Retailers are continuing to flee big cities in droves as soft-on-crime prosecutors refuse to do what is necessary to stop skyrocketing crime rates that have made it difficult to do business in cities such as New York and San Francisco.

In Chicago, so-called ‘food deserts’ are being created in low-income areas as businesses close their doors due to a spate of smash-and-grab robberies and looting that George Soros-backed District Attorney Kim Foxx refuses to prosecute.

In response to the lack of food options for low-income residents in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project to build government-owned grocery stores in the city.

I hope they do this, it will be funny and instructive. The taxpayer cost to run these will be astronomical, the facilities shabby beyond belief, the selection of goods dismal, and the service provided will range from nonexistent to contemptuous. https://t.co/SILf5fotc3

— Rick DeVos (@RickDeVos) September 18, 2023

“All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable, healthy grocery options. We know access to grocery stores is already a challenge for many residents, especially on the South and West sides,” Johnson said in the press release. “My administration is committed to advancing innovative, whole-of-government approaches to address these inequities.”

Retailers such as Walmart have started to rapidly close stores in Chicago due to an increase in theft, with Walmart closing four stores in April of this year, and a Whole Foods in the city closed earlier this year as well.

Retail theft in the city is up 25% from last year, and robberies are up 11%, according to the Chicago police.

Republican politicians in Chicago mocked the plan and compared it to “Soviet-style central planning.”

“Take all the problems private chains face in low-income areas, then add in amateur management by a bureaucracy, Chicago-style political corruption in hiring and contracting, and a limited range of products,” said Jeff Fiedler, the executive director of the Chicago Republican Party.