Very well written and well reasoned. My general comment is one of my life axioms, which is that leftists never learn. They have no interest in learning. They would rather complain that the grownups aren’t doing things right.
My more specific comment is about Mamdani’s “affordable housing” fantasies. He thinks he’s going to build 20,000 units for $100 billion? My partners and I were, for three decades, the largest affordable housing developers in two Western states, and smaller players in the industry in four other states. We’re still building and buying around the country, though mostly Southeast these days. We know a little about it. Three- and four-story wood frame apartments cost north of $500,00 per unit to build anywhere in the West (all blue states, of course) and more like $750,000 and even more in many places. In cities like Atlanta it’s at least $500,000/unit. So, how much is the cost in NYC? I don’t know, but I’d be shocked if it’s not substantially higher, and that’s for low rise wood frame. Is that what Mamdani thinks they’ll build? Because mid- and high rise is way more expensive. And that’s today, not 5-10 years from now. And in NYC it would take years just to fight through the approval process before you could break ground.
Mamdani has no idea what he’s talking about. Of course, since he’s never actually created any housing, or done anything else. Like bloviating governors in other blue states who make grand pronouncements about their affordable housing goals that never come close to being realized, he’s an “activist,” which means he talks but never actually does, creates or builds anything. And, being a leftist, never learns anything either.
His policy proposals work at cross-purposes. There are areas where he talks about cutting "red tape," but it just makes me think of similar promises made for residents of the Palisades.
One of my favorite proposals of his is that he wants to appoint a "Mom & Pop Czar" to "help" small business owners navigate NYC's labyrinthine regulations...instead of just CUTTING them 😂
Many politicians promise similar things. The resistance to actually doing so from the bureaucracies, unions, graft seekers and assorted special interests (as exemplified by the responses to DOGE, inter alia) nearly always block them from doing much, if they ever even actually intended to do it. Mamdani is utterly inexperienced, and the vast network of DSA-affiliated entities that have created and therefore run him, are interested in destruction, but not that kind.
I’d love to know more about your real estate development firm, where specifically you invested before and where you’re investing now. I live in SoCal so 🤨but I do live in the OC. There’s a piece of land on PCH that is not subject to Costal Commission and it made me think hmmm is it worth it long term?
"Every socialistic type of government … produces bad art, produces social inertia, produces really unhappy people, and it's more repressive than any other kind of government." – Frank Zappa ("My Afternoon with Frank Zappa," by Larry Rogak, May 8, 1980)
"The sensible person might wonder how abolishing bus fares will lead to safer and faster bus service, rather than to overcrowding by the kinds of people they know to avoid on the subway"
This one hit close to home. They've instituted "zero fare" (please don't check your taxes to last years') here in my city, and in a matter of two months, it all went to shit.
For those of us who don't hold cushy government jobs, with a state sponsored driver, it's either dish out the money to buy a car (and get stressed out in the Greater São Paulo traffic), or contend with a much worse bus service, crowded with the types who love a "free lunch" (aka the most inconsiderate assholes you can find), and higher taxes to boot.
And the average minimum wage professional, who before at least had the option to save up on some cash by walking part or all the way to work, now has that choice taken away: no longer your job will pay your travel expenses for you (that you could save up), and you have to pay for the horrible public system, whether you like it or not.
One of the most profound ideas I learned at business school was the notion that there usually is no "right" decision (mostly because you'll never know what would have happened if you chose otherwise). The most important thing is to make the decision and put all of your effort into making "that" decision the right one. (Thank you professor Biteman).
Unfortunately, the partisan state of our politics is such that when one party makes a decision, the other party immediately starts to work on making it the wrong decision.
No doubt I'm suspicious of some of Mamdani's proposed policies, but I will genuinely be cheering for him to succeed at making NYC a better place to live should he be elected. Why would anyone want him, or any elected official, to fail?
If there is "usually no right decision," then your idea of decision-making is tossing a coin. Why bother with intelligence, evidence, statistical probability, traditional metrics of success, knowledgeable advice, or risk assessment? Just flip a quarter and "put all your effort" into validating that coin toss.
And what makes you "suspicious" of some of Mamdani's proposed policies? After all, they're his decisions, and you admit there are "no right decisions." Why not just unquestionably accept and trust his proposed policies? By expressing skepticism, you seem to be contradicting the "profound" learning you acquired at business school.
The more I try to follow your (professor's) logic, the more confused I get. I think it's a matter of clarity (or lack thereof) in your explanation. Forgive my confusion.
As to your question about why would anyone want Mamdani, or any elected official to fail — if ZM's objective is to impose socialism on NYC, I absolutely hope he fails. Because the aim of socialism is maximizing government control over individuals. The bigger the state, the smaller the citizen.
No interest in arguing, these are just my opinions. Tough to blame Mamdani. The system has failed regular people and apparently they’re pretty fed up.
With that said, he has such a huge uphill battle with a lot of wealthy powerful people against him not to mention no real precedent of success for many of his proposals. Odds are you’ll get what you want.
My God Clifton, the last few sentences summarized the mental illness entirely.
As a Californian, I love that you brought up the hard percentages of price increases since the fast food minimum wage was implemented. I was utterly furious the other day when Newsom gave list of glowing California stats that were just complete lies. But I constantly see what you’re talking about in my TDS fellow artists. The cannot or will not listen to a well thought out connect the dots.
Very well written and well reasoned. My general comment is one of my life axioms, which is that leftists never learn. They have no interest in learning. They would rather complain that the grownups aren’t doing things right.
My more specific comment is about Mamdani’s “affordable housing” fantasies. He thinks he’s going to build 20,000 units for $100 billion? My partners and I were, for three decades, the largest affordable housing developers in two Western states, and smaller players in the industry in four other states. We’re still building and buying around the country, though mostly Southeast these days. We know a little about it. Three- and four-story wood frame apartments cost north of $500,00 per unit to build anywhere in the West (all blue states, of course) and more like $750,000 and even more in many places. In cities like Atlanta it’s at least $500,000/unit. So, how much is the cost in NYC? I don’t know, but I’d be shocked if it’s not substantially higher, and that’s for low rise wood frame. Is that what Mamdani thinks they’ll build? Because mid- and high rise is way more expensive. And that’s today, not 5-10 years from now. And in NYC it would take years just to fight through the approval process before you could break ground.
Mamdani has no idea what he’s talking about. Of course, since he’s never actually created any housing, or done anything else. Like bloviating governors in other blue states who make grand pronouncements about their affordable housing goals that never come close to being realized, he’s an “activist,” which means he talks but never actually does, creates or builds anything. And, being a leftist, never learns anything either.
His policy proposals work at cross-purposes. There are areas where he talks about cutting "red tape," but it just makes me think of similar promises made for residents of the Palisades.
One of my favorite proposals of his is that he wants to appoint a "Mom & Pop Czar" to "help" small business owners navigate NYC's labyrinthine regulations...instead of just CUTTING them 😂
Many politicians promise similar things. The resistance to actually doing so from the bureaucracies, unions, graft seekers and assorted special interests (as exemplified by the responses to DOGE, inter alia) nearly always block them from doing much, if they ever even actually intended to do it. Mamdani is utterly inexperienced, and the vast network of DSA-affiliated entities that have created and therefore run him, are interested in destruction, but not that kind.
Agreed on all, except the notion that "leftists never learn." Some do, and then they stop being leftists.
I’d love to know more about your real estate development firm, where specifically you invested before and where you’re investing now. I live in SoCal so 🤨but I do live in the OC. There’s a piece of land on PCH that is not subject to Costal Commission and it made me think hmmm is it worth it long term?
"Every socialistic type of government … produces bad art, produces social inertia, produces really unhappy people, and it's more repressive than any other kind of government." – Frank Zappa ("My Afternoon with Frank Zappa," by Larry Rogak, May 8, 1980)
That hits hard.
"The sensible person might wonder how abolishing bus fares will lead to safer and faster bus service, rather than to overcrowding by the kinds of people they know to avoid on the subway"
This one hit close to home. They've instituted "zero fare" (please don't check your taxes to last years') here in my city, and in a matter of two months, it all went to shit.
For those of us who don't hold cushy government jobs, with a state sponsored driver, it's either dish out the money to buy a car (and get stressed out in the Greater São Paulo traffic), or contend with a much worse bus service, crowded with the types who love a "free lunch" (aka the most inconsiderate assholes you can find), and higher taxes to boot.
And the average minimum wage professional, who before at least had the option to save up on some cash by walking part or all the way to work, now has that choice taken away: no longer your job will pay your travel expenses for you (that you could save up), and you have to pay for the horrible public system, whether you like it or not.
That is wild.
Are you suggesting Cuomo is a better option for NY? (Sincere question)
Ugh 😩
In most elections you choose the lesser of two evils. Cuomo would unquestionably be LESS WORSE.
I cut a line from an earlier draft that the mayoral race is a contest of the least-worst.
One of the most profound ideas I learned at business school was the notion that there usually is no "right" decision (mostly because you'll never know what would have happened if you chose otherwise). The most important thing is to make the decision and put all of your effort into making "that" decision the right one. (Thank you professor Biteman).
Unfortunately, the partisan state of our politics is such that when one party makes a decision, the other party immediately starts to work on making it the wrong decision.
No doubt I'm suspicious of some of Mamdani's proposed policies, but I will genuinely be cheering for him to succeed at making NYC a better place to live should he be elected. Why would anyone want him, or any elected official, to fail?
If there is "usually no right decision," then your idea of decision-making is tossing a coin. Why bother with intelligence, evidence, statistical probability, traditional metrics of success, knowledgeable advice, or risk assessment? Just flip a quarter and "put all your effort" into validating that coin toss.
And what makes you "suspicious" of some of Mamdani's proposed policies? After all, they're his decisions, and you admit there are "no right decisions." Why not just unquestionably accept and trust his proposed policies? By expressing skepticism, you seem to be contradicting the "profound" learning you acquired at business school.
Do your analysis and due diligence and make a decision then all effort into making it the right decision. Peace.
The more I try to follow your (professor's) logic, the more confused I get. I think it's a matter of clarity (or lack thereof) in your explanation. Forgive my confusion.
As to your question about why would anyone want Mamdani, or any elected official to fail — if ZM's objective is to impose socialism on NYC, I absolutely hope he fails. Because the aim of socialism is maximizing government control over individuals. The bigger the state, the smaller the citizen.
No interest in arguing, these are just my opinions. Tough to blame Mamdani. The system has failed regular people and apparently they’re pretty fed up.
With that said, he has such a huge uphill battle with a lot of wealthy powerful people against him not to mention no real precedent of success for many of his proposals. Odds are you’ll get what you want.
Get your popcorn, should be interesting…
Respect to you.
Thanks, Johannes. I appreciate the civil exchange.
The best way to carry out socialism is on a stretcher.
Well said
Thanks, Charles.
My God Clifton, the last few sentences summarized the mental illness entirely.
As a Californian, I love that you brought up the hard percentages of price increases since the fast food minimum wage was implemented. I was utterly furious the other day when Newsom gave list of glowing California stats that were just complete lies. But I constantly see what you’re talking about in my TDS fellow artists. The cannot or will not listen to a well thought out connect the dots.