5 things to know about Zohran Mamdani's policy agenda for NYC
2. Establish government-run grocery stores, raise minimum wage to $30 an hour
Mamdani also unveiled his plan for government-run grocery stores in a video published shortly after launching his mayoral bid late last year:
“We will redirect city funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores, whose mission is lower prices, not price gouging. These stores will operate without a profit motive or having to pay property taxes or rent, and will pass on those savings to you. They’ll partner with small businesses and nearby farms and sell at wholesale prices,” he claimed about his vision for grocery stores.
Mamdani added that he plans to create “a network of municipal-run grocery stores” in each of the city's five boroughs in an interview with News 12 in May. In that interview, he acknowledged that his plan would cost the city $60 million, while suggesting that it was a worthwhile investment because “the city is already set to spend more than $140 million subsidizing corporate supermarket chains without any guarantee of affordability from that subsidy.”
While Mamdani sees the government-run grocery stores as a way to solve the problem of “out of control” grocery prices, critics point to reports of a government-run grocery store in Kansas City, Missouri, that is on the brink of closure due to empty shelves as evidence that the proposal will not work.
Another part of Mamdani’s economic plan involves raising the minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030, a large increase from the city’s current minimum wage of $16.50 per hour.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
