The Essex Market example of a City-run market cited in this video being a success is a completely underwhelming one. It’s not a success; it stumbles along -done at scale, it would not work. The Union Square market is more successful, but is only open at limited times and dates. Just give abatements to efficient private low-cost markets (Aldi, Trader Joe’s, anyone else willing to offer lower-cost goods…) and greenlight their openings in more neighborhoods. If he does this City-run market thing and it is a flop, they will use it to sideline most other social experiments to make cities more sustainable. If we get more Aldis and Trader Joe’s, we KNOW that will improve the nutritional standard of living of New Yorkers. We should not be screwing around with this policy.
Go to the Essex Market. Then go to an Aldi (there’s one in Spanish Harlem -Aldi only opens in low rent spaces, but if the City were to expedite more locations in New York for more of these low-cost markets, that would not be an issue…) Compare prices and selection. Your Honor, I rest my case.
His free bus rides idea is a good one (though it might need some tweaking for a few routes…) Technically it already works in a de facto manner for crosstown buses.
Cenk and Ana spoke against Mamdani’s rent freeze proposal. It’s an extreme proposal, but the housing situation in New York is also extreme, the likes of which we probably haven’t seen since WWII (when “rent control” was introduced -but is now being phased out…) If he does a rent freeze as an emergency measure, but simultaneously puts into play REAL low-cost housing solutions (see here, “Better Way”…), I think it’s called for…