Dem mayors in action

Where to start – let’s see, West Coast, big cities division, ridiculous politicians doing stupid things. In a somewhat saner world, there’s always that one flakey who-elected-THEM pol… on the left Coast, there is a several-way tie at almost every level. We’re gonna look at a couple of mayors.

San Francisco is almost always an easy target – as the largest population megalopolis in the north of the state, they run the show. Who have we seen from there? Well, there was  Dianne Feinstein, the Senator you loved to hate ( for 31 interminable years) whose co-Senator became Barbara Boxer (who was ‘only’ a Senator for 24 years and was succeeded by Kamala Harris, who needs no introduction (except maybe to coherence?) and,  well,  ‘SanFranNan Pelosi.  Well, we got us an up-an-comer in the person of San Francisco Mayor Dan Lurie.

The mayor of San Francisco signed an ordinance that creates a “Reparations Fund” that could one day grant each of the city’s eligible Black residents up to $5 million in reparations for alleged historic discrimination and displacement.

The ordinance, which was passed by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month, was signed by Democrat Mayor Daniel Lurie two days before Christmas.

Quick search says there are about 55,000 black San Francisco residents.  I’m notorious for adding or losing zeroes, but that looks like around $265,000,000,000?

It establishes the legal framework for the fund but does not allocate funds or guarantee payments. The fund can be financed with private donations, foundations and other non-city sources.

Any taxpayer-funded reparations payouts would require separate legislation, an identified funding source and mayoral approval. Lurie told Fox News Digital that no taxpayer money would be paid into the potential pot, given the city’s $1 billion budget deficit.  Fox News

So he signed in an UNFUNDED potential quarter-TRILLION dollar payout scheme. So people who have never been slaves will get the money from people who never owned slaves and there is no mechanism to generate that kind of money in place.  Boy, if that doesn’t just scream “Democrat funding” I don’t know what does…

Then we get to Seattle’s Mayors.  It’s even harder to separate the stupid there. Mayor Harrell, who  is on the way out, signed an ordinance last fall:

On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that declares a public health emergency, temporarily banning grocery and pharmacy chains from enforcing anti-competition covenants that could keep people from accessing fresh food.

These “negative use restrictions” allow companies to block their rivals from moving onto their former lots. The ordinance will expire in one year, unless council extends it or terminates it early.

In fact, the newly established law isn’t retroactive to existing restrictive covenants, meaning it will only ban any prospective agreements.

So if a Kroger’s closes down (as has happened) they can’t keep another grocery store from taking over the property and opening a new grocery store.  Supposedly the law is trying to stop the spread of “food deserts” where neighborhoods have no good source of fresh food. In practice… while there can be a $1500/day fine,it only lasts a year and only addresses potential closures.

Not to be outdone, Mayor-elect Katie Wilson (well, Friday she is just Mayor as she is sworn in) has an even more radical plan. Grocery store? Can’t close. Too much crime and theft in your neighborhood killing your profits?  Suck it up.

Wilson said during her mayoral run that corporate grocery chains should not be allowed to only sell food to those who can afford it and expressed support for a “public option,” meaning that government-run grocery stores would be established. Her proposal emerged at a time when Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had promised to establish government-run grocery stores throughout the city.

What has a government run more efficiently than private enterprise – ever? Buehler? Buehler?   “Occupy A&P” – huh?

Supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis told the New York Post in August that government-run grocery stores are doomed to fail, pointing to one in Kansas City, Missouri, which closed after substantial taxpayer losses and issues such as shoplifting.  IJR.com

I would doubt from his background that Mr. Catsimatidis is unbiased – but that also doesn’t mean he is wrong. Somehow I am hearing Rod Serling’s voice saying “imagine, if you will, an open grocery store with no food on the shelves nor money in any register”. May say Kroger’s on the outside, but chirping crickets on the inside.

Category: "Teh Stoopid", "Your Tax Dollars At Work"