We have to wonder if NYC voters have buyer's remorse yet. Not only has Mayor Mamdani not made good on his promises for free stuff, he's actually working to charge New York commuters for parking that was previously free, and turning Gracie Mansion into a quasi-mosque for Ramadan.
Now the NYC Council has decided that things in the city just aren't expensive enough and they've introduced a bill to raise the city's minimum wage to $30 by 2030, the highest in the nation.
BREAKING: New York City Council members have introduced a bill that could raise minimum wage to $30, highest in the United States.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 11, 2026
Here's more (emphasis added):
A new bill could push New York City’s minimum wage as high as $30 an hour, setting the stage for one of the highest local pay floors in the nation.
What we know: The proposal would require employers to pay workers at least $25 an hour if they provide qualifying benefits and $30 an hour if they do not.
Lawmakers would apply the same standards to independent contractors, including those who perform work through digital labor platforms.
Dig deeper: The bill directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to adjust the minimum pay rates each year based on inflation.
The agency would also calculate and update annually the value of qualifying benefits used to determine which pay tier applies.
The measure is similar to a central campaign promise from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who pledged to pursue a $30 minimum wage during his run for office.
That means Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and similar gig-economy services will probably leave the city, or drive up prices so much that people stop using them.
As we saw in California, when it passed its $20 minimum wage, employers cut hours, lay off staff, or shut down entirely. Others will automate what they can, and all of them will pass the expenses onto consumers. They will not simply absorb these insanely high labor costs.
That means any gains from a minimum wage increase will be erased by increased costs.
The solution: pic.twitter.com/aXfQ64V2WX
— Nuclear Herbs (@NuclearHerbs) March 11, 2026
Machines don't need a minimum wage.
There is a quote about socialism and other peoples money that seems relevant here.
— Sack Head Shaun (@2againsttyranny) March 11, 2026
Margaret Thatcher was a smart lady.
Hope you enjoy $30 Big Macs cause those wages have to be paid somehow.
— gosuprime (@gosuprime022) March 11, 2026
Yup. Businesses don't just eat the costs. That's not how you stay in business.
I have not studied state nor local minimum wage laws. But there are decades of history showing that changes in federal minimum wage law hikes lead to rising unemployment for African Americans.
— Tom McClellan (@McClellanOsc) March 11, 2026
The first federal minimum wage law was passed in the 1930s to stop companies from… https://t.co/9VTSccyLjx pic.twitter.com/K8E27ARiZU
Ah, so it's racist, too.
For Mamdani’s next trick he will make all the rich people disappear to other states https://t.co/insyQ2Fp9X
— American Values 🇺🇸 (@AVGirl4Life) March 11, 2026
That's what they do. They're fleeing California and Washington. They'll flee NYC, too.
Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.
Help us continue to report on his radical policies and expose the Democrats who support him. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member