Editorial: The Madness of Mamdani - And Long Island's Opportunity

New York City is being hit with a perfect political storm that is about to sweep-in Zohran Mamdani - a 33-year old radical socialist - as Mayor of America's greatest city.

The prospects for NYC are horrific: 

For law-abiding citizens, he offers a demoralizing blow to the NYC Police; and a green light to all sorts of criminals, muggers, scammers and thieves that it will be "open season" in NYC.

For parents, Mamdani promises an attack on educational hope: from his hostility to charter schools and what he calls the "racist" competitive NYC public high schools.

For already struggling businesses, he promises more red tape, more draconian squeezing; and more forced "sharing" of often non-existent profits. And even the promise of bleak "government-owned" grocery stores - communist Cuban-style.

For property owners, he promises more taxes, and more power to deadbeat tenants and squatters.

For Jews he offers the antisemitism of the "global Intifada;" and for white homeowners he promises "higher taxes on the white areas..." Pure racism.

These policies will be a disaster for New York City - but with an equally radical City Council - now just barely restrained by Mayor Eric Adams - the policies will become a reality.

But with every crisis comes opportunity - and Long Island's County Executives - Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine - are calling for NYC's business community to look east - and move their corporate headquarters to Long Island.

NYC's loss can be Long Island's gain.  But it will take real planning, and a coordinated marketing effort to communicate that message to New York business leaders.

Regional hubs - like Mitchell Field; downtown Hicksville; the Melville commercial corridor; the Ronkonkoma renaissance; and the StonyBrook research triangle - are all ripe for an infusion of new headquarters and top-paying jobs are businesses flee from a nightmare NYC.

Let us take maximum advantage that NYC's looming tragedy can afford us here on Long Island.