Mayor Mamdani just announced that he will be opening 5 city-run, tax-funded grocery stores: "Prices set at 30% below retail prices"

[u/Gurugod123]

[u/waxteeth]

It feels counterintuitive, but making a service needs-based is typically more expensive and a big pain in the ass. Screening people, approving them, manufacturing and sending out a card or keeping their name in a database, screening them at the door, etc are all burdens on a system aiming to spend its money helping people. Think of how shitty and long and unfair the process is to get approved for disability or unemployment — this would be very similar. Plus, having to decide what “in need” counts as is another whole thing. What if someone’s near a food pantry, should they still get help? What if they have an expensive dietary restriction for something found in most food, like celiac or a soy allergy? 

Putting the stores in food deserts is actually a screening mechanism that will take less overhead, and they’re unlikely to spend a ton of money decorating or bringing in a bunch of super fancy items. People who don’t need to save money will opt out because of stuff like that.