Every once in a while I check out websites on the extreme left. Apparently Mamdani is a creation of the establishment, a phony nepo-baby acting as controlled opposition, a pressure valve to create the illusion of change, while blocking meaningful challenge to the status-quo. Who knew?
Yes, Robyn. I think you'd make a fabulous mayor of Chicago, or at least an alderman (alderperson?). I voted Mamdani for progress. I am so very tired of the same old, same old. He stands for something new.
"That’s not the only effect Mamdani is having. Since his win on Tuesday, 4,000 people across the country have registered for Run for Something, an organization that recruits and supports young progressive candidates. The week after his primary, 10,000 people signed up."
The Ink by Anand Giridharadas is paywalled now, but back when he first started one of his first entries was about how the motivation behind every single thing the Republicans do is lower taxes on rich people. Like, that's fucking it. That's all they want and all they do every time. They are greedy fucking robber baron fucks who do not want to contribute to society. Descendants of OG robber barons trying to get us back there.
Dems should never take culture war bait ever again. Hey random Democrat, what do you think about blue haired transbians doing the sex in parades? "I think rich people need to be taxed into oblivion to pay for awesome stuff for the people who actually did that labor." Thomas Piketty would agree!
Okay, but if people are going to line up behind Mamdani’s policies, they should probably be aware that it’s essential for the government to be running. Socialism doesn’t work very well if the government is shutdown. Just an fyi.
I'd like to see "corporate welfare" end, especially for those corporations turning huge profits quarter after quarter. The tax code should be reformed to no longer favor the wealthiest. We can find the money for programs that match our shifting priorities. Getting dark money out of politics, unlimited spending on political races, etc.: ripping the corruption out of our government is going to be so difficult and somewhat complicated, but it's so needed. Billionaires need us more than we need them!
This might make me a Debbie Downer, but a couple thoughts.
First, most of those things that aren't specific to Mamdani's campaign (free busses etc) have BEEN popular since, like, forever ago. The first reign of Mad King Donald the Dumbass? Before? Maybe since Obama was our previous socialist overlord. So not exactly a news flash.
But secondly, saying people will shop grocery stores that don’t look anything at all like the “Soviet-era bread lines” is - um. Do we think these city-run stores are going to have the mood lighting and Canva-designed signs in the Produce section that suburban moms crave? My breath, it is not held. And without those, I'm not sure a lot of Americans *will* flock to them. Because we ALREADY HAVE stores that are less expensive, right now - and wine moms by and large do NOT shop there. They're known as Aldi and Save-A-Lot and maybe that Grocery Outlet place that's started popping up (but isn't really cheaper). What those stores don't offer, tho, aside from the ambience, is things like fresh arugula 365 days a year, or a decent selection of gluten-free anything, maybe some bok choi and sesame oil and those weird mushrooms that look like they grow on rotten carpet. And I'll be shocked if city-run stores actually do offer those things.
There are very few Aldis in New York, I count 17, that's less than one Aldi for each million of people. Have you considered that maybe not every new yorker has an Aldi within reasonable range?
I was at ALDI in The Bronx twice today, because our clients in the Food and Nutrition program get $60 gift cards to buy nutritious food there (I was there to bring the receipts back to the office). It was PACKED. Huge crowds of happy shoppers. I loathe those supersized suburban supermarkets with too many aisles and not enough good, healthy, nutritious, fairly priced food. They're almost as much of a food desert as a block with a bodega that sells Little Debbie cakes, beer, Red Bull, Slim Jims, and not much more.
While there is a more "socialist" history to Mexico, the resistance to general (as opposed to need based) subsidies (direct payments to students, single parents, persons of what we call the "third age" was based on the argument that while your granny might use that extra couple thousand pesos on groceries, some 70 year old billionaire wasn't even gonna notice it. OK, fine, but if granny is buying groceries, and the billionaire is just spending it on more bling, it still returns to the economy, and somebody, somewhere is earning a living.
AND... besides not having starving grannies on the street begging for a couple of pesos, and the grocery clerk, and the grocer and the farmer (and the bling store clerk, and the blogologist) get some buisness.. and the overhead of sorting out the deserving poor from the undeserving poor, let alone checking everyone's income level, is a savings to the whole bureaucracy.
Yeah, general subsidies often just make sense, and anyone in favour of small government should prefer it over needs testing. Proof number 438534 that the USA Republicans aren't actually in favour of small government.
I wouldn't be so sure about the grocery stores. If the capitalist class successfully attaches social stigma to shopping there, the indebted class will spend more money to avoid the perception that they're poor. This is why people with $50,000 in credit card debt shop at Whole Foods.
These stores don't need to turn a profit, but they cannot bleed money either.
If there's only buy-in from a small number of people, the variety of things available, especially fresh produce, which is extra critical in a food desert, is going to suffer for it.
That said, if the only thing these stores do is break the dollar store hegemony, I'm here for it. I hope they work.
Fresh produce oversupply -> foodbanks or composting.
It won't cost the store much, a kilogram of potatoes costs about 15 cents to produce and the farmer takes a cut so the store pays 20 cents. Those are Dutch prices, but they won't be very different in your area, a potato is a potato everywhere.
Let's assume that's a decent price estimate for fresh vegetables, and let's say this store is meant to service an area with 100 000 people, so they need roughly 50 000 kg of vegetables every day. At 20 cents that costs them $10 000 a day. If they sell 10 000 kg at $1, they're even on materials, if they sell another 10 000 kg they can pay employees as well. So if they have to throw or give away half, it would still be profitable.
I'd have to look into potato prices, but I wouldn't assume that a potato is a potato everywhere. In the United States, the bulk of potatoes come from Idaho, which is roughly as far from NYC as Tehran is from Amsterdam. The fact that we have different states specializing in different types of produce means a whole lot of shipping costs.
That said, your larger point is well-taken. Again, I really want these things to succeed. The improvement in health outcomes that we could see simply by making fresh fruit and produce available at reasonable prices in what are currently food deserts could be massive, although it will also involve breaking our addiction to high sugar and high fat options.
Regarding grocery stores, I believe they operate on 1 to 2 percent profit margins. Probably not going to see huge savings. But, putting them in food deserts is still a win.
No comment on actual profit margins, but the high end grocery near me charges twice as much or more for their fresh items than the Aldi near me, and Aldi produce is consistently better. Same for generic brand staples. If the city-run had prices even the same as Aldi, with fresh produce options, that’s still REALLY helpful- definitely a win
Every once in a while I check out websites on the extreme left. Apparently Mamdani is a creation of the establishment, a phony nepo-baby acting as controlled opposition, a pressure valve to create the illusion of change, while blocking meaningful challenge to the status-quo. Who knew?
I'm sure that website has many secret sources!
A Democratic problem is called "Citizens United". They need the money to win the elections, so can't run on platforms that piss off the money...
(oh, and you know damn well Justice Roberts and the rest of them knew exactly what they were doing).
By all means, let's pick up the pace.
Yes, Robyn. I think you'd make a fabulous mayor of Chicago, or at least an alderman (alderperson?). I voted Mamdani for progress. I am so very tired of the same old, same old. He stands for something new.
I'll be interested to see if Mamdani can deliver on his agenda -- and if he'll be allowed to.
Your latter point especially. 💯
"That’s not the only effect Mamdani is having. Since his win on Tuesday, 4,000 people across the country have registered for Run for Something, an organization that recruits and supports young progressive candidates. The week after his primary, 10,000 people signed up."
Wow, that's amazing!
The Ink by Anand Giridharadas is paywalled now, but back when he first started one of his first entries was about how the motivation behind every single thing the Republicans do is lower taxes on rich people. Like, that's fucking it. That's all they want and all they do every time. They are greedy fucking robber baron fucks who do not want to contribute to society. Descendants of OG robber barons trying to get us back there.
Dems should never take culture war bait ever again. Hey random Democrat, what do you think about blue haired transbians doing the sex in parades? "I think rich people need to be taxed into oblivion to pay for awesome stuff for the people who actually did that labor." Thomas Piketty would agree!
Also, release the Epstein files.
Okay, but if people are going to line up behind Mamdani’s policies, they should probably be aware that it’s essential for the government to be running. Socialism doesn’t work very well if the government is shutdown. Just an fyi.
If you don't like government shutdown, blame the ones in power.
But how are you going to pay for it?
I'd like to see "corporate welfare" end, especially for those corporations turning huge profits quarter after quarter. The tax code should be reformed to no longer favor the wealthiest. We can find the money for programs that match our shifting priorities. Getting dark money out of politics, unlimited spending on political races, etc.: ripping the corruption out of our government is going to be so difficult and somewhat complicated, but it's so needed. Billionaires need us more than we need them!
No NYC Mayor since Fiorello La Guardia was loved for more than 6 months.
This might make me a Debbie Downer, but a couple thoughts.
First, most of those things that aren't specific to Mamdani's campaign (free busses etc) have BEEN popular since, like, forever ago. The first reign of Mad King Donald the Dumbass? Before? Maybe since Obama was our previous socialist overlord. So not exactly a news flash.
But secondly, saying people will shop grocery stores that don’t look anything at all like the “Soviet-era bread lines” is - um. Do we think these city-run stores are going to have the mood lighting and Canva-designed signs in the Produce section that suburban moms crave? My breath, it is not held. And without those, I'm not sure a lot of Americans *will* flock to them. Because we ALREADY HAVE stores that are less expensive, right now - and wine moms by and large do NOT shop there. They're known as Aldi and Save-A-Lot and maybe that Grocery Outlet place that's started popping up (but isn't really cheaper). What those stores don't offer, tho, aside from the ambience, is things like fresh arugula 365 days a year, or a decent selection of gluten-free anything, maybe some bok choi and sesame oil and those weird mushrooms that look like they grow on rotten carpet. And I'll be shocked if city-run stores actually do offer those things.
There are very few Aldis in New York, I count 17, that's less than one Aldi for each million of people. Have you considered that maybe not every new yorker has an Aldi within reasonable range?
Yeeaaahh, they seem to be coming to my Aldi…
I was at ALDI in The Bronx twice today, because our clients in the Food and Nutrition program get $60 gift cards to buy nutritious food there (I was there to bring the receipts back to the office). It was PACKED. Huge crowds of happy shoppers. I loathe those supersized suburban supermarkets with too many aisles and not enough good, healthy, nutritious, fairly priced food. They're almost as much of a food desert as a block with a bodega that sells Little Debbie cakes, beer, Red Bull, Slim Jims, and not much more.
I'm pretty sure the City owned grocery stores are being proposed in food dessert neighborhoods
While there is a more "socialist" history to Mexico, the resistance to general (as opposed to need based) subsidies (direct payments to students, single parents, persons of what we call the "third age" was based on the argument that while your granny might use that extra couple thousand pesos on groceries, some 70 year old billionaire wasn't even gonna notice it. OK, fine, but if granny is buying groceries, and the billionaire is just spending it on more bling, it still returns to the economy, and somebody, somewhere is earning a living.
AND... besides not having starving grannies on the street begging for a couple of pesos, and the grocery clerk, and the grocer and the farmer (and the bling store clerk, and the blogologist) get some buisness.. and the overhead of sorting out the deserving poor from the undeserving poor, let alone checking everyone's income level, is a savings to the whole bureaucracy.
Yeah, general subsidies often just make sense, and anyone in favour of small government should prefer it over needs testing. Proof number 438534 that the USA Republicans aren't actually in favour of small government.
I wouldn't be so sure about the grocery stores. If the capitalist class successfully attaches social stigma to shopping there, the indebted class will spend more money to avoid the perception that they're poor. This is why people with $50,000 in credit card debt shop at Whole Foods.
The indebted class is mostly the middle class, the entire point of this is to help the poor, so it does not matter what the middle class does.
These stores don't need to turn a profit, but they cannot bleed money either.
If there's only buy-in from a small number of people, the variety of things available, especially fresh produce, which is extra critical in a food desert, is going to suffer for it.
That said, if the only thing these stores do is break the dollar store hegemony, I'm here for it. I hope they work.
Fresh produce oversupply -> foodbanks or composting.
It won't cost the store much, a kilogram of potatoes costs about 15 cents to produce and the farmer takes a cut so the store pays 20 cents. Those are Dutch prices, but they won't be very different in your area, a potato is a potato everywhere.
Let's assume that's a decent price estimate for fresh vegetables, and let's say this store is meant to service an area with 100 000 people, so they need roughly 50 000 kg of vegetables every day. At 20 cents that costs them $10 000 a day. If they sell 10 000 kg at $1, they're even on materials, if they sell another 10 000 kg they can pay employees as well. So if they have to throw or give away half, it would still be profitable.
I'd have to look into potato prices, but I wouldn't assume that a potato is a potato everywhere. In the United States, the bulk of potatoes come from Idaho, which is roughly as far from NYC as Tehran is from Amsterdam. The fact that we have different states specializing in different types of produce means a whole lot of shipping costs.
That said, your larger point is well-taken. Again, I really want these things to succeed. The improvement in health outcomes that we could see simply by making fresh fruit and produce available at reasonable prices in what are currently food deserts could be massive, although it will also involve breaking our addiction to high sugar and high fat options.
That was the before times. Perception may not mean quite as much now whole new classes of people are getting fucked
Entirely possible, although given our propensity for doubling down, it might also exacerbate the effect.
"...Democrats are not running on 'tax the rich.' "
Well, of course not---they don't want to offend their donors. Just ask Schumer.
Regarding grocery stores, I believe they operate on 1 to 2 percent profit margins. Probably not going to see huge savings. But, putting them in food deserts is still a win.
No comment on actual profit margins, but the high end grocery near me charges twice as much or more for their fresh items than the Aldi near me, and Aldi produce is consistently better. Same for generic brand staples. If the city-run had prices even the same as Aldi, with fresh produce options, that’s still REALLY helpful- definitely a win
i’m for an increase in bodega cat sightings …
As I heard an unrepentant Commie put it, "there aren't bread lines in the United States because if you can't pay, you don't eat."
Run for something, Robyn!