must remember: they don't really care if it raises $5 or $500million. It just gives them the excuse, pretext, smoke-cover, to go SPEND $500million.
.
Which of course will actually be $750million. No, $1billion. Wait, give it a minute BOOM $3billion in spending! That goes through Democrat allied "non profits" and their consultants!
One wonders why he would need to spend $30 million on a new store front when there are numerous existing groceries for sale under $5million. Oh, yeah, what NNTX said, can’t funnel funds to your cronies if you buy an existing one!
Two things: One, the Robin Hood story. Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men did not rob from the rich to give to the poor. They robbed from the Sherrif of Nottingham, who was over-taxing the populace, to return their own money to the poor. Two: Interesting illustration for the Harlem branch of the Mamdani Municipal Grocery Store. I could be wrong, but it seems all of the people illustrated are white, though I think I see one black person. Has Harlem been taken over why white people?
Like Jeff Childers and others who can add have pointed out:.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but hoovering $30M out of New York City’s citizens through taxes to build a $2M grocery store does not actually reduce unaffordability. Instead, it just multiplies municipal unaffordability, transferring the burden from one expense category —core baskets of fruit and bread— into a different category of expense: taxes.And even if you buy the “wealth distribution” angle, of making “rich people” subsidize neighborhood bodegas, wouldn’t it still be more efficient to just directly pay established grocers to lower their prices on the core basket? (Some economists would argue that driving rich people off eventually hurts the poor, but never mind. That argument is, apparently, too complicated.)Sadly, the answer is that efficient, direct payments to grocers would eliminate all the opportunities to reward donors and favored constituents with unsupervised government grants and contracts. Which is one of the main reasons why communism never works. Combining politics with business creates a patronage economy, an invisible transaction tax on every single purchase. It twists markets into political pretzels, through what economists call “rent-seeking behavior”— a clumsy term meaning everybody stops trying to reduce costs through competing for business, and starts trying to climb aboard the grift train.
It doesn’t amaze me when for decades the education system in this country has been pushing failed liberal doctrines for years. We are seeing the fruits of those seeds which were planted awhile ago.
You seem to be overly optimistic about it ever being completed and open. If it ever opens,the chances that it will go more than 1 week without a massive problem are slim.
Miranda Devine has a good column on the Mamdani boondoggle today. One interesting point she made is that the city is spending $30MM on a single store, which is already late for its “planned” 2029 opening and overbudget. There are listings for already built grocery stores for $2MM in Brooklyn. Famously Trump (as a NY private citizen) managed to rescue a late and over budget rebuild of the NYC skating rink—and iirc, finished it in less than 6 months.
Prices, as a data point, are one of the genius inventions of capitalism/private enterprise. The price incorporates the “votes” of a multitude of users, and also efficiently allocates resources based on the amount of money the price indicates. And prices also help address both scarcity and abundance (unless the “price” is set artificially, as in socialism and communism).
Supposedly Mamdani’s favorable numbers are sinking fast.
The really funny part of that would be the uproar from the Liberati whining about how the Orange Man was taking advantage of the poor! That stuff is always a barrel of laughs!
Sasha, it's the timeline that just makes me laugh out loud!
I was part of and participated in opening a brand new Home Depot. Took 18 weeks from open field to cash registers ringing. Gonna take Zo three whole years?!? It will never be opened, just like that rail system in California !
My thought, too, it will take 3 years to build?? Will his term be over by then? And if the store has the essentials that means Gen Z will need to learn how to make a sandwich and fry an egg.
It's not simply a "symbol that is necessary to sell a movement." It's a step towards replacing the free market with government monopolies. Mamdani and his comrades are not bleeding heart liberals looking to virtue signal. They are flat out Marxists who want their Utopia. The bleeding heart liberals are just the useful idiots for these people. I'm flabbergasted that so many people don't seem to see how dangerous they are.
It has already failed wherever it has been tried - resoundingly! History is replete with examples from every country and government that’s tried it.
Also, he had earmarked $70 million to cover the cost for FIVE stores. This first one alone came in at $30 million, so he’s already working at a loss. When, oh when, will people EVER realize Socialism is a total fraud and has never, ever worked wherever it has been implemented. What’s that definition of insanity? Oh yeah: doing the same things over and over again expecting different results. 🤦♀️
Not sure if you saw the proposal by a number of Blue states to tax the rich who plan to relocate out of state. We're about to put our Blue state house up for sale to get the heck out of dodge before that insanity ensues.
Yeah, that's their next brilliant move, an Exit Tax. The stampede is already beginning, so they better get on the stick & rush this through before theiecash cows are all gone...
At least the exit tax is revealing. It’s like the Berlin Wall was. It reveals the Leftist state having to put obstacles in the way of its citizens freely leaving.
Its difficult to see such a pampered, over-educated, but underwhelmingly intelligent person like Mamdani running NYC. This will not end well. The people who voted.gim must rank among thw most irresponsible voters in American History.
Oh no... You're not giving the rest of Democratic voters enough credit... spread the praise to those who voted for Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Harris voters... and on a lower shelf, but equally important, Pelosi, Schumer, Sanders, AOC, Schiff... the list goes on.. and on... and on.
"Mamdani is hoping to raise $500 million, enough for his programs, such as universal childcare, free buses, rent freezes, and now a city-run grocery store project."
"The first store in Harlem will cost $30 million, bringing the total to $70 million."
Lol, it will never be enough! 500MM is peanuts to these thieves! 30M for a grocery store on paper, 130MM in reality.
Every single thing on his Make It Free wish list is already exorbitantly priced, what does he think will happen once multiples of beaks need to be wet all the time?
It’s been tried numerous times & is always a failure: see “USSR 1917-1991” & the whole of what was the former Soviet bloc which consisted of Poland, East Germany, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, & you can incorporate the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia in there since they were occupied by Josef Stalin 1939-1940.
Problem is history isn’t taught anymore & that’s by design.
And who will pay for this? The "rich" of course. But that won't be just the billionaires and the millionaires. Taxing the living daylights out of them won't cover this. He's going after the upper middle class, which will include a lot of ordinary folks.
must remember: they don't really care if it raises $5 or $500million. It just gives them the excuse, pretext, smoke-cover, to go SPEND $500million.
.
Which of course will actually be $750million. No, $1billion. Wait, give it a minute BOOM $3billion in spending! That goes through Democrat allied "non profits" and their consultants!
.
And think of the benefits for Mamdani’s allies and funders…Off the books and poorly audited contracts, leases and renovation contracts.
in that sense, he's not Democrat-Socialist at all. That's 100000% Democrat.
One wonders why he would need to spend $30 million on a new store front when there are numerous existing groceries for sale under $5million. Oh, yeah, what NNTX said, can’t funnel funds to your cronies if you buy an existing one!
Trader Zoh's, Trader Zoh's.
Let's all shop at Trader Zoh's.
Don't say no. Let's all go.
Shop at Trader Zoh's!
Two things: One, the Robin Hood story. Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men did not rob from the rich to give to the poor. They robbed from the Sherrif of Nottingham, who was over-taxing the populace, to return their own money to the poor. Two: Interesting illustration for the Harlem branch of the Mamdani Municipal Grocery Store. I could be wrong, but it seems all of the people illustrated are white, though I think I see one black person. Has Harlem been taken over why white people?
Good catch on the illustration!
Like Jeff Childers and others who can add have pointed out:.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but hoovering $30M out of New York City’s citizens through taxes to build a $2M grocery store does not actually reduce unaffordability. Instead, it just multiplies municipal unaffordability, transferring the burden from one expense category —core baskets of fruit and bread— into a different category of expense: taxes.And even if you buy the “wealth distribution” angle, of making “rich people” subsidize neighborhood bodegas, wouldn’t it still be more efficient to just directly pay established grocers to lower their prices on the core basket? (Some economists would argue that driving rich people off eventually hurts the poor, but never mind. That argument is, apparently, too complicated.)Sadly, the answer is that efficient, direct payments to grocers would eliminate all the opportunities to reward donors and favored constituents with unsupervised government grants and contracts. Which is one of the main reasons why communism never works. Combining politics with business creates a patronage economy, an invisible transaction tax on every single purchase. It twists markets into political pretzels, through what economists call “rent-seeking behavior”— a clumsy term meaning everybody stops trying to reduce costs through competing for business, and starts trying to climb aboard the grift train.
This is all Jeff Childers. He is my go to for everything.
Sames. I need the optimistic view daily.
And I love, love, LOVE his descriptive wit! I’ve learned the hard way to finish my coffee BEFORE I commence reading!
That is the most astute set of observations that I have heard yet... Bravo!
Jeff Childers has an excellent Substack. Highly recommended.
Yes, he does, and I am a daily reader.
Yes, I also read JC’s “Coffee & Covid” Substack daily. Great stuff !!
the stunning lack of basic economics understanding by so many on the left continues to amaze me
It doesn’t amaze me when for decades the education system in this country has been pushing failed liberal doctrines for years. We are seeing the fruits of those seeds which were planted awhile ago.
You’re so optimistic that the store might be a success. Short term or long term it won’t be. Socialism doesn’t work in the extreme.
You seem to be overly optimistic about it ever being completed and open. If it ever opens,the chances that it will go more than 1 week without a massive problem are slim.
Depends upon how "success" is defined - and who defines it.
He reminds me so much of Obama. Charm that fooled so many people. Couldn’t criticize him lest you be called a racist.
Nailed it.
Thank you!
Miranda Devine has a good column on the Mamdani boondoggle today. One interesting point she made is that the city is spending $30MM on a single store, which is already late for its “planned” 2029 opening and overbudget. There are listings for already built grocery stores for $2MM in Brooklyn. Famously Trump (as a NY private citizen) managed to rescue a late and over budget rebuild of the NYC skating rink—and iirc, finished it in less than 6 months.
Prices, as a data point, are one of the genius inventions of capitalism/private enterprise. The price incorporates the “votes” of a multitude of users, and also efficiently allocates resources based on the amount of money the price indicates. And prices also help address both scarcity and abundance (unless the “price” is set artificially, as in socialism and communism).
Supposedly Mamdani’s favorable numbers are sinking fast.
Wouldn't it be funny if Trump decided to open his own grocery store and had it open with his own money in a few months?
The really funny part of that would be the uproar from the Liberati whining about how the Orange Man was taking advantage of the poor! That stuff is always a barrel of laughs!
Totally. He loves punking them. And they make it very easy.
I was just going to post about the Devine article and the availability of already existing grocery stores for sale! That was a good read.
And she also mentions the stupid term "core basket" these stores will be offering, staples which will be priced lower.
Isn’t that sort of the point of food banks? Free food for core items supplemented by EBT at the store?
Sasha, it's the timeline that just makes me laugh out loud!
I was part of and participated in opening a brand new Home Depot. Took 18 weeks from open field to cash registers ringing. Gonna take Zo three whole years?!? It will never be opened, just like that rail system in California !
My thought, too, it will take 3 years to build?? Will his term be over by then? And if the store has the essentials that means Gen Z will need to learn how to make a sandwich and fry an egg.
Why on earth would it take 3 years to build a grocery store? No wonder China is laughing at us.
Its all part of his smoke and mirrors campaign promises. Just keep that light shining right on his forehead so all the world can see him fail.
And like the Ca rail system watch the estimated cost balloon 100 fold
It's not simply a "symbol that is necessary to sell a movement." It's a step towards replacing the free market with government monopolies. Mamdani and his comrades are not bleeding heart liberals looking to virtue signal. They are flat out Marxists who want their Utopia. The bleeding heart liberals are just the useful idiots for these people. I'm flabbergasted that so many people don't seem to see how dangerous they are.
It has already failed wherever it has been tried - resoundingly! History is replete with examples from every country and government that’s tried it.
Also, he had earmarked $70 million to cover the cost for FIVE stores. This first one alone came in at $30 million, so he’s already working at a loss. When, oh when, will people EVER realize Socialism is a total fraud and has never, ever worked wherever it has been implemented. What’s that definition of insanity? Oh yeah: doing the same things over and over again expecting different results. 🤦♀️
Not sure if you saw the proposal by a number of Blue states to tax the rich who plan to relocate out of state. We're about to put our Blue state house up for sale to get the heck out of dodge before that insanity ensues.
Yeah, that's their next brilliant move, an Exit Tax. The stampede is already beginning, so they better get on the stick & rush this through before theiecash cows are all gone...
At least the exit tax is revealing. It’s like the Berlin Wall was. It reveals the Leftist state having to put obstacles in the way of its citizens freely leaving.
They've been talking about that in CA since covid. I made a run for it. Ahhhhh.... IDAHO!
Its difficult to see such a pampered, over-educated, but underwhelmingly intelligent person like Mamdani running NYC. This will not end well. The people who voted.gim must rank among thw most irresponsible voters in American History.
Oh no... You're not giving the rest of Democratic voters enough credit... spread the praise to those who voted for Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Harris voters... and on a lower shelf, but equally important, Pelosi, Schumer, Sanders, AOC, Schiff... the list goes on.. and on... and on.
Wes Moore
"Mamdani is hoping to raise $500 million, enough for his programs, such as universal childcare, free buses, rent freezes, and now a city-run grocery store project."
"The first store in Harlem will cost $30 million, bringing the total to $70 million."
Lol, it will never be enough! 500MM is peanuts to these thieves! 30M for a grocery store on paper, 130MM in reality.
Every single thing on his Make It Free wish list is already exorbitantly priced, what does he think will happen once multiples of beaks need to be wet all the time?
Every New Yorker is gonna get fleeced.
Death and taxes, amiright?
“If it goes well…’?
It’s been tried numerous times & is always a failure: see “USSR 1917-1991” & the whole of what was the former Soviet bloc which consisted of Poland, East Germany, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, & you can incorporate the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia in there since they were occupied by Josef Stalin 1939-1940.
Problem is history isn’t taught anymore & that’s by design.
Worth reading is today’s Coffee and Covid by Jeff Childers on substack for more on the Mamdani grocery experiment.
And who will pay for this? The "rich" of course. But that won't be just the billionaires and the millionaires. Taxing the living daylights out of them won't cover this. He's going after the upper middle class, which will include a lot of ordinary folks.