Mamdani’s Socialist Government Considering Subsidizing For-Profit Grocery Stores to Compete With State-Supported Ones

Recently, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he was making good on his campaign promise to bring down food costs by opening state-sponsored grocery stores that would sell goods at below cost. The stores will also not be required to pay taxes or rent.

By establishing these state-sponsored stores, Mamdani is not reducing food costs. He is reducing the price for consumers while placing a larger burden on taxpayers, most of whom will not be able to access the city stores.

To make matters worse, these stores are required to pay a “living wage,” which is estimated at more than double the minimum wage. Furthermore, they are required to provide healthcare and other benefits for employees. So, not only will the government have to supplement the lower prices of goods, but it will also have to support dramatically higher operating costs.

Apart from the fact that selling goods below cost in stores that cannot cover their operating expenses is an unsustainable model, the other problem with state-sponsored grocery stores is that they make it difficult for the private sector to compete. Private grocers and bodega associations have protested the decision. A bodega trade group, the United Bodegas of America, representing roughly 14,000 businesses, is preparing a lawsuit arguing that the taxpayer-subsidized stores create unfair competition, both on pricing and through the use of rent-free city land.

John Catsimatidis, CEO of Gristedes and D’Agostino’s, has threatened multiple times over more than a year to close, sell, or relocate his stores. Before the election, he told Fox Business, “If the city of New York is going socialist, I will definitely close, or sell, or move or franchise the Gristedes locations,” adding that he would also consider moving his corporate offices to New Jersey.

After Mamdani won the election, Catsimatidis predicted the plan “would collapse our food supply, kill private industry, and drag us down a path toward the bread lines of the old Soviet Union.” More recently, he has said he might relocate operations to Florida instead, citing declining sales and increased shoplifting that he attributes to city policy. He also said profitability has suffered for two years, making layoffs and operational scale-backs more likely. He has not announced a definite timeline for relocation or layoffs and is still evaluating his options.

On the unfair-competition point specifically, Catsimatidis told Fox News Digital, “The people that are going to run those five stores are not going to pay any real estate taxes, not going to pay any rent,” adding, “If I don’t pay any rent or real estate taxes, I can bring down the cost of a product 20% across the board.”

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Socialist Leader Says Quiet Part Out Loud: Affordability Pitch Masks “Guerrilla Class War” To “Bleed Enemy Dry”

We have extensively profiled how communism is on the rise in America and how the Democratic Party has served as its primary vehicle into mainstream electoral politics. The Marxists in the Democratic Socialists of America have a platform that, in the long run, has very little to do with affordability but everything to do with what some of their leaders have described, in their own words, as “destroying the nation from within.”

DSA members are hell-bent on breaking down capitalism and the current form of the United States as we know it. One of their tactics is to ignite a Marxist class war, or class struggle, which is a conflict between economic classes over wealth, political power and control of production.

The idea that DSA is seeking to start a Marxist class war is not based on speculation but is, yet again, part of the plan to destroy capitalism, according to DSA National Political Committee member Cliff Connolly.

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FL DSA Candidate Angie Nixon Compares ICE Agents to ‘Modern-Day Slave Catchers,’ Calls Enforcement ‘State-Sanctioned Violence’

Florida Democrat Senate candidate Angie Nixon has repeatedly attacked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling its officers “THUGS” and “kidnappers,” comparing immigration detention facilities to a “modern day concentration camp,” and arguing that the agency should be abolished as she campaigns against incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL).

Nixon, a Florida state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has made abolishing ICE a central part of her immigration platform. In one post, she referred to ICE officers as “THUGS.” In another, she called abolishing ICE a “moral choice” and said the United States must stop funding an agency that “terrorizes our neighborhoods, acts like a rogue paramilitary force, and operates completely in the dark.”

Nixon described ICE enforcement as “state-sanctioned violence” and has characterized the agency as a “weaponized paramilitary force that is designed to terrorize.”

In a clip, Nixon referred to ICE officers as “kidnappers” while advocating that agents be unmasked. She has also compared immigration detention facilities to a “modern day concentration camp” — a characterization she later doubled down on — and compared ICE agents to modern-day slave catchers.

Nixon has even insinuated that ICE agents might be shot: “We are a stand your ground state…I am concerned that some ICE officials might be shot.” 

She has also argued that ICE officers would racially profile and fatally shoot black Americans and said she wants “bad actors” investigated, arrested, and jailed.

“We’re black. They gonna profile us, too. They can’t tell the difference between a black American that is a descendant of slaves here in this country or someone from Jamaica or Nigeria. They are going to racially profile us and they are going to escalate things and they are going to shoot and kill us,” Nixon said.

“And they are going to get away with it unless we send people like me to Washington, DC, who are going to scrutinize and launch investigations to go after bad actors. To arrest them and to put them in jail and to call for an end and an abolishment of ICE,” she continued.

“We don’t need ICE. ICE was designed — ICE came about after the towers went down, after September 11th, and it came about to evoke fear and to target and to profile the Muslim community. It has now morphed into this agency that goes after immigrants, that demonizes immigrants,” Nixon added.

Nixon has also said Republicans are “literally trying to kill us” while discussing ICE enforcement.

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Mamdani’s City Grocery Store Official Explains How Their Plan to Keep Privately Owned Stores in Business Will Make Things Even Worse

A woman who is supposedly the lead person from Zohran Mamdani’s team for city-owned grocery stores was recently asked if their plan will put privately owned stores out of business, which, it obviously will.

She explained that privately owned stores that are in trouble will be able to apply for grants from the city, which is only going to make things worse, and far more expensive.

To recap, taxpayers pay for city-owned grocery stores and then, when those stores threaten privately owned stores, taxpayers will fund grants for those stores. The taxpayers just keep paying and paying, no matter what happens.

Townhall reports:

In an interview on Wednesday, Waverly Neer, a senior vice president of the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), which is overseeing Mamdani’s city-run grocery-store rollout, revealed that one proposal under consideration would let nearby grocers apply for grants to offset revenue lost to the city’s subsidized stores. In other words, New York City may use taxpayer money to undercut local businesses, then use more taxpayer money to compensate them for the damage they caused.

“I think ultimately the goals of these locations, not just here in East Harlem, but you know, any borough location is to be complementary to the neighborhood,” Neer said. “And really, you know, rising tides, right? We can we can all cooperate and work together in a meaningful way. ”

“Do you mind? What is the I’ve heard that that term from EDC officials that these are meant to be complementary. What does that mean?” Spectrum News NY1’s Dan Rivoli asked. “What does that complimentary mean in terms of policy operations and things like that? ”

“Yeah, I think we’re, you know, as an agency, looking at a number of different complementary policies and programs, grants, incentives that can come alongside these grocery stores to support other, you know, local independent businesses that are in the neighborhoods,” Neer replied. “We’re going to continue to listen and we’re going to continue to engage and be, you know, alongside the operator as our partner. Like I said, making sure that we are complimentary to the other businesses that are here in the neighborhood.”

“So other locations, other grocery stores can get grants from the city under this?” Rivoli clarified.

“[That’s] something on the table,” Neer said.

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DSA Member Embarrassed AGAIN After Confronted with Realities of Communist Cuba

The Gateway Pundit reported that the National Co-Chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, Ashik Siddique, became a bumbling mess when confronted by Latino journalist Jorge Ramos, when he was asked a simple question about whether or not Cuba is a dictatorship.

He immediately tried to make the issue about Trump and the blockade on Cuba, because he could not answer the question honestly.

CNN’s Boris Sanchez confronted Siddique over the organization’s unfounded praise of Cuba, and shared the story of his anti-Batista grandfather being imprisoned by Castro to drive home the realities of the regime.

Once again, Siddique was so shaken that he couldn’t form a response.

Sanchez told Siddique, “I get your criticism of foreign policy. As I said, it’s not an uncommon one, but lauding Fidel Castro is a different story.”

“You talk about what things were like before the revolution in Cuba. I’ll give you a personal example. My grandfather was a revolutionary in Cuba during that time. He was affected by a previous dictator, Fulgencio Batista, having his friends disappeared in the street for speaking their minds.”

“My grandfather found that revolution, hoping to bring democracy to Cuba, and then what happened?”

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Florida DSA Senate Candidate’s Crazy Moments: Quotes Marxist Cop Killer, Calls Drag Shows ‘Wholesome Entertainment’ for Children

Florida’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Senate candidate Angie Nixon has a history of making outlandish statements throughout her political career, including praising a Marxist cop killer while campaigning in a church, calling for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies to be put back in place, and admitting to taking her children to drag shows, referring to them as “wholesome” entertainment.

Nixon defeated Trump-hater Alex Vindman (D) in her primary battle and will now face off against Republican Rep. Ashley Moody (R-FL) in November’s general election. With that, many of Nixon’s positions – which also include bringing back DEI and prioritizing a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens – are coming to light.

Here are some of her crazy moments.

1.The Florida state representative openly quoted Marxist cop killer Assata Shakur, who at one time appeared on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) list of “most wanted” terrorists,” while campaigning in a church.

“I’m gonna open this up for questions, but I’m gonna leave y’all with these words of a famous freedom fighter before we open it up: Assata Shakur,” Nixon said. “‘It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and protect one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.’”

“Our chains are attacks on the Voting Rights Act. Our chains are them closing down our neighborhood schools. Our chains are them spending a billion dollars on a ballroom you will never get to dance in – never, ever get to dance in,” Nixon said, seemingly taking issue with the addition of the White House Ballroom even as security concerns abound, as seen with the would-be shooter at the WHCA dinner earlier this year.

Nixon continued, asserting that the “chains” are “them kidnapping our immigrant neighbors and locking them up,” falsely suggesting that ICE is arresting illegal aliens for no reason.

“Our chains are them not arresting corrupt cops that shoot black unarmed men in the streets. Our chains are the attacks on women’s rights. Our chains,” she continued, “are them emboldening racists to come into my district and shoot three black people in the Dollar General, and only say that person was a little off and didn’t even want to say that he was a racist.”

She then again quoted Marxist cop killer Shakur: “‘It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win,’” concluding that there is “absolutely nothing to lose” but “our chains.”

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The DSA’s War On Wealth

Communism is on the rise in the United States and has now entered otherwise mainstream Democratic Party politics.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is on track to increase the number of its members in Congress from two to at least six in January, possibly more. That’s not including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist.

A DSA member named Francesca Hong just came within striking distance of becoming the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin, one of our largest and most important states. Hong was narrowly defeated in the Aug. 11 primary by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

Don’t be confused by those calling themselves socialists. A few may be well-meaning middle-of-the-road Democrats who favor the Scandinavian socialist model. But others are wolves in sheep’s clothing – communists who use the socialist label to hide their real intentions.

What’s interesting is that many of the new socialists don’t even try to hide their radical leanings. They publicly call themselves socialists and are proud of it.

After the fight against communism in the U.S. in the 1950s and the U.S. victory in the Cold War by the early 1990s, most Americans might assume that communism is no longer a threat to the American way of life and the U.S. political system.

That’s a mistake.

Communist and Marxist ideas are alive and well in the U.S. and are thriving in universities, think tanks, foundations, the media and other institutions that Americans typically think of as having better motives.

The Evolution of Revolution

This ideological infiltration may follow Marxian economics, but the method used by the new communists was anticipated by the Italian communist Antonio Gramsci, who wrote in the 1920s and 1930s.

Gramsci agreed with Marx’s goal – the abolition of private property – but he thought the way to achieve it was not through violent revolution but through a long-term struggle for control of society’s cultural and political institutions.

Decades later, this strategy came to be described as “the long march through the institutions.”

In other words, communism would not necessarily win by direct confrontation but by a gradual infiltration of education, culture and governance and the decline of critical thinking.

U.S. institutions would become ideological boot camps and propaganda outlets that would gradually convince Americans that communism, dressed up as “socialism,” was the better path.

From there, it would be a simple task to tear down traditional constitutional structures by getting rid of the Senate, the Electoral College and an independent judiciary.

Top-down communist control would be the final step. No revolution required. Just long-term rot like the proliferation of mold or termites.

For a powerful example of this process, consider the recent controversy surrounding the Smithsonian Institution and testimony before Congress by Anthea Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History.

The dispute centered on whether America’s national museums have increasingly emphasized slavery, race and inequality at the expense of the country’s founders and achievements. Hartig defended the museum’s approach and told lawmakers that it does not take sides in America’s political debates.

The Smithsonian’s treatment of Benjamin Franklin, for example, emphasizes his history as a slaveholder. Yet Franklin was also one of the great scientists and founders of the 18th century and, later in life, became a leading abolitionist.

He served as president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and, in 1790, petitioned Congress to work toward ending slavery.

Franklin also became the nation’s first postmaster general, helped establish an early fire insurance company and helped found the institution that became the University of Pennsylvania, where I attended law school.

The real issue is one of emphasis: whether America’s national museums should primarily celebrate the country’s achievements or increasingly focus on slavery, race, inequality and other failures in the American story.

That debate is worth having because institutions shape the way Americans understand their own country.

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OF COURSE: DSA Co-Chair in NYC Reportedly Lives in $1.5 Million Home His Rich Parents Bought for Him

We have reported on DSA NYC co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, who appeared on FOX News weeks ago and proved that he has no idea how the United States government actually works.

Now it is being revealed that this wealth-hating, Bernie-loving, socialist lives in a $1.5 million home that his rich parents bought for him.

Why are so many of these radical revolutionaries the children of wealthy parents who were raised in privilege and luxury?

The New York Post reports:

Anti-rich DSA leader Gustavo Gordillo lives it up in posh $1.5M NYC pad paid for by millionaire parents

The millionaire parents of a whiny top DSA leader have set up their socialist son in a $1.5 million Brooklyn home — where he lives while railing against the rich and property ownership, The Post has learned.

Gustavo Gordillo, the 38-year-old co-chair of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, is peddling his anti-capitalist lefty agenda while enjoying the life in the two-story, nearly 2,000-square-foot row home on a gentrifying tree-lined block in Bed-Stuy.

“I wish my family could afford to buy me a million-dollar home,” said local renter Faith Smith, 36 — who called the socialist Yale University grad a hypocrite.

“It’s a rich kid,’’ she said of the Yalie. “That’s basically people who don’t have to deal with the struggles we have to deal with.”

The Ivy League radical’s converted single-family home was bought in 2019 by his mommy and daddy through a dummy corporation, Chucuito LLC, for just under $1 million, property records show.

Since then, it has undergone a major facelift, with renovations done to its entire front facade, the planting of lush landscaping, the revamping of the interior and the addition a pair of decks on the roof as well as near the front door, according to plans filed with the borough in 2023.

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The DSA’s Agenda Could Cost More Than $200 Trillion—and You’ll Be Picking Up the Tab

“Imagine taking a day off from work in a future without capitalism,” reads the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) website. 

“You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities,” it continues.

Sounds pretty good, right? Conveniently, the DSA fails to mention how much it would cost to create this socialist utopia. Unsurprisingly, it would be a lot of money.

This week, Adam Michel, director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, added up nine of the largest proposals in the DSA platform. Based on his estimates, the proposals would require between $71 trillion and $212 trillion—which represents 18 percent and 53 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), respectively—in additional government spending.

In the U.S., government spending already makes up about 38 percent of GDP, which is relatively high by historical standards but low compared to the rest of the world. Under a high-end estimate of the DSA’s agenda, that 38 percent would rise to 92 percent of GDP, according to Michel. A lower-end estimate would raise spending to more than 57 percent of GDP, higher than most European countries.

No major advanced economy spends anything close to 92 percent of GDP. This level of expenditure would require the mass confiscation of private property, handing an unprecedented amount of power to politicians. These estimates are, as Michel tells Reason, “much closer to estimates of state control under Soviet-style communism than to today’s European welfare states.”

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DSA Steering Committee Member Cliff Connolly Shares ‘Hatred of the United States Constitution’ as the ‘Obstacle We Finally Have to Get Over to Have a Revolution’

The War Room’s Natalie Winters shared a disturbing video from the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) Steering Committee member Cliff Connolly, admitting what we already know about the far-left organization….they hate the very principles on which America was founded.

Winters shared a clip from the Varn Vlog podcast episode “The Revolution in Democracy: Marxist Unity Group’s Vision for DSA,” released on July 7, 2025 in which Connolly shares his ‘hatred of the United States Constitution.’

Additionally, he describes the Constitution as an ‘obstacle’ that the organization will ‘have to get over’ to have a revolution

The panel discussion, hosted by C. Derick Varn, includes Connolly, and Amy Wilhelm, Jean Allen, and Aliyah VanPelt, who are members of the Marxist Unity Group (MUG), a caucus within DSA.

Connolly stated, “So the two things that we’re famous for, uh, is our commitment to a program and our, uh, hatred of the United States Constitution.”

“And what the program does is it gives us a roadmap to revolution, and it gives us the obstacle that we finally will have to get over to have a revolution, which is the United States Constitution, the basis of the United States government.”

“And what the Minimum/Maximum Program specifically, what that format specifically gives us, is that roadmap. It gives us the minimum circumstances under which we would be able to take power and govern, and it gives us the maximum program, which is the goals that we’re actually aiming for.”

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