We’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway

The famous singer-songwriter Billy Joel once wrote:  “I seen the lights go out on Broadway.” I don’t think that could be any more true than with the recent election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York City. Mamdani, a member of The Democratic Socialists of America, has plans to use public funds to support his political agenda, particularly regarding his stance on the Boycott, Divestment, and sanctions against Israel. This raises a lot of concern with the over 40 voters and one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. His plan to tax the rich includes raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and a 2% income tax surcharge on salaries over $1 million. I think we all know what that does. It sends corporations and high earners packing for other states, chastising the very people that create the jobs for us little folks and leaving the coffers of New York City bare. Not feasible for a city which has a budget exceeding $1 trillion, which includes $500 billion for operating expenses and $300 billion in pension assets. He also has a plan to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour, causing the price of goods and services to skyrocket and will force small businesses to shut down completely.

As a card-carrying member of The Democratic Socialists of America, his anti-Israel stance includes ending all city contracts with companies doing business with Israel, and withdrawing all funds from banks lending money to the Jewish state. He will also ban Israeli products from the city-run grocery stores he plans to open, which by the way will have the efficiency of th DMV and the bedside manner of the unemployment office. He’ll dismantle the NYC-Israel Economic Council formed by outgoing Mayor Adams and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “war crimes” if he enters New York City. Good luck with that one. Another major problem is the NYPD is experiencing a significant increase in officer resignations. In October 2025, 245 officers left the force and that could increase significantly with the departure of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

I was born and raised in Westbury, N.Y. which is about 15 miles to the east of New York City. As a young teenager and into my twenties, I enjoyed taking the Long Island Railroad into the city for concerts and nite-clubs. All through the 70’s, I worked as a courier in all 5 boroughs of the city. I knew every inch of the place. It was a fun place to work and a fun place to play. In 1979, I moved to California, where I currently reside and in October 2023, I took some friends to Long Island to show them around the island. We took the train into the city for a day trip and took a cab from Grand Central to the Trade Center Museum. We decided to walk up Church Street and made a right on Canal to Chinatown. What I saw was nothing short of a Third World country. Block after block we had to walk in the street because the sidewalks were full of people sleeping on mattresses. The filth and drug use was beyond anything imaginable. Not the New York I remember and with Mamdani enforcing stronger sanctuary laws and preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering city property without judicial warrants, this situation will be on steroids. Zorhan will feel right at home,

Simply put, Mamdani is a snake oil salsman. He might look good on stage but I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw Rosie O’Donnell. I think if he gets his agenda in place the standard of living in New York City will decline for everybody. Rich and poor alike. Socialism has never worked anywhere in the world and never will and has no place in a free American society.

We’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway!

Written by Walt Ryba November 10, 2025