New York City's socialist experiment is about to begin in earnest.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani just made a decision that reveals exactly how he plans to handle the nearly $5 billion budget gap that threatens his radical agenda.
And the 74-year-old man he chose to fix the mess should have every conservative in the country paying attention.
Mamdani Taps de Blasio's Budget Guru for Impossible Task
Mamdani announced Monday that Dean Fuleihan will serve as his first deputy mayor, the second-highest position in City Hall.¹ The appointment marks the first major staffing decision for the incoming administration that wants to spend more than $10 billion on taxpayer-paid bus fares, universal child care, and government-run grocery stores while staring at massive budget shortfalls.
Fuleihan isn't just any government bureaucrat. He's the 74-year-old architect behind some of the most expensive progressive policies in New York City's recent history.²
During his time as Bill de Blasio's budget director from 2014 to 2018, then first deputy mayor through 2021, Fuleihan presided over New York City's budget explosion from $72 billion to $85 billion.³ He personally oversaw the funding for universal pre-K, massive social services expansion, and the biggest municipal workforce in the city's history.
Now Mamdani is betting this veteran of big-government spending can somehow make his even more expensive socialist agenda work.
The Numbers That Should Terrify Every Taxpayer
Here's what Fuleihan accomplished under de Blasio's progressive leadership: the city added more than 31,000 government employees, bringing the total municipal workforce to over 328,000 — the highest it had ever been.⁴ Meanwhile, the combined budgets for homelessness and social services ballooned to $11.5 billion, up from $10.6 billion in just four years.⁵
Those numbers should make every working family in America nervous about what's coming next.
Mamdani's campaign promises include free public transportation for all New Yorkers, universal child care that could cost $6 to $8 billion annually, and a network of government-run grocery stores.⁶ The total price tag? More than $10 billion in new spending.
Emma Wolfe, de Blasio's former chief of staff, praised Fuleihan's role in every major spending initiative during that administration.⁷ Translation: he knows exactly how to turn radical leftist dreams into budget-busting reality.
Why This Appointment Reveals Mamdani's Real Strategy
Critics have slammed Mamdani for his youth and lack of experience managing anything larger than a five-person Assembly office staff. By choosing Fuleihan, the 34-year-old socialist is sending a clear message: he's doubling down on the de Blasio model of progressive governance, just with even bigger price tags.
Fuleihan spent more than 30 years as a budget analyst and "budget guru" for longtime Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver before joining de Blasio's team.⁸ He knows how to work Albany's byzantine budget process better than almost anyone alive. That expertise will be crucial as Mamdani tries to squeeze billions in new taxes out of New York State.
The appointment isn't just about budget management. It's about implementation. Fuleihan helped de Blasio navigate the complex politics of expanding government programs while keeping unions happy and finding creative funding sources.
Partnership for New York City CEO Kathy Wylde noted that Fuleihan "knows where all the bodies are buried" after nearly five decades in government.⁹ That's exactly the kind of institutional knowledge Mamdani needs to push through his radical agenda.
What This Means for Every American Taxpayer
New York City is America's economic engine, home to Wall Street and more than 120 billionaires. When the city experiments with socialist policies, the ripple effects reach every corner of the country.
Fuleihan's appointment signals that Mamdani plans to use the same playbook that turned New York into one of the most expensive cities in America under de Blasio. But this time, the spending will be even more aggressive.
Business leaders are already sounding the alarm. Grocery chain owner John Catsimatidis has threatened to move his Gristedes stores out of the city if Mamdani follows through on his plans.¹⁰ Other CEOs are reportedly making similar calculations about relocating to Texas and Florida.
The irony is impossible to ignore: Mamdani campaigned as an outsider who would "turn the page" on establishment politics. Then he immediately hired the ultimate insider who engineered the biggest government expansion in New York's modern history.
Governor Kathy Hochul called Fuleihan's appointment "a great choice" that brings "experience and integrity" to City Hall.¹¹ Of course she did. Hochul needs Mamdani to succeed because his failure would reflect badly on the entire Democrat machine in New York.
The real test comes February 1, when Mamdani must release his preliminary budget proposal. That's when we'll see if Fuleihan's decades of experience can somehow make socialist math add up.
Spoiler alert: it won't. But watching them try should be fascinating — and terrifying — for anyone who cares about fiscal responsibility in America.
¹ Craig McCarthy, "Zohran Mamdani names 74-year-old longtime budget guru, ex-Bill de Blasio honcho as top deputy," New York Post, November 10, 2025.
² "5 things to know about Dean Fuleihan," City & State New York, November 10, 2025.
³ "Dean Fuleihan," Wikipedia, November 5, 2025.
⁴ "De Blasio's Record on Budgeting and Fiscal Health," Gotham Gazette, 2017.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ "NYC's new socialist mayor sparks business concerns over costly programs," Fox Business, November 8, 2025.
⁷ "5 things to know about Dean Fuleihan," City & State New York, November 10, 2025.
⁸ "Dean Fuleihan," Wikipedia, November 5, 2025.
⁹ "5 things to know about Dean Fuleihan," City & State New York, November 10, 2025.
¹⁰ "NYC's new socialist mayor sparks business concerns over costly programs," Fox Business, November 8, 2025.
¹¹ "5 things to know about Dean Fuleihan," City & State New York, November 10, 2025.
