A Story of an Unfinished Year in New York: Dreams, Language of Socialism, the Promise of Affordability, and the Realities of Power
When you buy a vase, you can dream of arranging 365 flowers in it. And what if you wish to give someone dear to you one flower from that vase every single day of the year? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Yes, one flower for each day of the year-some red, some blue, some yellow; some representing love, some protest, some hope, and others a sigh of disappointment. But is the beauty of a vase measured solely by the number of flowers it holds? Can a room truly be filled with fragrance by wilted flowers, buds that never bloom, or flowers merely drawn on paper? In today’s discussion, the ‘vase’ is essentially a metaphor for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political promises. At the same time, the 365 flowers represent the aspiration to adorn every single day of the year with achievements for the people of New York– where some flowers have blossomed, some remain trapped in their buds. Others may have withered away on the pages of promises.
Since taking office on January 1, 2026, Mamdani’s administration has been approaching the final stretch of its first year as November begins. However, if we count from his election, a full year has already passed. Although he has not yet completed 365 days in office on the calendar, this period is certainly not too short to begin assessing a politician’s dreams, promises, and the realities of governance.
Mamdani promised a city where housing is a human right, childcare is a social responsibility, and residents escape the crushing cost of living. But translating this dream into reality requires money, laws, administrative competence, and political compromise. There are, therefore, flowers as well as thorns in Mamdani’s vase. The question is: which are more numerous?
The Blooming Flowers and the Ordinary People
One of the most compelling aspects of Mamdani’s administration is its attempt to place the cost of living at the centre of political discourse. The success of a city, after all, should be more visible in the lives of its citizens than it is at a mayor’s press conference.
In the area of childcare, the $1.2 billion partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul is an important example of this effort. The plan to expand free daycare opportunities for two-year-old children, as a social programme, raises a broader question connected to family finances, women’s employment, and early childhood development. If a mother is forced to leave her job to care for her child, or if parents have to spend a substantial portion of their income on childcare, the crisis is not merely a personal one—hidden within it is also a failure of state policy.
Of course, announcing $1.2 billion and ensuring genuinely free childcare for every family are not the same thing. Nevertheless, the significance of this initiative cannot be denied. This is because, at the very least, attention has been drawn to a problem that silently constricts the lives of countless families.
The administration’s initiatives in housing are equally significant. The large number of violation notices issued against negligent landlords, efforts to secure settlements and repairs in favour of tenants, and the development of supportive housing projects—all carry a clear political message: landlords’ property rights matter, but tenants’ safety and dignity cannot be overlooked either.
However, housing rent remains a deep-rooted structural problem in New York. Taking action against certain landlords and resolving thousands of complaints are important, but they do not amount to a solution to the city’s overall housing crisis. Tenants’ rights must be protected, but effective policies are also needed regarding new housing construction, increased supply, maintenance, and long-term financing.
The repair of more than 100,000 potholes, improvements to bus and bicycle lanes, and plans for city-operated grocery stores demonstrate that Mamdani’s political approach is not confined to the stage of ideology alone; at least in some areas, it attempts to move closer to the everyday experiences of city residents.
The idea of city-operated grocery stores is appealing—when market competition is weak or the prices of essential commodities move beyond the reach of ordinary people, government initiatives can create alternatives. But food inflation cannot be stopped through a plan for a single store. The announcement of five pilot stores will become a success only when they actually open, people can purchase goods at affordable prices, and operating costs remain under control.
These initiatives, therefore, cannot be dismissed as artificial. Some bear the marks of tangible work, while others carry the promise of institutional initiatives. In politics, announcements make promises bloom quickly; in administration, bearing fruit takes time. But there is also a limit to how much time one can ask for—citizens do not vote to wait indefinitely, but to see the possibility of change translated into reality.
The Thorns of the Budget on the Flowers
Perhaps the most significant political contradiction of Mamdani’s first year lies precisely here: he wants to make a city affordable whose own economy and administrative structure are expensive.
In February 2026, amid efforts to address New York’s projected $5.4 billion budget deficit, the option of increasing property taxes by 9.5 percent emerged if the state government did not agree to raise taxes on the wealthy. The proposal was subsequently dropped from the executive budget. But this episode raises a fundamental question.
If a political movement promises to reduce the cost of living for ordinary people, yet considers imposing additional taxes on ordinary property owners to maintain budgetary balance, where exactly are its limitations?
Here, it is important to criticise Mamdani, but the criticism must be fair. The budget deficit was not created by him alone. New York’s economic structure, expensive public services, and the division of powers within the city government are all part of this crisis. But none of these realities disappears when electoral promises are made. The real test of leadership begins when one comes to power and has to confront them.
Raising taxes on the wealthy, expanding services for ordinary people, and maintaining the stability of the city budget—achieving all three objectives simultaneously may be difficult. But it was precisely the promise to undertake this difficult task that made Mamdani’s politics distinctive. Therefore, to assess his failures, it is not enough to speak only of the obstacles created by his opponents; we must examine how effectively he has been able to navigate alternative financing, spending priorities, and political compromises.
A mayor cannot open every door. But deciding which door to knock on, which window to bring light through, and which wall to attempt to break down—that decision belongs to him.
The Shadow of the Police over the Flowers of Socialism
At the heart of Mamdani’s political identity lies the language of progressivism and socialist politics. This language has earned him the support of people who have felt neglected by conventional politics for a long time. But when his administration, upon assuming power, put forward a plan to recruit an additional 580 officers into the New York Police Department, dissatisfaction emerged even among a section of his own political supporters.
This disagreement is not merely a question of police recruitment; it is a profound conflict between Mamdani’s political philosophy and the realities of administration.
On the one hand, the people of the city want security. They have a legitimate right to live free from the fear of murder, shootings, or violence. On the other hand, progressive concerns about excessive police powers, the use of force, and accountability are not unfounded either. Mamdani’s supporters are asking: if the promise of developing alternative, community-based approaches to public safety is allowed to shrink, then what remains distinctive about his politics?
At the same time, the disagreements between his administration and police unions demonstrate that there are obstacles to reform from the other direction as well.
In this situation, the easiest path for Mamdani would have been to ignore one side’s concerns in order to satisfy the other. But that is not where the true test of leadership lies. The real test is to establish an effective balance between ensuring public safety, strengthening police accountability, and developing community-based alternatives.
The Flowers That Are Still Buds
The plan to introduce free bus services has been held up by obstacles involving state-level support and funding. The question of freezing rents has depended on decisions by the relevant board. Reports have also indicated that the plan to establish a Department of Community Safety has not been implemented to the extent expected.
The Mayor of New York City has to work with the state government, legislators, the City Council, various boards, and administrative institutions. Therefore, encountering obstacles is not unusual. Yet, a fundamental question remains: how many of these hurdles were anticipated before the election, and what alternative strategies have been adopted since?
Honesty with the public is an important component of political capital. Failing to fulfil a promise is not always a failure in itself; however, presenting an unfulfilled promise as an achievement can certainly create a crisis of trust.
Beyond the Fragrance of Flowers: Political Polarisation
Mamdani’s position on the Israel-Palestine issue is not beyond controversy either. Some leaders of the Jewish community and other political figures have expressed concerns about his statements and political positions. In particular, controversy has emerged over the balance between condemning Hamas’s attack and criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza in his remarks commemorating the October 7 attacks.
Two issues need to be distinguished in this debate. Criticism of the policies of the Israeli government is not, in itself, antisemitism. Similarly, dismissing the concerns of members of the Jewish community as mere political opposition when they feel hurt or overlooked by a particular statement is not appropriate either.
New York is a city of people from many nationalities, languages, religions, and histories. The mayor’s responsibility there is not simply to express his own ideology; he is also accountable for the safety and dignity of different communities. Fulfilling this responsibility may require speaking difficult truths, but one must also remain conscious of the language in which those truths are expressed and their impact.
Here, political caution is essential for Mamdani, just as reasoned judgment is necessary for his critics. Turning disagreements into accusations of hatred without evidence narrows the scope of discussion; conversely, failing to give due importance to community concerns erodes mutual trust.
The Final Word: It Is Not the Number of Flowers, but Their Fragrance That Matters
Have All 365 Flowers Bloomed? To answer this, we do not need to count the flowers; we need to see which ones have actually bloomed, which remain buds, and which are still nothing more than seeds.
Delivering a final verdict at this stage would be premature, just as declaring him successful solely on the basis of his promises would also be an early judgement. For me, Mamdani’s greatest test is not his political identity but the real-life consequences of his political promises. Whether he is a socialist, how appealing his speeches are, or how much his supporters love him—beyond all these considerations, we must examine what has genuinely changed in the life of an ordinary New Yorker.
Has a mother seen her childcare expenses decrease? Does a tenant feel more secure? Has a worker received their rightful wages? Is a commuter getting faster and more affordable transportation? Does a citizen feel safe in their own city? And while delivering all these services, is the city administration managing to maintain a financially sustainable position?
His administration cannot be described as a story of unqualified success. Conversely, it would not be fair to declare his political project a complete failure simply because a few promises have been delayed. A vase containing 365 flowers may look beautiful. But if even a single flower spreads a genuine fragrance, it is worth a great deal. Conversely, even if 365 flowers are arranged in a vase but the room remains without fragrance, that beauty is merely for display.
For Mamdani, therefore, the priority now should not be to increase the number of flowers but to allow the flowers of his promises to take root in the soil of people’s everyday lives. The flowers that remain buds must bloom; the reasons behind those that have withered must be acknowledged; and citizens must be protected from the thorns of those flowers that inflict pain.
Because, ultimately, people do not vote by looking at a mayor’s vase. They vote in the hope of finding a little more light, a little more comfort, a little more security, and a little more dignity in their own lives. The bigger question is not whether there are 365 flowers in Mamdani’s vase, but whether their fragrance is reaching the homes of ordinary New Yorkers.
The answer to this question is still being written. And that answer will determine whether Mamdani merely arranged flowers of hope or genuinely managed to improve the quality of life in a city.
