Zohran Mamdani won his NYC primary on an affordability agenda. How have his ideas worked in Boston?
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Mamdani has made no secret of the inspiration he takes from his neighbors to the north. His campaign
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Here's a breakdown of how key policy proposals of Mamdani,
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Fare-free buses
One of Mamdani's main campaign promises is to eliminate fares, usually $2.90, on city buses. Boston has some experience with that.
On Wu's
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A passenger boarded the free 28 bus at the Ruggles station in 2023.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Wu's initial pilot program was slated to last two years. But in 2024, with 12 million trips and estimated rider savings of more than $6 million under its belt,
Responses have been mixed. The
Rent freeze
Nearly half of New York City's apartments are
In Boston, even the first part feels like a pipe dream.
Massachusetts voters narrowly
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Demonstrators marched for affordable housing and rent control in front of Boston City Hall on May 20.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Wu's plan
In a statement, Wu said she still supports the plan she proposed.
'If not by home-rule petition or statewide legislation, rent stabilization could also be passed through a statewide ballot initiative,' she said.
Wu's chief challenger in the mayoral race, Josh Kraft,
'Josh's plan is far superior to the government-mandated approach Mayor Wu unsuccessfully tried to enact in Boston, and to what Mamdani is proposing in New York City,' a Kraft campaign spokesperson said in a statement.
Surtax on high earners
Back in 2022,
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Mamdani
If his bid goes anything like it did in Massachusetts, it will be a
Voters walked past a sign saying "Yes on 1," advocating for the Fair Share Amendment, outside an East Boston polling location in 2022.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
In Massachusetts, proponents argue the surcharge
Opponents of the surtax say it's
No-cost child care
In Boston, as in New York,
The Wu and Healey administrations have also made efforts to shore up the
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Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey high-fived students as she visited a pre-K classroom in Malden in January 2024.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Wu, who
But demand still outstrips supply. New state vouchers for child care subsidies for income-eligible families, for example,
City-owned grocery stores
Perhaps Mamdani's
While no such retail store exists in Massachusetts, there is a government-operated commissary
One local grocery venture that has received a fair share of public financial support is Boston Public Market. The downtown marketplace, operated by a nonprofit organization,
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The crowd at the Boston Public Market on its opening day in 2015.
Pat Greenhouse
The market is more upscale, rather than a discount supermarket. But according to its
Neither of Boston's mayoral candidates support Mamdani's proposal. Wu said 'there are more effective ways for us to partner with and coordinate organizations and businesses in addressing food insecurity,' pointing to
The Kraft campaign spokesperson put it more bluntly: 'Josh thinks having city government-run grocery stores in Boston is a dumb idea.'
Dana Gerber can be reached at
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
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