New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new city-run grocery stores in all five boroughs will sell staples like milk, cheese, and bread at roughly 30% below typical retail prices, but to get that discount, shoppers will need to show a form of identification at the register.
Jeanny Pak, interim chief of the city's Economic Development Corporation, explained the thinking during a recent press conference. A reporter asked how the city planned to stop people from exploiting the discount and whether there would be a cap on how many discounted items a single shopper could take. "Our RFP makes very clear that this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling," Mamdani said before handing the microphone to Pak.
“Yeah, so if you look at our RFP for the operator, we are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers,” she said, suggesting it would be “library card-esque,” in order to make sure they know who is buying what they’re selling and that New Yorkers are getting it. "So we are mindful of that. And so we're going to make sure that we have all the things in place to make sure that does not happen.”
Socialist ringleader Mamdani requires photo ID for New Yorkers to shop at his government-run grocery store.
— RNC Election Integrity (@RNCVoteProtect) August 3, 2026
His team says: "We will target New Yorkers... sort of a library card-esque thing." 🤡
PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT! pic.twitter.com/DrJgRl46l5
Well, that’s weird, isn’t it? Identification is essential for stopping fraud at a taxpayer-funded grocery store. That logic evaporates the moment Democrats start talking about elections. The Democrat Party has spent years fighting voter ID requirements and citizenship verification, even as polling shows most Americans support them. It’s “Jim Crow 2.0,” according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Obviously, the Democratic Socialists of America oppose Voter ID, too. "Our candidates for office stand firm against racist voter ID laws and secret poll taxes like the 'SAVE America Act.'"
Requiring an ID is only racist when it protects the integrity of an election, but it’s commonsense when you need to buy milk and bread at a discount. Make no mistake about it, the radical left isn't confused about when identification matters. They know exactly when it's useful, and it's never at the ballot box.
Recommended: Even James Carville Is Ready to Leave the Democrat Party
This is hardly the first time we've witnessed Mamdani’s hypocrisy over identification. Earlier this year, residents were asked to produce five forms of identification before the city would let them shovel snow. Requiring ID to vote is apparently an existential threat to democracy.
Mamdani’s socialist grocery stores already have enough problems outside of the blatant hypocrisy over requiring identification. The initiative carries a price tag of at least $70 million, and the city has announced only two of the five planned stores so far. The first won't open until the end of 2027 at the earliest, and the city, which has no real experience running a grocery chain, is now searching for outside partners to operate it. Critics note that $70 million could have gone toward existing food assistance programs like Meals on Wheels or local food banks instead. In fact, it was recently reported that this government-run supermarket plan will cost taxpayers $70 million.
"$70M for slightly discounted produce is ridiculous, GOPCity Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) said. "At this point it would be cheaper to just buy a million Costco memberships. We'd save $5M in taxpayer funds, and the public can buy their items in bulk. Win-win."
Mamdani’s grocery stores are going to be such a disaster.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy PJ Media's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member