Today I had the opportunity to fly out to the Big Apple and sit down with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. An auspicious occasion, I stood bearing witness to the Mayor fill New York City’s 200,000th pothole. While I couldn’t confirm, as I don’t believe any such official records exist, this could very well be the most potholes ever filled in the first nine months of any mayoral administration in American history. (Where is Guinness when you need them anyway?) But the truth is, this isn’t just about the cement and asphalt that goes into fixing potholes—it’s about something far deeper and more impactful. Let’s Address This.
The Interview
What This Means
According to numerous consumer reports, the average cost of auto repair due to potholes is $603. This number is significant for several reasons.
First, potholes: The impact $603 amount has on working families is depressingly seismic. Studies show that 21% of Americans do not even have that much in their savings. Another 37% of Americans could not afford an emergency that costs more than $400. That’s 58% of Americans, nearly 193 million people who could not afford the cost of a pothole. To put that in New York City terms, that’s about 4.8 million people who could not afford the cost of car repair damaged by a pothole. It is impossible to calculate just how much money this is saving New Yorkers, along with time, mental stress, and hassle.
Second, plot twists: The impact of preemptively fixing potholes on New York City’s bottom line is more than most realize. It costs approximately $250 to professionally repair a pothole. That means New York City has spent somewhere around $50 million in fixing its 200,000 (and counting) potholes. That sounds like a lot—because it is—but it also still saves the city even more money. A report from the last decade found that New York City spent an astounding $138 million in settlements and payouts for damage caused by potholes. By investing $50 million up front, the Mayor is saving taxpayers at least $90 million in tax revenue, likely even more in out of pocket car repair costs, and saving New Yorkers the pain, hospital costs, and missed work due to injuries caused by potholes.
Third, the question we’re all asking. Why does this truly matter? Because this was never about something as simple as fixing a pothole. It’s because this is about something far greater—that the Mayor understands something most politicians don’t. That is, it is incredibly expensive to be poor or low income in America. If you are among the 58% of Americans who cannot afford a $600 repair, then you likely already work at a low wage job. If you can no longer commute to that low wage job due to auto damage caused by a pothole, then you have an increased chance of losing your already inadequate income. If you are also among the 62% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, a missed check means late fees, overdraft fees, ruined credit, possible eviction, and additional penalties for the ‘crime’ of being poor. These fixed potholes could mean, for at least some people, the difference between having a meal and going hungry, paying rent or facing eviction, buying medicine or rationing insulin.
Yes, fixing potholes alone won’t magically solve all these problems—but it helps remove one more obstacle that harms low income people. And more importantly, it speaks to how Mayor Mamdani understands that economic justice is not possible without meaningfully and systemically removing the barriers to economic security.
Conclusion
In short, the 200,000 potholes Mayor Mamdani has led in repairing speaks to a broader point that escapes the elitist politicians in the United States. Yes, people care that their commute is safer and less costly, but it’s not the additional few pounds of asphalt and cement that excites them.
It's that the Mayor has proved what too many politicians have forgotten—that governance is not a performance for donors and pundits, but a promise made to the people who actually have to drive to work in the morning. There’s nothing sexy about fixing a pothole. But affordability, security, and safety—these things are. By keeping his promise, relentlessly and without excuse, Mayor Mamdani has shown New Yorkers that he isn’t just fixing the road beneath them—he’s restoring their faith that someone in power finally gives a damn—and that compassion through action is sexy AF.
Qasim Rashid is a human rights attorney, author, and host of Let’s Address This—a platform dedicated to human rights, international accountability, and the journalism that corporate media refuses to deliver. Subscribe, share, and let’s remain relentless in our mission for a more perfect Union.
As an alternative to a monthly subscription, you can also make a one-time contribution to support our human rights platform at any amount that fits your budget.
Could he bleed over into Upstate NY? It’s a travesty over here. Not to mention the ignorance runs deep. I thought once I left the South that all that would be left behind. I was wrong.
He’s the envy of so many people in Cities. Because he actually has listened to the people. I think he’s awesome 😎