Source: Common Dreams
by Richard Eskow
“Here’s something for New York City residents to consider as they vote for Mayor, and for observers outside New York to consider as they watch the vote count: for the most part, Zohran Mamdani’s plans for the city are surprisingly affordable. Despite the frantic tone of mainstream media coverage (and the revolutionary overtones of the phrase ‘democratic socialist’) most of Mamdani’s agenda could be accomplished at minimal cost to the city. The only exception is his plan for free universal childcare, whose costs may have been overstated by his own campaign. Mamdani has proposed opening five city-owned grocery stores in the city, at a cost of $60 million. These stores would use city-owned property, which means they wouldn’t have to pay rent, and would sell the food at operating cost without making a profit. Would it work? Military commissaries are successful. So is Costco, which operates a trimmed-down, ‘bare bones’ store model.” (11/04/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/are-mamdani-proposals-affordable