Problems continue to pile up for New York's self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani even before he takes the oath of office and moves into Gracie Mansion in the new year.
The latest problem involves the person he just appointed to lead the city's Fire Department (FDNY), a woman with no experience working in a fire departmentwhich quickly went viral on social media over Christmas because of what the new fire chief emphasized instead: [emphasis added]
…Mamdani is set to take office in January and has named Lillian Bonsignore, a veteran emergency medical services executive, to head the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Bonsignore, who came out of retirement to accept this post, is make history like New York first openly gay fire commissioner and the second woman to head the department, according to Fox 5.
…
She has led the city's emergency operations for many years, first as director of the Fort Totten EMS Academy in 2016 and then as chief of EMS operations in 2019-2020. ABC 7 reported.
Mamdani presented his choice in the statement December 23, as noted above in The Hill article:
“Bonsignore’s calm and decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, when EMS professionals were more proactive than ever, is exactly the kind of leadership our city needs in moments of uncertainty.”
However, this choice puts him in a difficult position as a power struggle rages between Mamdani and outgoing Mayor Eric Adams over seemingly woke personnel choices. Adams appointed Mark Guerra, 63, a 37-year FDNY veteran, made a sly move ahead of Mamdani's announcement:
“The activities that are happening in the police department and throughout our public safety apparatus are not going on vacation,” Adams said, according to ABC 7.
You can tell that Mamdani was not amused:
“Lillian’s light cannot be dimmed by anything else that’s going on,” Mamdani said, according to Fox 5. “The mayor is free to remain mayor for the rest of this year and make decisions as such.”
As my colleague Becky Noble wrote earlier on Saturday, Mmdani symbolizes the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party's message in the recent off-year election about accessibility; The rising star of the far left recently rented out his former apartment at a new, greatly inflated monthly rate.
Let's go back to the FDNY concert. Tesla and X founder Elon Musk also issued a dire warning on his X account about what this move by future Hizzoner Mamdani could mean: I write in a quote-tweet that “people will die” because of this potentially DEI move:
“People will die because of this. Proven experience matters when lives are at stake.”
Absolutely right. Now I'm as optimistic as anyone who faces 2026 in a few days, but I can't muster any sympathy for Mamdani – or those who put him in office— about the damage his misguided socialist policies are about to wreak on the once magnificent Big Apple.
Stay tuned, readers!
