Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New York May Get Government-Owned Grocery Stores
Foundation for Economic Education ^ | Friday, July 4, 2025 | Connor Vasile

Posted on 07/04/2025 11:52:01 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

History shows that’s never a good idea.

Zohran Mamdani has moved forward in the New York City mayoral race as the Democratic nominee, after beating out former New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary. With Mamdani’s rapid rise to popularity among NYC’s more well-to-do circles comes a slew of promises, all pointed at introducing a new agenda to the Big Apple: socialism.

Mamdani has promised everything from freezing rent and raising the minimum wage to $30, to constructing affordable housing, providing free public transportation, and offering “no-cost” childcare. One of his more far-fetched ideas is to create a network of “city-owned grocery stores,” aimed at lowering costs while operating as “profit-free” entities. According to Mamdani, these city-owned grocery stores would not have to pay property taxes or rent, and would “pass the savings to you.”

While Mamdani’s idea of a city-regulated grocery chain sounds great on paper (as most socialist ideas do), this pie-in-the-sky rhetoric does little else than promise illusory benefits, relying on the hope that constituents vote for a socialist who claims to be “looking out for the little guy.”

‘City-Run’ Means More Costs and More Waste, Not Less

The push for city-controlled grocery stores came into the spotlight after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made headlines promising city-run stores to promote “equitable” access to food in Chicago’s so-called “food deserts.” “All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable, healthy grocery options… My administration is committed to advancing innovative, whole-of-government approaches to address these inequities,” Johnson proclaimed.

Unfortunately for Chicagoans, this plan never materialized—Johnson failed to apply for Illinois’s funding initiative in time, leaving many hungry and disillusioned.

(Excerpt) Read more at fee.org ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: newyork; nyc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-50 next last

1 posted on 07/04/2025 11:52:01 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yesterday’s news.


2 posted on 07/04/2025 11:56:07 AM PDT by redfreedom (Happiness is shopping at Walmart and not hearing Spanish once!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

I hope it’s legal to steal from the government-owned grocery stores. Because, my children will starve if I can’t do that. And it’s really just reparations, if you think about it.


3 posted on 07/04/2025 11:57:17 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Sounds like Conner can’t wait. Somebody is going to have to feed the tax deductions of unemployed, deadbeat “bread winners” or they will all die from starvation and being thirsty.


4 posted on 07/04/2025 11:58:19 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Correction! America is a nation of LEGAL IMMIGRANTS! All of mine came here legally. No free stuff.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: redfreedom

Are you one of those people with the attention span of a goldfish?


5 posted on 07/04/2025 12:02:36 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Virginia has state run liquor stores. Odd dynamics out there.


6 posted on 07/04/2025 12:03:27 PM PDT by Theoria
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Because “big grocery” is robbing the population with profit margins as large as....2%!


7 posted on 07/04/2025 12:03:52 PM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
And now a word from Bolshevik Bernie:


8 posted on 07/04/2025 12:04:22 PM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
According to Mamdani, these city-owned grocery stores would not have to pay property taxes or rent, and would “pass the savings to you.”

The reason there are food deserts is NOT because the property taxes or the rent are too high, but because of the cost of theft and competition from local food pantries and government giveaways.

If there is a sustainable non-profit grocery store in this country, please provide the address and phone number. There are two ways for a "non-profit" enterprise to be sustainable; through the cash register or through the kindness of strangers (tax money, which eventually leads back to the national debt).

9 posted on 07/04/2025 12:05:47 PM PDT by Bernard (Issue an annual budget. And Issue a federal government balance sheet. Let's see what we got.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Today’s government-owned grocery stores will ultimately lead to tomorrow’s rations and bread lines.


10 posted on 07/04/2025 12:05:56 PM PDT by cross_bearer_02
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Just like the USSR with nothing in them ,LOL


11 posted on 07/04/2025 12:07:27 PM PDT by butlerweave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Who makes up lost property taxes? Who makes up income taxes on rent income?


12 posted on 07/04/2025 12:09:56 PM PDT by alternatives?
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: butlerweave
I really don’t care what New York City inflicts on itself, as long as it doesn’t spread.

I wouldn’t set foot in that cesspool for my grandma’s funeral, if I had a grandma.

13 posted on 07/04/2025 12:12:38 PM PDT by daler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

If you don’t want this then certainly don’t vote for this clown Mamdani. I hate to think what NYC will become if he gets elected.


14 posted on 07/04/2025 12:17:07 PM PDT by oldtech
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’m sorry..our records show you voted Republican...no food for you.


15 posted on 07/04/2025 12:19:46 PM PDT by Mashood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

I hope it’s legal to steal from the government-owned grocery stores.


Comrade! It is one thing to liberate badly needed food and beauty supplies from greedy capitalists and quite another to steal from THE PEOPLE! You will wait in line and receive your proper rations just like everyone else. (This is not to say there won’t be shops for party members in good standing, understand).


16 posted on 07/04/2025 12:27:06 PM PDT by hanamizu ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

And only be allowed to sell products approved by the mayor.


17 posted on 07/04/2025 12:35:18 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

This clown doesn’t scare me at all. What does scare me is that there is anyone stupid enough to vote for the psycho.


18 posted on 07/04/2025 12:40:07 PM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
Baldwin, Florida: The city purchased and operated the Baldwin Market in 2019 to ensure access to fresh food in a rural area. The store struggled financially and closed in March 2024 due to debt and operational challenges

Albany, New York: A government-supported grocery store was attempted in a food desert but closed within two years due to debt and mismanagement, highlighting the challenges of sustaining such initiatives.

19 posted on 07/04/2025 12:41:07 PM PDT by mjp (pro-freedom & pro-wealth $)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

If the GOP does even its usual half-assed job of promoting a mayoral alternative, a win is possible as long as the candidate can fog a mirror.


20 posted on 07/04/2025 12:41:56 PM PDT by econjack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-50 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson