NYC bodega owners worry Zohran Mamdani will put them out of business with city-run grocery store plan

If you think government stores are a good idea, you probably wear a keffiyeh and think Israel first attacked Gaza. President Reagan once said of these people that they aren't ignorant; they just "know so much that isn't so". TD

Rich Terrell

 NYC bodega owners worry Zohran Mamdani will put them out of business with city-run grocery store plan  

. . . “ 'It’s going to be a huge problem. You can’t force us to pay taxes and then be our adversary,” Rafael Garcia, owner of La Economica Meat Choice store on University Avenue in The Bronx, told The Post.

"In some bodegas, about two-thirds of the business is from customers with government-financed food stamps and Garcia said there was no doubt those shoppers would flock to the lower-cost, city-run grocery stores.

"Francisco Marte, the president of the Bodega and Business Association, said at Monday’s press conference: “Socialism hasn’t been successful anywhere in the world. Even China has turned to capitalism. Come on, this is stupid.” Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis, who also spoke at the event at Second Avenue and East 40th Street said, “City-owned supermarkets don’t work. Cities do not know how to run a business.”

"Progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had considered launching a municipal grocery store in the Windy City after a study concluded it was “not only feasible but necessary.”

"But Johnson said he put the plan on hold after companies reached out and asked to join the venture, suggesting a public-private partnership to improve access in so-called food desserts or a public market instead.

"Government-owned grocery stores have been tried in smaller towns in rural America that lost their last grocers — with mixed results at best.

"A town-owned grocery store in 1,400-resident Baldwin, Fla. opened in 2019. The store operated at a loss and closed in March.

"A city-owned store set up in Erie, Kan., didn’t attract enough customers and sales to break even and was forced to change its approach. To lower costs, it leased out the building to a private operator to be the grocer, while the city retained ownership, Governing Magazine reported.

"Not every municipal grocery has gone belly up.

"Another Kansas town, 600-person St. Paul, bought its own store in 2013 after the last supermarket closed and nearest grocer was 17 miles away.

"The government-owned grocer is still operating there, a success story cited by Mamdani." . . 

Zohran Mamdani's government-run grocery stores won't lower prices; The democratic socialist's proposed "public option" reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the market.

 Reason Magazine  

Even if you imagine corruption away, the conceit that New York City bureaucrats can run grocery stores at a lower cost than highly capitalized private firms enjoying massive economies of scale, decades of market experience, and complex supply chains is farcical.

"Andrew Cuomo has conceded defeat to 33-year-old progressive upstart Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. With registered Democrats making up over two-thirds of the city's electorate, Mamdani is in pole position to be the Big Apple's next mayor, which could spell trouble for New Yorkers struggling with the city's nation-leading cost of living.

"The campaign website of Mamdani, who self-identifies as a democratic socialist, says that he is running "to lower the cost of living for working class New Yorkers." In addition to offering free bus fare citywide, Mamdani is proposing to rein in "out of control" prices with "a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low, not making a profit." Mamdani argues that "without having to pay rent or property taxes, they will reduce overhead and pass on savings to shoppers."

"If lowering the price of groceries is Mamdani's goal, his "public option" is a poor way to accomplish this feat, especially given the structure of the city's grocery market.

"The grocery market, which includes bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets, and online grocery delivery (like Amazon, Walmart, and ShopRite), is incredibly competitive in New York City, and its market concentration is extremely low. Based on 2016 market share data (the most recent year data are available) from Chain Store Guide, a provider of retail and foodservice intelligence, the New York metropolitan area's grocery market has a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index score, a measure of market competitiveness, of approximately 550 (an index score below 1500 is considered to be competitive).

"Despite the competitive market, food prices in New York City (and the rest of the country) have risen. The cost of food at home, a good proxy for the price of groceries, increased by 27.5 percent between FY 2019 and FY 2023 in the New York City Metropolitan Area, according to an April 2025 report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. However, this price increase was not caused by the city's 1,002 grocery stores focused on "making a profit"—grocery store profits range from 1 percent to 2 percent, Adam Lehodey explains for City Journal—but by inflation caused by federal spending and supply chain crunches." . . .  More...

Why are the Democrats so bent on locking up Trump?

 Silvio Canto, Jr.

"Over the last few years, I've asked myself the question: Why are the Democrats so bent on locking up Trump? They tried everything, from Russia hoaxes to unleashing Fani to sham trials in New York City to feeding friendly newsmen negative information about Trump.

"For a while, I thought that it was the Supreme Court. In other words, they need judges to invent laws to implement what voters don't want. Or maybe it was abortion and this irrational idea that killing a baby is a woman's choice. Or maybe it was fear that a second Trump presidency would go after them the same way, i.e., payback New York streets style. Or maybe it was just a way of keeping their Trump Derangement Syndrome base busy with more addiction. Or maybe it was about protecting President Obama from something awful, such as directing a campaign to destroy his successor's presidency.

"Well, have you seen this? This is from Margot Cleveland:

President Barack Obama. Not CIA Director John Brennan. Not Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. And not FBI Director James Comey. But President Barack Obama. The 44th president of the United States, directed the intelligence community to interfere in the peaceful transition of power to his successor -- Donald Trump. And for that Obama should forevermore be considered a pariah in presidential history. 

Last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe released the agency’s review of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on “Russia’s Influence Campaign Targeting the 2016 US Presidential Election.” The CIA’s review exposed extensive problems with “the procedures and analytic tradecraft employed” by the intelligence community in crafting the ICA, revealing at the same time the role Brennan, Clapper, and Comey played in the corrupt process.

"So it was a full effort, and Obama was in the middle of it.

"Will anyone in the media ask him where he was on December 6, 2016? I'd like to hear from him, especially now that the information is rather interesting."

Trump takes on the Federal Judiciary

 By Halting The Federal Judiciary’s Left Turn, Trump Has Saved America

Despite his many accomplishments, rescuing the United States from the clutches of a radicalized and runaway judiciary places Donald Trump in the same pantheon as Abraham Lincoln in saving the Republic.

"What Donald Trump has achieved in the first six months of his non-sequential second term borders on the unprecedented. The most lasting and impactful accomplishment will be Trump’s ongoing victories in permanently reining in a rogue and increasingly radicalized federal judiciary. His electoral victory in 2024 and uncompromising battles with the judiciary have rescued the United States from an irreversible decline and fall.

"Over the past 70 years, the federal judiciary has increasingly assumed the extra-constitutional role of arbitrarily setting the boundaries of congressional and presidential authority. This has been an evolutionary process that reflected the American left’s long-term strategy of appointing collectivist judges to the federal judiciary.

"All Marxist-inspired despots of the twentieth century understood that party or state control over the judiciary is a key factor in successfully transforming a nation into a one-party socialist or communist state. This process was dramatically accelerated in the United States after Barack Obama became president. During his two terms in office, he and the Democrat party, per the Marxist blueprint, were singularly focused on radicalizing the federal judiciary."

"This single-minded determination culminated in Obama and his minion, Joe Biden, appointing vast numbers of radical left-wing judges during their combined twelve years in office. The unabashed and unconstitutional lawfare directed at Donald Trump and the January 6th protestors was a manifestation of their success." . . .

Obama-Appointed Judge Backs Trump DOJ in Grant Funding Clash   "An Obama-appointed federal judge has sided with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a closely watched legal dispute.

"The judge ruled that the Biden-era practice of funding violence prevention through nonprofit organizations can be lawfully replaced with a law enforcement–centered model backed by the Trump administration.

"U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta denied a request from five liberal-leaning organizations that sought to block the DOJ from canceling over $800 million in previously awarded grants. "

"These decisions come as President Trump continues to assert broader control over the federal bureaucracy." 

DOJ Launches Criminal Investigations into John Brennan and James Comey Over Russia Hoax Malfeasance

 American Greatness  

"Fox News reported in October 2020 that Brennan had “briefed former President Obama and administration officials on intelligence that then-Democrat nominee former Secretary of State Clinton was stirring up a plan to tie Trump to Russia.”

"The Department of Justice has launched criminal probes into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey over their alleged roles in the Trump–Russia hoax, Fox News reported Monday evening.

"The FBI is looking into allegations of potential perjury and conspiracy against both men, according to Fox’s sources.

"CIA Director John Ratcliffe last week declassified a “lessons learned” review on the discredited 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) which alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump.

"The review found that the creation of the ICA was rushed and filled with “procedural anomalies” that diverted from intelligence standards and the “decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.”

The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. Last week’s review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees.

"Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan insisted on the inclusion of the discredited Steele dossier, over the strong objections of the CIA’s two most senior Russia experts, who said it “did not meet even the most basic tradecraft standards.”

"In a newly declassified email sent to Brennan in December 2016, the former deputy CIA director said that including the Steele dossier in the ICA jeopardized “the credibility of the entire paper.”

“Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness,” the CIA review states. “When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier’s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.”

"According to the review, “Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’” . . .

People Will Die! "Remy channels his inner Elizabeth Warren to vilify the other side."

 

Reason

. . .Murders are bad. They have no defenders

yet many are committed by repeat offenders

I say lifetime in prison, whatever the crime

unless, of course, you want PEOPLE TO DIE! . . .

© 2024 Reason Foundation

Can Our Cities Be Saved From The Left’s Death Grip?

 Issues & Insights  

"But think about it: We are all paying the costs of urban blight and decay that Democrats have brought forth. We pay them in the form of larger housing subsidy costs, bigger welfare costs, deeper economic stagnation, and more widespread cultural rot."

"All the attention being thrown at New York’s mayoral primary race, won by socialist Zohran Mamdani, raises broader questions that deserve answers. Why do voters keep electing Democrats responsible for so much urban decline and decay? What will break the left’s stranglehold on our once great cities? Is the situation simply hopeless?

"Of the nation’s largest 20 cities, only two have Republican mayors – Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Republicans hold the mayorships of just 25 of the 100 largest cities. And that number is down from 30 in 2020.

"More mysterious is the paradox that, despite the fact that blame for empty stores, rising crime, and the exodus of people rests squarely on the shoulders of Democrats in most of these cities, voters rarely hand control over to Republicans.

"Look at the history of the 10 largest cities and despair. Los Angeles has had one Republican mayor since 1961. New York has had one and a half since 1969 (Michael Bloomberg had been a lifelong Democrat, but ran as a Republican in 2001 and 2005, and then left the GOP midway through his second term).

"Chicago has been electing Democratic mayors since 1931, and Houston since 1982.

"Phoenix has elected Democrats for 20 years (a Republican was twice appointed as an interim mayor).

"In Philadelphia, the last time a Republican was mayor was in 1948, and it’s been 24 years since San Antonio voters picked a GOP candidate for the city’s top office.

"The other three of the top 10 cities – Dallas, San Diego, and Jacksonville – have been notable exceptions, with each having a fair share of mayors from both political parties.

"Not only do voters in the nation’s largest cities keep electing Democrats, many of the ones winning elections today are more radical than their predecessors. Seven cities are today run by socialist mayors. Ten years ago, there was one." . . .read more

Ketanji Jackson’s wacko dissent to a Supreme Court order allowing agency heads to plan to trim their departments

 Andrea Widberg

  . . . "And given how poorly Jackson is performing, thereby demeaning the Court, blacks, and women, a wise Democrat would side with impeachment.

"It’s no secret that Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the United States Supreme Court because she is a black woman.* In other words, she was not chosen for her judicial acumen, but for her political identity.

"That goes a long way to explaining the absolutely lunatic dissent she issued to a Supreme Court order. That order stayed a California district court judge’s ruling blocking President Trump from ordering agency heads to produce plans for possible “Reductions in Force.” What makes Jackson’s dissent even crazier than its lack of any intellectual foundation is her open hostility to her fellow justices and the president.

"This all began when President Trump issued Executive Order 14210 (Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative). In the order, President Trump stated that he wanted to begin a “critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.” He would do this “[b]y eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity...”  More

Democratic Lawmakers Report Disturbing Calls for Violence From Their Own Base in Opposition to Trump

RTM   

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), one of the few willing to discuss the matter publicly, emphasized the importance of respecting the Constitution and rule of law as the most effective way to counter the Trump administration’s policies. 

"Democratic members of Congress are facing an alarming surge of pressure from within their own ranks to escalate opposition to President Donald Trump—pressure that, according to several lawmakers, includes disturbing suggestions that they put themselves at physical risk.

"Multiple Democratic representatives, speaking on condition of anonymity, have revealed that parts of the party base are no longer content with political resistance alone.

"Instead, some constituents are openly calling for actions that could result in bloodshed or bodily harm to elected officials.

" 'One of the more shocking things I’ve heard from constituents is that our efforts aren’t enough,” an anonymous Democrat recently told Axios. “They want something drastic—something that grabs headlines—even if it means bloodshed.” . . .

JUST IN: House Democrats are now saying that their base is urging them to abandon law and order, embrace political violence, claiming that bloodshed is needed to stop President Trump. pic.twitter.com/MytVbPHHDJ

— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) July 7, 2025

New York state legislator wants to make killing an animal a ‘murder’ charge that comes with a life sentence   But killing an ICE officer appears to be more desirable.

New York Man Arrested After What He Threatened to Do to ICE Agent and His Children   

• On April 18, White posted, “Kill them all, ICE is the new age gestapo, stop them.”
• On April 29, White shared a video clip of Border Czar Tom Homan posted by an X user “America,” and commented, “Then understand that if your ICE agents don’t show proof of identity and a signed warrant, we will kill them.”
• In late April, White posted multiple threatening and violent public comments in response to coverage of several ICE arrest operations, including an ICE arrest operation inside a Virginia courthouse that occurred in April 2025. White posted, “I can’t wait to put a bullet into this guy’s brain, but first his children.” (ICE) . . .

Illegal Immigrant Convicted in Laken Riley Case Granted Mental Evaluation After Guilty Verdict

 RTM   

"Although Ibarra has already been convicted, the outcome of the mental evaluation could affect how the case proceeds in the courts, according to Trending Politics." 

"The illegal immigrant found guilty in the high-profile murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is now undergoing a court-ordered psychological evaluation—a legal development that could open the door to further court action, despite the overwhelming evidence presented at trial.

"José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2022 and was later released by federal authorities, was convicted last November of brutally attacking and killing 22-year-old Riley while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus. 

"The case, which stunned the nation, became a symbol of growing outrage over illegal immigration and the consequences of lax border enforcement.

"After the conviction, Ibarra’s attorney filed a motion seeking a mental health assessment, arguing that Ibarra’s competency should be reviewed. 

"A Georgia judge granted the request, and Ibarra will now be transferred to a state-run psychiatric facility operated by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities." . . .

Elon Musk’s ‘America Party’ Poses Threat to GOP

 Victor Davis Hanson  . . . "The other one was a famous one in 1860, when Stephen Douglas, who had those famous debates in the senatorial race in Illinois against Abraham Lincoln, was the Democratic nominee against Abraham Lincoln.

"John Breckinridge broke off from the Democratic Party and had a Southern Democratic Party. And he took enough votes away from Stephen Douglas that got Abraham Lincoln elected president with—thank God—only 40% of the vote."

Victor Davis Hanson, a senior contributor for The Daily Signal, is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and host of "The Victor Davis Hanson Show." His website, The Blade of Perseus, features columns, lectures, and exclusive content for subscribers.

Performative Political Theater

 Townhall

"The Democrats have chosen form over substance. The president gets things done while his opponents opt for dramatic arts.

"Two Democratic leaders have spoken longer than my verbose college roommate. Corey Booker spoke in the Senate for 25 hours. Hakeem Jeffries last week added nearly another 9 hours of Democratic talking, talking, talking. That Senator Spartacus and Congressman Magic Minute could talk for a day and a half is certainly impressive.Did their rhetorical tour-de-force performances actually accomplish anything? The answer is a solid no. Nothing changed on the ground—but that was never expected. They just wanted to go through the motions. Meanwhile, Donald Trump sent out a couple of messages regarding voting for his spending bill, and all but two Republicans in the House lined up. That’s the difference between performance and action.

"And this is the trajectory of the Democratic Party. When Barack Obama became president and was awarded a Nobel Prize soon thereafter, people noted that he had a very thin resume. Community organizer, local politician in Illinois and 2 years in the Senate. At the time, he reminded me of our college custom of adding every organization we ever visited to our yearbook list of activities. Think about Ike and his leadership in the battle against Nazism. Every president up until Bill Clinton had served in the armed forces. Many of them had been in politics for ages, like LBJ who was the dean of the Senate. With Barack Obama, the Democrats moved from substance to performative politics. And the country has suffered accordingly.

"AOC famously cried outside of cages used for holding illegal aliens. Did her tears accomplish anything beyond headlines and clicks? Much of what we did during Covid was performative: masks, six foot separations, closings of schools. None of these activities actually reduced the spread of the human-manipulated virus. Rather, it put in the minds of the public that its health leaders “were doing something” about the virus. If they had said that the best course of action was to let the virus run through the population while protecting those at risk, people would have been indignant: Do something! But everything they did—including the vaccines—had dubious effects on the actual trajectory of the pandemic. By shutting down society, the virus simply took much longer to become one of the many background bugs we face every year. The vaccines may have played a role in some of the later mutants that seemed impervious to multiple shots of mRNA drugs." . . .