photo #9191578

Zohran Mamdani's $124.7 billion budget is packed full of hidden fee hikes on everyday services like ambulances, tree pickup, bus lanes, and gun permits. #newyork Mamdani was just bailed out by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who used $8 million in state taxpayer dollars to help bail Mamdani out of his $5.5 billion budget shortfall. #newyorkcity Instead of cutting spending or money being spent on illegal migrants - Mamdani collected state tax dollars and tacked on multiple different fees that residents say will nickel-and-dime them to de*th. A Democratic operative called the savings “fake” and said, “Banking on yet to be determined revenue-raising gimmicks and identifying fake savings are not wins… This budget plan is as real as Kim Kardashian’s lips.” City Comptroller Mark Levine ripped it for relying on “$2.8 billion in one-time measures and $2.3 billion in short-term pension savings, without solving for the fact that the City government continues to spend more than we take in.” Citizens Budget Commission president Andrew Rein said it’s the same old “maneuvers we’ve seen in the past” Critics say this is exactly how Democrats and socialists work, instead of cutting spending, they squeeze citizens for every penny they have. Some of the fees include: 🔷️Ambulance transportation ride jumps 29% from $1,385 to $1,793 per ride. 🔷️Advanced Life Support Level 1 rises ~30.7% from $1,680 to $2,196. 🔷️Level 2 from $1,692 to $2,212. 🔷️This will pull in an extra $24.6 million each year for the city. 🔷️“No ambulance” or “treatment in place” EMS fee: 🔷️Paramedics who treat you at the scene, now charge $896 (up 42% from $630). 🔷️This pulls in an extra $10 million per year 🔷️Handgun license and permit fees: Will pull in $2.3 million annually total. 🔷️Tree pickup, removal, and replacement fees: Higher charges for hauling away or replacing trees after storms or work, will pull in an extra $14.6 million annually. 🔷️Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) permit and license fees: Boosted under “Green Rides” rules and renewals, will pull in an extra $4 million annually. 🔷️Bus lane camera ticketing and expanded enforcement: 🔷️More cameras and aggressive ticketing on cars in bus lanes, expected to raise around $15 million per year in new ticket revenue. 🔷️The City is squeezing vendors in parks, $11 million extra per year. Tighter enforcement and audits on homeowners claiming credits, $24 million more per year. Re-estimates and hikes across various city permits and renewals, millions more annually lumped together