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New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has launched an online "affordability calculator" to demonstrate potential savings for residents if his proposed policies are implemented. The Democratic frontrunner's plan focuses on three "Big Commitments": free city buses, universal child care, and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments. According to the calculator, a non-rent-stabilized tenant with two children under five who takes the bus ten times a week could save nearly $46,000 annually. However, users must pledge to vote for or volunteer with Mamdani to access the tool.
Mamdani's campaign centers on making the city more affordable, with additional proposals such as city-owned grocery stores and reducing business costs. His affordability initiatives could collectively save New Yorkers over $8 billion annually, according to NBC New York.
Funding for these plans would come from a two-percent tax increase on the city's top one percent earners, a measure Mamdani believes is the most straightforward way to finance his agenda. However, the New York Times notes that Governor Kathy Hochul, despite endorsing Mamdani, opposes his tax plan.
Mamdani's proposals aim to address the financial pressures faced by New Yorkers, which he equates to extortion. He emphasizes the need for political courage to implement such large-scale changes, drawing parallels to historical acts of reform in the city. The candidate asserts that these measures are necessary to prevent the exodus of working- and middle-class residents to neighboring states.
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