Reality Bites Yet another of Mamdani’s Signature Fits of Genius

By The New York Post Editorial Board

Oops: Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s theories are running into yet another awkward reality — families don’t seem to want all the new pre-K slots he’s offering, despite City Hall’s sales efforts.

He got Gov. Kathy Hochul to shower $73 million in new state cash on his pilot 2-K program, but total pre-K applications only rose 0.3% (172 applications) this year, with 3-K ones dropping by 590, or 1.4%.

Part of the drop is a decline in pre-K-age kids, as ever more young families flee Gotham for areas with better schools and lower living costs.

Overall, only half of families eligible for a free 3-K slot applied both last year and this, so the city’s outreach campaign to boost enrollment had zero impact.

Mamdani has plenty of excuses for this, including (again) blaming his predecessor, but plainly many parents just don’t want what he’s offering, even when it’s free.

And of course it costs the taxpayers roughly twice what private programs charge.

Spending more to offer an inferior product or service is the classic hallmark of socialist “largesse,” a rule that even social media magic can’t change.

Reality bites yet another of Mamdani’s signature fits of genius https://t.co/Zb64fFHrO7 pic.twitter.com/q28Gm34WDU

— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) May 21, 2026