Queens Park Sculpture ‘Unisphere’ Pledges Inclusion… Signaling ‘Peace Through Understanding’
“Focus on Addressing Cost of Living Crisis in Municipal Management”… Expresses Willingness to Continue Dialogue with Jewish and Business Communities
Zoran Mamdani, the newly elected Mayor of New York, delivers a speech at a press conference in New York City on the 5th (local time). [AFP]
[Herald Economy = Reporter Jung Mok-hee] Zoran Mamdani (34), a self-proclaimed ‘democratic socialist’ and progressive politician of Indian Muslim descent, announced the list of the transition committee composed of administrative experts a day after his electoral victory on the 5th (local time), outlining his future governance direction.
At a press conference held at Flushing Meadow Corona Park in Queens, New York, Mamdani stated, “The poetry of the campaign may have ended at 9 PM last night, but the beautiful prose of governance is just beginning,” declaring that “the arduous journey to improve New Yorkers’ lives starts in earnest now.”
His remarks are interpreted as a quote from former New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s famous saying that “You campaign in poetry; you govern in prose.”
The key members of the transition committee announced include Elana Leopold, a former official of the Bill de Blasio administration, Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) during the Biden administration, and Maria Torres-Springer, who served as the first deputy mayor under current New York Mayor Eric Adams. All five announced members are women.
Lina Khan, the former FTC Chair, is known for her critical stance on the monopoly issues of big tech companies, earning the nicknames “big tech slayer” and “grim reaper of big tech.”
The transition committee appointments, which include both professional administrators and progressive policy experts, were evaluated as such by the New York Times (NYT).
During the campaign, Mamdani consistently maintained a message to alleviate the cost of living burden for New Yorkers and reiterated this mission at the press conference.
He stated, “My first day at City Hall will look like my last,” emphasizing that the municipal management will focus on the cost-of-living crisis and the issues of New Yorkers being displaced from the city.
He expressed his stance on continuing successful policy examples from past administrations.
Mamdani, although critical of Eric Adams’ city administration, stated that “a dispassionate analysis is necessary,” positively evaluating the “City of Yes” urban regeneration and housing supply project proposed by the current mayor.
He also highlighted the intention to communicate with those who did not support him in this election.
Mamdani expressed his expectation to collaborate with Jewish leaders across the city, whether elected officials, rabbis, or community leaders.
Within New York City, areas with a significant Jewish population have continued to express concerns about anti-Semitism, citing Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian stance.
In some areas of Brooklyn with a high concentration of Orthodox Jews, Mamdani’s support rate was notably low in this election.
Regarding concerns from the business community about progressive policies, Mamdani mentioned having communicated with major business leaders in New York, including Jamie Dimon, Chairman of JPMorgan Chase, during the campaign, and expressed his intention to continue these dialogues.
Mamdani chose the location in front of the ‘Unisphere,’ a large globe sculpture symbolizing Queens, New York, as the press conference venue. The sculpture, established for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, is acclaimed for embodying the fair’s theme of “Peace Through Understanding.”
Mamdani is set to begin his term as New York Mayor on January 1 next year.