By SÍLE MOLONEY

Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), the keynote speaker at a recent Bronx “Tax the Rich” rally organized by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), brought his usual passion, this time, to Bedford Park’s Lehman College, as he appealed to his fellow Boomers to help the next generation live an affordable life of dignity.

At the event, held Sunday, March 29, two days before the April 1st deadline to agree the next State budget, the message from Sanders, the progressive wing of the New York Democratic Party, members of NYC-DSA, labor unions, and advocates was clear, and was directed at New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York lawmakers: “Tax the Rich” and wealthy corporations to fund the current funding gap in the City budget.

As reported, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had already outlined two paths to closing the current City Budget gap during a press conference held last month – tax the rich or have the middle class foot the bill. Sanders highlighted the importance of raising taxes on the rich standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic and political agenda. Organizers of the rally said the wealthiest New Yorkers will save $12 billion dollars this year due to Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy.

“What the mayor is proposing is popular,” Sanders said during his remarks and who was greeted at the event by thunderous applause and cheers. “The widely respected pollsters at Siena [a polling company] found that 54% of New York State voters supported Mayor Mamdani’s tax increase, and the numbers were much higher in New York City. Today, I would ask Gov. Hochul to listen to where people are at,” he said. [Watch more of the senator’s remarks in the attached videos.]

This point had also been shared earlier by local State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), who broadly represents the northwest Bronx along with Fordham, Belmont, Morris Park, Morris Heights, Pelham Parkway, Van Nest, and Little Yemen. Rivera highlighted how the tax the rich policy was politically popular.

 

The senator later said, “I am incredibly grateful to Senator Bernie Sanders for joining us in The Bronx to amplify our call for revenue raising measures in the final budget that will make the ultra wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are on the brink of losing health coverage because of Republicans in Washington. If we want to make New York affordable, we need to stop coddling the ultra-wealthy while leaving working class New Yorkers footing the bill.” Watch more of his remarks in the attached videos.

TAX THE RICH rally with Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V1 Video by Síle Moloney

Among the other elected officials who spoke at the event were Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who said in part that taxing the most wealthy shouldn’t be so hard. He thanked what he said was over 90% of Black women and the over 80% of Black men who he said had voted to progress an affordability agenda. “I am also tired of having to tell Democrats to stop trying to act like baby Republicans, because acting like baby Republicans is the reason why we have Donald Trump in the first place,” he said in part, in reference to his colleagues who align with the Democratic Party center. He said Democratic leadership had not learned the lessons that brought about a Trump presidency.

Among other elected officials who spoke at the event, in addition to Williams, Rivera and State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez (S.D. 59), who represents parts of Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, some other Bronx elected leaders joined Rivera on stage during his remarks.

TAX THE RICH rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V2 State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) addresses those gathered. Video by Síle Moloney

They included Assembly Member George Alvarez (A.D. 78), who broadly represents Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, Bedford Park and Belmont, City Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), who broadly represents University Heights (South)-Morris Heights, Mount Hope, Fordham Heights, University Heights (North)-Fordham, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights-Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge-Marble Hill, and City Council Member Althea Stevens (C.D. 16), who broadly represents Morrisania, Claremont Village-Claremont (East), Concourse-Concourse Village, Highbridge, Mount Eden-Claremont (West), Yankee Stadium-Macombs Dam Park, Claremont Park, University Heights (South)-Morris Heights, and University Heights (North)-Fordham.

Additional speakers included New York State Nurses Association President Nancy Hagans, PSC-CUNY President James Davis, 1199SEIU leader Avia Agababa, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, and Assemblymember Diana Moreno.

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V3 State Sen. Gustavo Rivera addresses those gathered. Video by Síle Moloney

For her part, Agababa said, “Right now, healthcare workers like me are constantly being asked to do more with less, at the expense of our bodies, our backs, and at the expense of our nursing home residents. The problem is about to become so much worse. Trump and the Republicans cut $1 trillion in healthcare to give tax breaks to the ultra-rich and to pump more money into ICE.”

 

The 1199SEIU leader who is also a CNA at a Bronx nursing home, added, “New York, it is time to do better. We can do better by standing up to the billionaires and oligarchs who believe healthcare workers and our patients are disposable. My nursing home residents, the elders of this neighborhood, need the rich to pay their fair share. By taxing the rich we can help ensure that nursing home residents, other seniors, and all New Yorkers can get the vital services that they need and that they deserve.”

 

Later, NYC-DSA Co-Chair Gustavo Gordillo said of the event, “Senator Sanders’ message to Governor Hochul is clear – we need a united front against Trump and the billionaires he serves. If Bernie can fight Trump in DC, Hochul and the rest of us can fight him from Albany by taxing the rich and funding the services working people rely on.”

LOCAL STATE SEN. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) addresses those gathered for the Tax the Rich rally at Lehman College, Bedford Park on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Also pictured (left to right) are City Council Members Pierina Sanchez  (C.D. 14), Althea Stevens (C.D. 16) and Assembly Member George Alvarez (A.D. 78).  
Screenshot by Síle Moloney

Meanwhile, NYC-DSA Co-Chair Grace Mausser said Sanders’ involvement at the event showed that New York’s budget fight wasn’t just a local issue. “Governor Hochul has a chance to stand up to Trump while backing the working class, and she can do that by taxing the rich,” she said. Throughout the event, the crowd shouted, “Tax the Rich!”

After the rally, Norwood News spoke to Sarah, a public health student at Columbia University, and Nathan, both residents of Manhattan, and asked them for their reaction to the event. “I would say that we need a tax system that’s similar to nations that can provide more welfare services because we know that an equitable society is a happier society,” Nathan said. It was his third time to see Sanders in person. “More people are content with this kind of society,” he said. “Inequality breeds all other social ills, crime, dissatisfaction, polarization so solving the equity crisis is solving all other crises in a sense.’

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V4 New York State Nurses Association President Nancy Hagans addresses the crowd. Video by Síle Moloney

We asked the two what they believed was the reason for pushback against taxing the wealthy [among middle-class Americans] and if it was a question of better understanding the tax system, for example. “Hmmm…it seems as if people are buying the myth that they will achieve the level of wealth that they [millionaires] will, so therefore, you don’t want to tax the people because you, yourself, want to achieve this, when in reality, the ‘American Dream’ is more unachievable here than it is in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, what have you,” Nathan said.

 

He added, “I think we’re the 25th most likely to achieve the ‘American Dream’ out of all developed nations.” Sarah then said, “I once read something that said the American Dream is better when you’re sleeping,” Nathan added, “Otherwise, work or don’t get paid.” Asked for their reaction to Sanders as a speaker, Sarah said, “I’ve heard him before but never in person so seeing him in person was so surreal. We only caught the last 7 minutes [they arrived late] of it but you can feel his passion so deeply just even in those 7 minutes, and if there was another rally, I would travel earlier so I could feel that passion throughout the whole thing.”

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V5 Video by Síle Moloney

Norwood News also spoke with former Congressman for New York’s 16th congressional district, Jamaal Bowman, who as reported, lost his seat in 2024, and asked him why he believed Sanders came to The Bronx for this particular rally. “Super good that he came to The Bronx,” Bowman said, adding that he had previously rallied in Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester County in the past.

 

“The Bronx has so much untapped potential and it’s really become a hotbed for organizing,” Bowman said. “We really want to get the people of The Bronx involved and engaged so to have the rally here is a big deal, to be able to turn out 4,000 people for a rally in The Bronx is huge and we hope it reverberates throughout The Bronx and gets people excited to do what we need to do to win.”

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V6 Video by Síle Moloney

Asked for his reaction to the event itself, the former congressman said, “I’m fired up and having a good time because socialism, as an ideal’s time has come. The majority of American people realize the way things have been haven’t worked out for them, and for the majority of us, whether it’s this American dream or American opportunity. People can barely afford to pay their rent, pay their utilities, childcare, schools, all of the above and to have a country where wealth is so concentrated in the hands of a few, the majority of the American people are realizing that that’s bullsh*t and that there’s something we can do about it.”

 

In reference to his congressional seat loss, which based on various reporting at the time was at least in some respects linked to his support for Gaza, and tying in with the DSA movement generally, we asked Bowman if now, years later, he believes Americans across the board have a better understanding of why he was so vocal on Gaza at the time.

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V7 Video by Síle Moloney

He said in part, “I think polling shows that. National polling shows that the majority of the American people sympathize with the Palestinians and so that’s a big deal. That’s a big shift from five years ago or ten years ago. What’s happening isn’t right.” He continued, “I think Democratic leadership has to catch up because there’s a huge disconnect. Let’s say you don’t want to say ‘genocide.’ It’s been deemed an apartheid state so do we want our tax-paying dollars supporting an apartheid state? No.”

He added, “It’s a military occupation for decades.” He said this could not be ignored and he talked about the documented human rights violations against both adults and children over many years. Asked if he would rule out running for office again, he said, “No, not ruling that out. That could happen. I could also do ten thousand other things. That’s one of the benefits of America. We got options!!”

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V8 Video by Síle Moloney

Norwood News also spoke to Drew Warshaw, candidate for State comptroller, who was also in attendance and who called out incumbent State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for not commenting publicly on the proposal to Tax the Rich.

“Somehow, the chief financial officer has no opinion on whether or not we should tax the rich,” Warshaw said, referring to DiNapoli. “The State comptroller has no opinion on whether or not we need more revenue. He says it’s not his job. I think it is precisely his job because he’s supposed to be able to tell us whether we need more [revenue] or we don’t, and we must have more revenue because we have to pay for more housing. We have to pay for more healthcare and as New York State comptroller, I would be very clear and very loud that we need to tax the wealthiest among us. Tom di Napoli can’t even say that and after 19 years, it is time for him to go.”

NATHAN AND SARAH, attend the Tax the Rich rally at Lehman College, Bedford Park on Sunday, March 29, 2026. 
Photo by Síle Moloney

Former City Comptroller Brad Lander who is currently running for Congress in New York’s 10th congressional district, the seat currently held by the aptly named it would seem Congressman Dan Goldman. Lander alleges Goldman is a quarter billionaire and according to reporting by The New York Times, he is heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune, and has an estimated net worth of approximately $250 million to $253 million. We mentioned to Lander what Warshaw had said about DiNapoli allegedly not saying anything publicly about the proposal to Tax the Rich and asked for his reaction.

Tax the Rich Rally with Bernie Sanders at Lehman College, Bedford Park, Bronx, Sunday, March 29, 2026. V9 Video by Síle Moloney

Lander said, “Well, it’s true that it’s, right now, through the legislature. The assembly and the senate have put forward budget bills that would tax the rich and now, basically, the governor and the leaders of the legislative houses get together and they’re the ones that decide. They have to reach an agreement so the State comptroller doesn’t have a vote or a direct involvement in the negotiations. It’s good for everyone to come out and push for, in the way that Bernie spoke about here, the right way to balance the budget, which is required, while also investing in childcare and healthcare and housing and public education and infrastructure that New Yorkers need.”

FORMER CITY COMPTROLLER Brad Lander attends the Tax the Rich rally at Lehman College, Bedford Park on Sunday, March 29, 2026. 
Photo by Síle Moloney

He continued, “The way to do it is with a modest increase on the millionaires and the wealthiest corporations as Bernie laid out so clearly and I think the more people that get on board, the better. Most people here today, don’t have a direct involvement with the vote but the more we fuel the movement, the better chance we have.” He added that he wished the current city comptroller (Mark Levine) had attended the rally.

Norwood News reached out to both the State comptroller’s office and the City comptroller’s office for comment on the above and will share any feedback we receive. [Due to an unprecedented number of sequential local homicides, among other time-sensitive, local news events this week, we only managed to contact them for comment on March 31.]

Norwood News also asked Lander if, in his experience as comptroller, the Tax the Rich proposal was fiscally sound/prudent/feasible and for the City of New York to remain standing thereafter. “Yes, it is,” he said. “We did some analysis of this when I was comptroller and the proposals that [NYC Mayor] Zohran [Mamdani] has put forward and that the State assembly and the State senate have put forward are fiscally prudent policies. What makes New York thrive is not that billionaires can pay low tax rates.”

FORMER CONGRESSMAN JAMAAL Bowman (NY-16) attends the Tax the Rich rally at Lehman College in Bedford Park, The Bronx on Sunday, March 29, 2026. 
Photo by Síle Moloney

He added, “What makes New York thrive is that working class people can afford to live here and that we have good healthcare and good housing and good education and good childcare and then people’s creativity and hard work and energy makes it the best place on the planet. Nobody says, ‘You know why I want to live in New York? For the low taxes.’ They want to live in New York for the extraordinary people, culture, energy, vitality, creativity, the entrepreneurial spirit and that takes investment.”

The rally was MC’d by filmmaker and comedian Julio Torres, and featured musical performances by Cleo Reed, Allegra Krieger, and DJ Saphe.

When Norwood News previously reached out to the governor’s office for comment on pending law, “The NY Health Act,” we were informed that her office does not comment on pending legislation. We have since reached out to her office once again to ask if she has any comment on Sunday’s rally, and will share any feedback we receive.

See attached videos for more of the various speakers’ remarks and check out more on our YouTube channel.