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A resurfaced campaign ad from Zohran Mamdani promises to be friendlier to small businesses — cutting red tape, slashing fines, creating a “Mom-and-Pop czar,” and massively increasing funding for one-on-one small-business support. On its face it looks like relief for Main Street, but conservatives should see this as political theater: soothing rhetoric meant to disarm skeptical voters while a much different agenda lurks beneath.
Don’t be fooled by the feel-good lines about speeding up permits and halving tiny fines; Mamdani’s broader plan depends on massive tax increases that will crush the very businesses he claims to save. He has proposed hiking the corporate tax rate to 11.5 percent and adding a flat 2 percent tax on New Yorkers earning over $1 million — an approach that will drive employers and investment out of the city and raise costs for every mom-and-pop trying to survive.
This isn’t just small-bore bureaucracy-busting — his platform includes city-run grocery stores and heavy-handed regulation of delivery apps, policies that amount to more government control over commerce, not less. When a candidate talks about public ownership and intrusive regulation alongside “cutting red tape,” it’s either profound political incompetence or a calculated bait-and-switch.
Business owners aren’t buying the spin. Local chambers and storefront operators have publicly warned that promises of extra city programs and czars won’t offset the damage from higher taxes and government-run competition, and many worry his proposals could undercut independent bodegas and small grocers. Real relief for entrepreneurs comes from lower taxes, pro-growth policies, and less bureaucracy — not new city czars and expanded public spending.
On top of policy questions, Mamdani’s campaign has been dogged by troubling operational issues that voters ought to consider: an AI-generated ad by allies that mocked concerns about crime and was quickly pulled, and reports that the campaign accepted contributions from foreign sources that triggered an audit. When a campaign looks sloppy or careless about messaging and funding, it’s a red flag that governing would be equally chaotic.
The essential truth is simple: politicians promising both big new programs and a friendlier climate for small business are asking voters to believe in miracles. Conservative voters and hardworking New Yorkers should demand plain talk and accountability — not PR stunts wrapped in populist language while the real plan is to expand government, raise taxes, and centralize control over commerce.
If Mamdani truly wants to help family-run shops, he should sign onto real reforms: permanent cuts to burdensome local taxes, streamlined permits implemented immediately, and protections that keep government out of private enterprise. Until then, that glossy ad should be read for what it is: a bait-and-switch designed to neutralize concern before his full, expensive agenda takes hold.
