Gustavo Gordillo, who is the co-chair of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America; and Batul Hassan, who is a steering committee member at the DSA and serves as the labor director at the Climate and Community Institute; joined “Inside City Hall” to talk about the chapters thoughts on Mayor Zohran Mamdani backing up Gov. Kathy Hochul for reelection and what they think about the governor’s budget.
In this segment, the host revisits New York’s governor’s race after the NYC mayor publicly endorses Governor Kathy Hochul’s re-election—prompting backlash from some of his closest allies in the NYC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who accuse Hochul of catering to billionaire donors over working-class New Yorkers. Two DSA leaders argue the state budget should raise taxes on top earners to fund an “affordability agenda,” highlighting priorities like universal childcare (with fair wages for providers), faster/free buses, and affordable housing—while warning NYC could face a major multi-year deficit. The discussion drills into specific tax proposals (including a “Fair Share” approach for millionaires), rejects the idea that wealthy donors should dictate public spending through philanthropy, and ends with a mobilization pitch to bring thousands to Albany on February 25—plus a blunt warning that lawmakers who block higher-tax bills could face primary challengers.
Sources: NY1 and Spectrum News , Big New York news BigNY.com
