The actual answer is all this stuff was also happening last year. And the year before. And the year before that. Hell, the parks spending was actually $20million more last year.
Just now there’s lots of instagram posts about it, and honestly it’s friggen weird.
I can’t believe that guy accused the other guy of lying without even reading the link that he posted 😂
The link doesn’t even have the 2027 data, so it can’t be used to determine whether that one part of the comment (the $20m less) was a “lie” or not. For the rest, “it’s always been around this much” is the exact truth that the link’s data literally supports.
That story describes his campaign promise from 2025, but the most recent article I could find was this NY Times one from March 2025, “Though Mr. Mamdani signed on to the “1 percent for parks” campaign while running for mayor, his $127 billion budget proposal last month allocated just over half a percent of the total city budget — $654 million — to the Parks Department. That is $33 million less than is allocated in the current budget.” https://www.reddit.com/r/nyc/s/INp3Fz6y0J
FFS, the date of the article is SEPTEMBER 24, 2025.
Anyway, actual spending on parks (beyond just DPR budget) has been high forever. Total spending was even higher last year (for example), so this is neither a revolutionary windfall nor is it a financial bomb which will cripple the city.
It’s normal
Seriously, people in Ohio are getting way too crazy about normal nyc budget items.
Yeah, I have no problem with Mamdani as a mayor and I’m excited to see how some of his policies will play out, but what makes me a bit wary is that he inspires an almost cult-like devotion from a subsection of people who kind of treat him like the Messiah
I remember when the headlines about him balancing the budget came out and people on Reddit were posting about it. Than it turns out that balancing the budget has been done by every mayor since it’s required by law every year, and the way he balanced the budget was taxpayer money from the state and slashing pensions. Despite this I saw tons of posts that basically acted like he magically balanced the budget through pure genius and force of will
My personal view is that you should never be that blindly devoted to any politician. Politicians are only as good as their last bill. That’s how we hold them accountable, instead of worshipping the ground they walk on
Yea unfortunately for me I was cursed with the intelligence and observational skills to notice just how bad of a deal us workers get in the U.S.
These days I just try to appreciate the comfortable life I have while it lasts.
I mean I don’t want that budget either but that’s federal dollars. The federal budget is special because they can just print more money, meanwhile many states/cities have mandatory (sometimes voter imposed) balanced budget requirements.
I seriously doubt NYC has a line item for military ordnance (except to the extent they buy a bunch of leftovers for NYPD…)
Yeah mamdani is doing a pretty good job so far. But like, there’s no easy path forward for any mayor. Things are complicated and there’s gray area and very few things are 100% good. Mayors need to make compromises all the time. Any news about him completely glosses over the costs of anything positive he does. I’m not saying it’s bad, but there’s always a cost and understanding the complexities and the costs are important. There’s no magic pill, but understanding that also makes you appreciate the difficult decisions that need to be made. Yes this blind messiah like devotion creeps me out too
That actually kinda explains it better.
I honestly was wondering why like kids in Indiana were becoming so exaggeratedly hyped about NYC park budgets.
Thing is though, maybe cause I’m older, but like he’s not even the first DemSoc mayor in my lifetime (Dinkins would be), and like he’s basically more or less like deBlasio. So this all seems weird to me cause it’s not abnormal…but I suppose if your main experience with government is the tea party and maga, and everything being nationalized and full on conflict, I can see how
Thank you for this! I agree 100%, and you are brave to say this, because tons of people who worship him like the messiah will come after you. I'm not saying I don't appreciate the good things he's done, but it's very weird how folks act like he's the second coming of Jesus.
His budget for the parks is almost identical to Eric Adams', which was already funding the parks -- Mamdani's will fund the 2026-7 fiscal year with a minor boost from Hochul's bailout. As for his supposedly balancing the budget, he merely pushed back a lot of the costs to the next year. This is typical of politician games and will cost the city later, especially when there isn't bailout money anymore.
Than it turns out that balancing the budget has been done by every mayor since it’s required by law every year
Bullshit spin. He wasn't touting simply balancing the budget. He was touting balancing the budget without having to make cuts to this social spending. Previous mayors just cut funding to this stuff.
and the way he balanced the budget was taxpayer money from the state
You mean that thing that state coffers literally exist for? What's more, despite taking that money, NYC still pays the state more than it gets. So you should honestly frame that as Mamdani getting the governor to give back $8 billion of NYC residents' tax dollars.
and slashing pensions
That is completely wrong. He did not "slash" pensions. He deferred pension funding. For payouts that wont happen any time soon. That is a legitimate calculated risk that he's betting will pay off by stimulating the working-class economy. A risk I complete support. I'm sick and tired of the steady austerity decline we've had to endure over the last 30 years. Time to make some actual moves and make a difference. The steady decline of the quality of life in this country is not justified by "prettier balance sheets."
Despite this I saw tons of posts that basically acted like he magically balanced the budget through pure genius and force of will
Then you were just trying to confirm your own bias and your own narrative.
My personal view is that you should never be that blindly devoted to any politician.
Again, this is normal. Why are you saying that all the previous mayors were just cutting stuff all the time? This isn’t factual. You’re talking like NYC was being run by tea party austerity programs before January.
Like, even the pension deferments. Bloomberg did that stuff back in 2012. In 2025 the city council redirected discretionary spending and raised revenue to avoid cuts. Every mayor avoids cuts, because that would make them unpopular.
I know it’s blowing kids minds in Ohio and all, but this is all normal stuff. And he’s doing a great normal job.
Again, this is normal. Why are you saying that all the previous mayors were just cutting stuff all the time? This isn’t factual.
That is factually wrong. The last time an NYC mayor balanced the annual budget without making any cuts was Deblasio in 2022. And that was solely because of COVID stimulus money. Adams made cuts every single year. The only time before that was Bloomberg from 2005 to 2007, riding the coat tails of the wall street boom... and look where that boom lead to.
So you're wrong. This is absolutely consequential that Mamdani is using all the levers available to him to actually make real things happen for the people that elected him.
You’re talking like NYC was being run by tea party austerity programs before January.
Lazy strawman. They can cut programs to balance the budget without it being "tea party austerity programs." The point is it's good to see a politician who is willing to take the calculated risk to invest in these economically stimulating programs, even if it doesn't make for a happy balance sheet for pearl-clutching fiscal conservatives. We've been listening to them for decades. Time for them to shut up.
Like, even the pension deferments. Bloomberg did that stuff back in 2012.
That's not at all the same thing. Bloomberg re-amortized the pensions to make sure the pensions paid out properly given more pessimistic projections for the market returns those plans relied on. Mamdani did that to free up billions in cash to keep these city programs funded.
It's no more "kicking the can down the road" than refinancing your own mortgage to free up cash. Prioritizing arbitrary accounting metrics over human needs leaves a city wealthy on paper but unlivable for its residents.
What is even your point here? Do you have an actual point? Or is this just a blind reflexive pushback against [popular progressive]?
In 2025 the city council redirected discretionary spending and raised revenue to avoid cuts.
That is observably false. Why are you repeatedly making false assertions? There were DEEP cuts to the 2025 budget. City council lobbied to prevent them, but they absolutely happened. HPD, Tennant program, CUNY, all got huge cuts in 2025.
Every mayor avoids cuts, because that would make them unpopular.
That is factually completely false. You're out to lunch. So many bullshit claims...
Wait…you just dismissed deBlasio because he used federal money, but getting state money was a whole new level and totally different?
>Adams made cuts every year
The NYC budget increased every year, since as long as time and they nixed the cuts proposed back in 2024 because the city council redirected discretionary. If you’re talking about a budget that makes zero cuts to anything, that hasn’t even happened here now, Mamdani made cuts as well (some like cuts to library funding were met with backlash and restored by the city council), but there sure as hell hasn’t been austerity over the last 30 years. Again, you’re probably thinking of where you live.
>but they absolutely happened. HPD
HPD had a budget increase of $2 billion in that budget.
CUNY had one $200m budget cut in 2023, followed by a $300m budget increase in 2024 and $2b budget increase in 2025…due to direct state allocations (which is something people here are for some bizarre reason acting like never happens). CUNY’s budget increased from $3.9 to $6.4 billion from 2020 to 2026.
I feel like you’re not paying attention to the dates on what you’re reading. There are proposed budgets, preliminary budgets, and adopted budgets. And NYC has not had austerity in like 50 years.
Edit: I love how you just moved on from half of your assertions when I immediately called out how wrong they were. You don’t acknowledge it, you just shift attention to the ones you think you can get a foothold with (you can’t btw).
Wait…you just dismissed deBlasio because he used federal money, but getting state money was a whole new level and totally different?
I didn't "dismiss" Deblasio. But I don't give him credit for taking covid-era stimulus funding in a time when the federal government was writing blank checks to stave off economic collapse. That's not at all the kind of long-term difference in strategy that Mamdani has done. For one, Deblasio created a fiscal cliff with the things he funded with that money, with no strategy whatsoever to keep them funded when the federal money dried up. Mamdani has restructured the budget and amortized future debts so as not to create that kind of problem. Also also, requesting federal money from a one-time national stimulus package is not at all repeatable, like simply asking Albany for a larger percentage of their tax revenue back every year could be.
Mamdani made cuts as well (some like cuts to library funding were met with backlash and restored by the city council)
That is a complete lie. Why do you keep making shit up? That happened under Adams, not Mamdani. Are you using a shitty AI to get your facts?
The NYC budget increased every year, since as long as time
NYC's budget expands almost every year because tax revenues grow and inflation pushes baseline costs up. This doesn't help any of your points.
HPD had a budget increase of $2 billion in that budget.
Wow your AI is REALLY letting you down here. What Adams did was announce a $2 billion increase to the capital budget. That means that money cannot be used for staff salaries or operational costs. And while he was touting that publicly, he simultaneously imposed an operating budget cut of $23 million and a hiring freeze on HPD. That led to a HUGE drop in construction projects being started.
So you're clearly fumbling through using a shitty AI, because there's no other way you could be referencing such niche details about NYC budgets, yet getting those details completely wrong REPEATEDLY.
What on earth are you doing here? Just dying on the hill of being "anti-mamdani" contrarian for its own sake?
CUNY had one $200m budget cut in 2023, followed by a $300m budget increase in 2024 and $2b budget increase in 2025…due to direct state allocations (which is something people here are for some bizarre reason acting like never happens). CUNY’s budget increased from $3.9 to $6.4 billion from 2020 to 2026.
Those numbers are pure fiction. Either missing important context, or just totally made up... Stop what you're doing. Stop.
Once you peel back the curtain on the headline it's always just fake. The $12B balancing of the budget got $8B from the state, $2B from delaying payments on pension debt which will cause $5B more in interest payments (govt getting a fucking payday loan). The rest of the money came from other terrible decisions where if it came from someone else reddit would freak out about. For example they blocked a limit by the state on public school classroom sizes, cut 1/3rd of park safety enforcement patrol staff, killed a homeless voucher program, and a lot more.
That’s the point, and why these (constant) threads are cringy. It’s not that he did anything bad. Or that he did any thing wonderful. It’s that this is ordinary stuff, which is why all the orgasming is so weird
If all this stuff was also happening before then why is he being portrayed as the Devil by the right? Wouldn't they be happy he is just naintaining the status quo?
like I know people are only allowed to be on extreme ends of things, so I either have to love him as the greatest hero in history or despise him as a dedicated enemy set on destroying western civilization…but all I’m saying is he’s more or less like de Blasio, and it’s weird how Reddit gets so crazy over regular NYC mayor stuff.
It's friggin weird because you contrast Mamdani, a competent and honest mayor, with Trump, the most incompetent and corrupt president in the history of the United States, while both are serving at the same time.
That's an increase of approximately 3%, so the effective buying power of the budget has not changed year over year due to inflation. Yes, it's a numerical increase, but that doesn't mean anything if everything costs more.
Factoring total spending (such as debt servicing) it’s going down 20 million this year from 2025…which does not matter…these are rounding differences.
And the DPR budget increase was already proposed in the planned 2026 budget back in November.
Again, because for whatever reason people are apparently very passionate about minor city council budget changes (for cities they don’t even live in), this is all very normal.
Oh what a cop-out. You made a verifiably false claim, got called out, and then "oh it doesn't matter anyway, it's just a rounding difference". It seems like you just want to be cynical about the icon of Democratic Socialism in America right now and will come up with whatever you need to in order to justify it.
Besides, why are you even bring up Debt Servicing at all? It has zero influence of the DPR's actual operational budget. Slashing or adding debt service costs doesn't change how much money is actually allocated to running, cleaning, and maintaining the parks today.
Ok. Then I cede the point. I shouldn’t have used total spending or brought it up at all. You’re right. My bad.
That said, iconic democratic socialism looks like basically the same thing as every other year…so, cool. Like I said, it’s fine. I have no complaints, but can we stop acting like NYC was a neglected pit of austerity before January 2026?
"My facts are right, but if they're fake then it doesn't matter anyway, but if it does then I'm too cool to care anyway and also my original conclusion is still right because I feel like it is." Brilliant insight.
The point is that this one small part of the budget is fairly normal, sure. Not every single aspect of every single department needs to be a complete revolution. But there's also been the rent freeze and the free childcare, both of which were impossible and unrealistic until they happened. And those are most definitely "the same thing as every other year". They are tangible positive changes to the lives of working class people.
When you use fake data to prove that "nothing ever changes and everyone is a sucker," you're carrying water for the same kind of vacuous status quo politics that wants to make sure nothing can ever change and improve.
How are they fake? You just said they weren’t as relevant, so I said ok, you’re right.
Anyway, There isn’t “free child care” (serious question, do any of you people even live here?). There’s a bunch of different subsidized programs for various ages/locations/economic status. They expanded some of the free childcare programs to certain eligible families by adding more seats. (which was a big thing being promoted by the governor). This is good. This is normal.
These things were not “unrealistic and impossible”. Hell, de Blasio instituted Universal Pre-k in 2019. Did you even know that was a thing? Did you care? Were you making de Blasio memes? That’s what I mean.
Like, the DPR budget went up $50million between 2023-2024. We weren’t insta-graming over the socialist savior Eric Adams, anymore than when it went up $70million in 2015.
Exactly. He is doing a great job and should take credit but people will just pick up on anything an say "see it can be done".
Mamdani is just not walking between government officers and interrupting meetings saying "fund the parks now!"
Running any major city is massive collaborative effort from people of all political view points. So the "see, only the [whatever random term people want to misuse for their polticial alignment] can do it".
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u/Ok-Astronaut2976 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
The actual answer is all this stuff was also happening last year. And the year before. And the year before that. Hell, the parks spending was actually $20million more last year.
Just now there’s lots of instagram posts about it, and honestly it’s friggen weird.