New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration announced that its city-run grocery stores will require identification to prevent some shoppers from taking advantage of the program.

“How are you going to keep people from taking advantage of that deal?” one reporter asked.

“Is there going to be a limit on the number of items that someone can take that are discounted at that level from that essential basket?” the reporter questioned.

“So our RFP [Request for Proposal] makes it very clear that this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling,” Mamdani responded.

Jeanny Pak, the interim president and CEO of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, said Mamdani’s administration would issue a form of identification to New Yorkers to make purchases at the city-run grocery stores.

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“We are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers whether it be a sort of library card-esque thing and also we manage who’s buying and that it is focused on everyday New Yorkers,” Pak said.

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According to proposals, the government grocery store operators will create free access cards that will help ensure that New Yorkers are not abusing the program. Shoppers without a card would not be prohibited from entering the store, but they would not be allowed to make any purchases without the ID.

Conservative pundits began pointing out the irony in Mamdani’s grocery store ID as Democrats have forcefully argued against passing legislation that would require identification to vote. Democrats have argued voter identification would suppress the votes of many women whose names changed after marriage.

The Mamdani administration did not immediately respond to questions about how it plans to verify that shoppers are New York City residents or what documentation, if any, will be required to obtain a membership card.

The Democratic Socialists of America New York chapter, of which Mamdani is a proud member, has strongly opposed voter ID requirements. The group described election integrity legislation as a “campaign to reverse the gains of the Civil Rights Movement and marginalize working-class Americans.”

“Glad to see Mamdani and his team believe IDs are needed to prevent fraud at city-run grocery stores. Can’t wait to hear @NYCMayor push the governor and state to acknowledge that IDs are necessary to prevent voter fraud too,” former New York City Council Member Robert Holden commented.

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“Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices,” Mamdani previously said.

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Fox News shared further:

Thirty-five years after the Soviet Union collapsed, the Communist bread line is poised for a comeback in the Big Apple, as Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces his government grocery stores will be undercutting real groceries by 30%. Not to worry, socialism will work this time.

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The announcement came during a press conference on July 27, where Comrade Mamdani promised 30% discounts for “essential” products at his new city-run grocery stores. The problem, of course, is grocery stores are in a razor-thin industry, sporting profit margins of roughly 2%. And that’s with competent management, which New York City government is decidedly not famous for.

That means even if the socialists somehow manage to run a grocery as efficiently as Aldi, Walmart or Gristedes, the city will be losing an ungodly amount of money — at least 28 cents on the dollar. Since New York’s best and brightest in government will be far less efficient than the private sector, the losses, predictably, will be even higher.

Of course, operating in the red for a government establishment means taxpayers get stuck with the tab. The losses of Comrade Mamdani’s state-run enterprises will be covered by New Yorkers’ tax dollars — derived from tax rates that are already among the nation’s highest.

And that’s where the fun begins. If city groceries were genuinely selling food 30% cheaper, that would rob enough market share from real grocery stores that they would start going out of business. After all, private stores must pay rent, property taxes, insurance, labor, utilities, security and New York’s regulatory army.

Conversely, Mamdani’s stores get city property tax exemptions, and apparently an unlimited allowance from dad who’s willing to lose 28 cents on the dollar. Marginal supermarkets will close while others will cancel plans to open.

 

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