The mayor’s office says it would be the first major U.S. city to enact such a plan.

  • JasSmith@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    If the stores are government run, there is no profit motive. That means lower prices, which means more accessibility for the people who need it.

    If these stores are going to be run at a loss anyway, why waste enormous sums of money on premises and other costs when they could just start food banks and give people the food directly? Or, as I suggest above, the government could send people food directly.

    I’m suggesting that we give people free food and I’m the boot licker? Okay Bezos.

    • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      why waste enormous sums of money on premises and other costs when they could just start food banks

      This runs into the problem of charity out-competing potential business ventures. Government subsidized private groceries, or public-private partnerships or just plain government run grocery stores can alleviate the problem of a food desert while still bringing the benefits of an active business to the area. The local government can increase or reduce its investment as needed, and it doesn’t create a service that inherently can’t be competed with by private business in a space that’s already unprofitable/too risky to operate a business within

      • JasSmith@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        This runs into the problem of charity out-competing potential business ventures.

        But this is moot as the city is planning to run loss-making stores where private stores are non-viable. There is no risk of outcompeting businesses which aren’t even there. And if there is a concern of outcompeting private stores, running stores offering cheaper products than any private store could do so in the area would destroy those businesses just as effectively.

        The decision has been made to entirely sacrifice any pretence of private enterprise in the supermarket space in certain areas in Chicago. I’m merely arguing that, given this decision, there are more effectively ways to use public funds.

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      No, you’re just pushing the tired old, “religious groups and charities should be feeding people, leave the government out of it” bullshit. It doesn’t work.

      • No_Eponym@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        you’re pushing the tired old… “leave the government out of it” bullshit.

        They literally said government was the solution in the message above yours. Regardless of the merits of @JasSmith@kbin.social 's argument, you’ve mischaracterised what they’ve said and that isn’t fair or productive for discussion.

      • JasSmith@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        No, you’re just pushing the tired old, “religious groups and charities should be feeding people, leave the government out of it”

        I’m literally saying the government should give people free food. You’re arguing with a straw man.