Communist NYC Mayoral Candidate Says “I Don’t Think We Should Have Billionaires” – Doubles Down on Targeting ‘Whiter Neighborhoods’ with Higher Taxes

Zohran Mamdani/Image: Video screenshot Meet the Press

| Published June 29, 2025

🏛️ What Mamdani Proposes

• Property Tax Overhaul
  Mamdani advocates shifting the property tax burden away from predominantly Black and brown, outer-borough neighborhoods (like Jamaica or Brownsville) onto wealthier, predominantly white areas with more expensive homes

• He claims that current assessment caps and formulas favor expensive homes—typically in whiter neighborhoods—at the expense of poorer communities

• Targeted Tax Increases
  His plan would remove assessment caps and increase tax rates specifically where assessments rise most, meaning wealthier areas would see steeper hikes.

• Anti-Billionaire Rhetoric
  Mamdani has also called for phasing out billionaires, advocating that no individual should accumulate that level of wealth

📣 Mamdani Stands Firm

• According to The New York Post, he has doubled down on his plan, reaffirming that “whiter neighborhoods” with pricier homes should shoulder more of the burden

• He defends the racial framing, saying it simply acknowledges where disparities lie and isn’t about punishing individuals based on skin color

🧩 Why the Backlash?

• Accusations of Reverse Racism
  Some critics argue the policy targets white residents unfairly, calling it racially divisive and potentially illegal. GOP-aligned Harmeet Dhillon even threatened a DOJ probe, stating that discrimination based on race violates federal laws.

• Legal and Legislative Barriers
  Opponents highlight that major structural change requires state legislative approval—not just a mayoral directive.

• Economic Concerns
  Analysts, including business leaders and even Gov. Hochul, have warned that targeting wealthy neighborhoods could drive residents and businesses out, shrinking revenue and threatening city services

• Mixed Political Response
  The plan has garnered support from some tax reform advocates, but criticism rings out from both sides: moderates calling it unrealistic or risky, and the hard-left wanting broader redistribution .

 Implications

🔍 1. Legal and Constitutional Concerns

• Racial Targeting: Framing tax policy explicitly around racial demographics may invite civil rights lawsuits. Critics argue this could violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

• Federal Scrutiny: High-profile figures like Harmeet Dhillon have already threatened a Department of Justice investigation, claiming race-based tax policies are unconstitutional.

💸 2. Economic Flight Risk

• Exodus of Wealth: Targeting affluent areas could accelerate the ongoing departure of wealthy residents and businesses from New York, further shrinking the tax base.

• Investor Uncertainty: Real estate and financial markets may see the city as hostile to capital, potentially driving down investment and property values in affected zones.

🗳️ 3. Political Polarization

• Deepens Divides: The rhetoric—particularly around race and wealth—intensifies ideological tensions between progressive and moderate Democrats, and between the political left and right.

• Strategic Gamble: While Mamdani’s messaging may energize far-left voters, it risks alienating moderates and independent voters in a city already grappling with crime, affordability, and urban flight.

🏙️ 4. Urban Planning and Redistribution

• Shift in Development: By discouraging wealth concentration in select neighborhoods, the policy could influence future housing developments, potentially leading to more mixed-income planning—or unintended disinvestment.

• Equity vs. Stability Debate: It forces a city-wide reckoning: Should tax fairness prioritize equality of burden, even if it risks destabilizing the economic engine of the city?

🌍 5. National Policy Ripple

• Model for the Left: Mamdani’s bold push could become a test case for progressive taxation nationwide, potentially influencing other left-wing city leaders.

• Counterpoint for the Right: Conversely, it could become a cautionary tale for conservatives, used to highlight the dangers of identity-based policy frameworks.

 Overall Takeaway:

Zohran Mamdani’s radical tax proposal may be wrapped in the language of fairness, but beneath it lies a dangerous experiment in race-based policymaking and class warfare. By explicitly targeting “whiter neighborhoods” and vilifying wealth itself, Mamdani isn’t solving inequality—he’s sowing division. His plan risks driving out the very taxpayers who fund essential city services, undermining economic stability in the name of ideology. In a time when New York City needs unity, growth, and common sense, proposals like this remind us how quickly socialist ideas can erode the principles of equal treatment and personal freedom. The real path to equity isn’t punishment—it’s opportunity.

SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – Communist NYC Mayoral Candidate Says “I Don’t Think We Should Have Billionaires” – Doubles Down on Targeting ‘Whiter Neighborhoods’ with Higher Taxes

THE NEW YORK POST – Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist

THE SUNDAY TIMES – Why millionaires are planning to escape from New York