an Indian father \u2014 the acclaimed writer and academic Mahmood Mamdani \u2014 Zohran moved to the U.S. as a child and grew up in New York City. Before entering politics, he worked as a housing counselor and tenant organizer, helping low-income residents navigate the city\u2019s notoriously tough housing system. That background deeply shaped his political philosophy: people-first, anti-corporate, and rooted in community empowerment.<\/p>\n In 2020, Mamdani made his own political splash when he won election to represent New York\u2019s 36th Assembly District<\/strong>, which includes parts of Astoria in Queens. Like AOC before him, his victory over an establishment-backed incumbent symbolized the growing strength of New York\u2019s left-wing movement, driven by grassroots energy and progressive ideals.<\/p>\n Since taking office, Mamdani has been an outspoken advocate for housing justice<\/strong>, public transit reform<\/strong>, and economic equity<\/strong>. He\u2019s championed policies like \u201cGood Cause Eviction<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 a tenant protection bill that would limit unfair rent hikes and evictions \u2014 and has pushed for expanding public housing funding while taxing wealthy developers and corporations.<\/p>\n Mamdani is also a key member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)<\/strong>, working alongside figures like Ocasio-Cortez and State Senator Julia Salazar to reshape New York\u2019s political landscape. His activism extends beyond Albany: he\u2019s often seen at rallies for Palestinian rights, climate justice, and labor movements, reflecting a deeply intersectional approach to politics.<\/p>\n What sets Zohran Mamdani apart is his mix of policy seriousness and cultural fluency. On social media, he engages directly with constituents, mixing humor, community updates, and political education. He\u2019s part of a new wave of leaders who are redefining what it means to hold office \u2014 less about hierarchy, more about humanity.<\/p>\n As he continues to grow his influence within New York\u2019s progressive ranks, Mamdani represents a broader generational shift \u2014 one that blends activism with policymaking and treats politics not as a career, but as a community mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This article may contain commentarywhich reflects the author’s opinion. The wheels are coming off the socialist bus. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is tapping the brakes on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani\u2019s $700 million…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t