It Could Happen Here: "Tax the Rich Takes the New York Capitol"

Podcast: It Could Happen Here | Host: Garrison Davis (Cool Zone Media/iHeartPodcasts)
Date: March 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode provides an on-the-ground account of the "Tax the Rich" rally and advocacy effort that took place at the New York State Capitol in Albany. Reporter Garrison Davis rides along with organizers, union members, and activists as they push state legislators and Governor Kathy Hochul to pass new tax laws on New York’s ultra-wealthy in order to fund Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s progressive agenda. The episode also includes interviews, personal reflections, and a look at the political background shaping this pivotal moment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: Why Albany, Why Now?

• Rally Purpose: Over 1,000 New Yorkers converged on Albany to demand higher taxes on the wealthiest individuals and corporations to fund key city and state services and address a sudden $12 billion budget deficit discovered by the new administration.
• Political Context:
  • Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s Victory: Sworn in as NYC’s first democratic socialist mayor on Jan 1, 2026, running on a bold progressive agenda.
  • Governor Hochul’s Resistance: Despite the mayor’s election, Governor Hochul remains resistant to raising taxes, compelling organizers to apply public pressure.
  • Grassroots Organizing: Post-election, Mamdani's campaign apparatus, "Our Time," continues to mobilize for policy wins, rather than going dormant (“Rather than discarding the grassroots organizing apparatus…that apparatus and its network of volunteers spun off into a new organization called Our Time...” - Garrison Davis, 06:52).

2. A City in Fiscal Crisis:

• Uncovered Deficit: Adams administration left a concealed $12 billion deficit stemming from years of underfunding essential services.
• Transparency & Response: Mayor Mamdani opts for transparency, implements "chief savings officers" across city agencies, and secures limited state aid but faces a remaining $5.5 billion gap (05:56).
• Budget Choices:
  • Option 1: 2% income tax hike for those earning over $1M and a tax on top corporations.
  • Option 2: Use rainy day fund and raise property tax by 9.5% (seen as last resort).
  • Immediate Impacts: Some campaign promises (like parks and library increases) delayed, but $500M for shelter, mental health, and emergency food made available. Police expansion plans canceled but budget otherwise flat (“Their budget remains effectively the same” - Garrison Davis, 09:57).

3. The Albany Protest: From Rally To Lobbying

Segment: 03:00 – 18:29

• Atmosphere: Protesters gathered in the Armory for breakfast, speeches from union reps, community leaders, and practiced chants before marching.
• March & Security: Massive turnout led to crowd stretching “halfway around the square” and security bottlenecks at the Capitol.
• Core Message:
  • “We are the workers. A little bit louder. We need funding for our future.” (05:02) – Rally Chants
• Coalition Strength:
  • Unions represented: UAW, Professional Staff Congress (PSC), CWA, NYS Nurses Association, Taxi Workers, Alliance for Quality Education, Working Families.
  • Notable Quote:
    “With a coalition this strong, make no mistake, we are going to overcome the political power of the billionaire class and we are going to tax the rich for New York we can afford.” (Union Representative, 17:19)

4. Policy Agenda: The Bills & The Numbers

Segment: 18:29 – 25:04

• Progressive State Income Tax: New brackets starting at $1M, raising an estimated $21B/year.
• Fair Share Act: 2% surcharge for incomes over $1M, estimated $4B/year.
• Corporate Tax: Targeting corporations above $2.5m in profits, bringing in $7B/year.
• Universal Child Care Act: Would ensure free, high-quality child care for all and living wages for child care workers.
• Property Tax on Universities – “The Repair Act”:
  • Notable Explanation:
    “NYU and Columbia do not pay any property tax…The Repair Act would allow [the state] to collect property taxes from [them] and then use that money to fund public higher education like CUNY…It would take a constitutional amendment…” – Liz Stevenson, PSC CUNY (23:09)
• PSC’s New Deal for CUNY:
  • Funding for better facilities, smaller classes, more staff, and making the first 60 credits of college free.

5. Tactics & Challenges of Organizing

• Protesters fanned out in the Capitol to deliver flyers, lobby lawmakers, and hold impromptu meetings—catching as many decision-makers as possible during the lunch rush.
• Turnout lower than hoped; winter storms and “organizing fatigue” after election cited as factors (“Not as many people will be keen on canvassing right after spending six months canvassing for an election, even if the election was a victory” – Garrison Davis, 31:34).

6. Mayor Mamdani Responds (Press Conference)

Segment: 30:15 – 31:34

• Asked about not attending the rally and whether it displayed a lack of solidarity or fear of angering Hochul:
  • Quote:
    “My not attending one event does not change in any way the strength with which I believe this…The governor and I are in constant communication and we are always looking to build a healthier, stronger city. I’m appreciative of her partnership in that, and I know we have a long budget process to go through and I’m encouraged by the beginnings of it.” – Mayor Zoran Mamdani (30:41)

7. Looking Ahead: Sustained Action

• The Albany event was the “opening act.” More actions are planned ahead of the March 31 budget deadline.
• Statewide “week of action” planned for March 5–14 with rallies, canvassing, and petition drives in NYC and cities across New York State.
• Quote from Organizers:
  “What happens in Albany this winter will shape Zoran’s first year in office and determine whether working families get the relief they need. We have until March to build enough pressure to win a state budget that funds free childcare, backfills the cuts, and secures resources to do so much more…” (33:56).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t magically get your social democracy paradise once a new mayor is sworn in. Getting elected and taking power is just the first step.”
  — Garrison Davis (05:32)

• “With a coalition this strong, make no mistake, we are going to overcome the political power of the billionaire class and we are going to tax the rich for New York we can afford.”
  — Union Representative (17:19)

• “We know that the only way that we can get the funding that we need for many services, including CUNY, is by taxing the rich.”
  — Liz Stevenson, PSC CUNY (22:43)

• “My not attending one event does not change in any way the strength with which I believe this… The governor and I are in constant communication and we are always looking to build a healthier, stronger city.”
  — Mayor Zoran Mamdani (30:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 – Garrison Davis' arrival at the Albany rally/snapshot of the morning
• 05:00 – March on the Capitol begins; atmosphere and sound of the rally
• 06:45 – Background: Why the protest is happening, new mayor, Adams’ deficit
• 11:20 – Laying out the city’s new budget and policy priorities
• 16:21 – Connection to national politics; impact of Trump-era tax cuts
• 17:23 – Strength and breadth of union/labor coalition
• 18:29 – Details of specific tax bills and expected revenue
• 21:45 – Interview with Liz Stevenson, PSC CUNY, on higher ed funding
• 23:09 – The “Repair Act” and university property taxes explained
• 28:13 – Inside the Capitol: lobbying, hallway action, reactions from legislators
• 30:15 – Mayor Mamdani’s press conference response on skipping the rally
• 31:34 – Reflection on organizing challenges post-election; looking ahead
• 33:56 – Call to action and preview of the upcoming pressure campaign

Episode Tone and Character

• Language: Candid, informal yet informed; first-person reporting mixed with activist and union voices.
• Mood: Urgent, determined, defiant—emphasizing both obstacles and the steadfast hope that grassroots pressure can deliver transformative change.
• Notable Qualities: Blends frontline reporting with policy analysis and political education, illustrating both logistical details and the big-picture stakes.

Takeaway

This episode chronicles how progressive movements and a newly installed socialist administration in NYC are contending with the entrenched power of capital and set-backs from previous leadership by working unions and grassroots coalitions to push tax reforms. The effort detailed isn’t simply about slogans, but about policy details, creative organizing, and the long process of converting electoral victories into material improvements in people’s lives—especially with the clock ticking toward a decisive state budget fight.