In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.New York City’s far-left mayor seems to have picked up a new hobby: trolling successful conservative leaders from the 1980s, years after their deaths.At an event in May, Zohran Mamdani resurrected a classic quote from the late, great Ronald Reagan — in order to dissent from it. Reagan, Mamdani recalled, “famously said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ It’s a good quote, but I disagree. I think nine more terrifying words are actually, ‘I worked all day and can’t feed my family.’”
To cheers, he added, “we are going to lower prices and make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table.”
If there are New Yorkers who work hard all day, yet still can’t feed their families, whose fault is that? The implication, of course, is that the government is failing poor people by not spending enough of other people’s money.
Let’s consider a relevant case study. New York, a blue state dominated by Democrats for many years, taxes its residents at much higher rates than red Florida (I’ve selected this particular comparison because national Democrats have repeatedly invited an examination of Florida’s governance with their incessant attacks, especially dating back to the pandemic). Statistics shared by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis demonstrate that while the bustling and growing Sunshine State boasts close to 4 million more residents than the Empire State, Florida’s entire annual state budget is approximately $117 billion, compared to New York’s $237 billion. Mamdani’s state has many fewer residents, but double the state budget.
