So apparently, things in New York City have gone so far off the rails that New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is starting to look like the future.<\/p>\n
You remember him \u2014 the guy who wants to make everything free, equal, and just a little bit miserable.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been off the rails so long here in New Jersey that we ain\u2019t doing much better than they are in New York City!<\/p>\n
Honestly, at this point, maybe that\u2019s the upgrade we deserve.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s think about it. New York\u2019s latest leadership shuffle makes me wonder if socialism might actually be an improvement.<\/p>\n
You\u2019d still be broke, but at least everyone else would be too!<\/p>\n
It always feels good for no one to be doing well if you aren\u2019t. And if you complain, there\u2019ll probably be a government program for that.<\/p>\n
Maybe \u201cFeelings Equity 101.\u201d Add to that a course in all New Jersey public schools that teaches how to deal with an abusive government.<\/p>\n
And then, of course, let\u2019s make the richest people pay for all of it.<\/p>\n
I’d like Mamdani to bring his big ideas over the bridge and give us a taste of that utopia.<\/p>\n
Who knows? Maybe socialism would finally fix the Parkway potholes.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019d make property taxes \u201cequal,\u201d meaning we all just lose our homes together.<\/p>\n
On second thought, I think we should keep things the way we are. Because.<\/p>\n
Here in New Jersey, we\u2019re watching from across the Hudson like it\u2019s a car wreck on Route 17; it\u2019s disturbing but hard to look away.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got our own messes, sure, but at least we haven\u2019t tried to turn Trenton into Havana just yet. (Though give it time … Mikie Sherrill could be drafting the \u201cCollective Pizza Fund\u201d bill right now, as we speak.)<\/p>\n
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and governor-elect Mikie Sherrill talk during a photo opportunity in the governor’s office in Trenton, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Seth Wenig)<\/p>\n
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and governor-elect Mikie Sherrill talk during a photo opportunity in the governor’s office in Trenton, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Seth Wenig)<\/p>\n
Until that happens, I’ll stick with capitalism. The only system that can work in this country. Leave me that uniquely American and uniquely capitalist right to complain about paying $7 for a latte while buying it anyway.<\/p>\n
If socialism ever hits Jersey, here\u2019s what it\u2019ll probably look like:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Free Taylor Ham for everyone (but only if you call it pork roll).<\/p>\n
\u2022 EZPasses are redistributed \u201cfairly,\u201d so nobody actually moves in traffic.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A single, state-issued beach badge you have to share with 9 million people. Oh, I know rich people are allowed on public beaches. They have their own beaches anyway; they won\u2019t miss it.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Government-run diners where everyone\u2019s omelet comes out the same. And cold.<\/p>\n
\u2022 And, of course, property taxes are divided equally, so we can all be equally miserable.<\/p>\n
Now that\u2019s what I call equality.<\/p>\n
20 Photos That Perfectly Capture Small-Town Life in the 1970s<\/p>\n
Take a trip down memory lane \u2014 and down Main Street \u2014 with these photos from the 1970s that capture small-town life before social media and smartphones, when things were simpler, slower, and full of real-world experiences.<\/p>\n
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz<\/a><\/p>\n Summer Vacation in the ’70s and ’80s: These Nostalgic Photos Say It All<\/p>\n Take a trip back to summer in the \u201970s and \u201980s \u2014 when Ring Pops ruled, bikes meant freedom, and Press Your Luck kicked off the day. These photos hit all the nostalgic notes.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz<\/a><\/p>\n 25 Board Games That We All Played in the ’70s<\/p>\n From well-known favorites like Clue to cult classics like Masterpiece, these 1970s board games bring a wave of nostalgia for a time when life felt simpler \u2014 and maybe even a little more exciting.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz<\/a><\/p>\n Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only. <\/p>\n