Latest news with #Independents
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why New Yorkers Want Public Grocery Stores
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to ... More supporters during an election night gathering. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Getty Images The Democratic mayoral primary victory of New York City's Zohran Mandani has attracted global attention. The 33 year old from Queens won due to an impressive grassroots field campaign and a focus on economic justice issues. At the top of that agenda are publicly-owned grocery stores, which would be a first for the sprawling metropolis. But New York City already has thousands of grocery stores. Why would America's largest city want to road test such a plan? Mamdani's proposal would establish a pilot program of municipal grocery stores with the goal of providing affordable groceries to New Yorkers. Recent polling from Data for Progress and Batul Hassan of the Climate and Community Institute (CCI) shows the idea resonating with New Yorkers. Two-thirds of New York City voters (66%) support a proposal to create municipal grocery stores, including a strong majority of Democrats (72%), as well as a majority of Independents (64%) and Republicans (54%). Grocery costs are a top concern for New Yorkers. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress The polling found that 85% of New Yorkers are paying more for groceries now compared to last year and 91% of New Yorkers are concerned about how inflation impacts what they pay to get food on the table. Four out of five households in New York report finding it harder to afford groceries over the last year. More than half of all families struggle to cover basic expenses. These household economic strains are at crisis levels, and the private sector cannot solve for them in the current economic climate. Two-thirds of New Yorkers polled (66%) support the creation of municipal grocery stores in New York ... More City. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress Syndicated market data from NIQ shows that grocery prices have spiked over 32% since 2019. Prices have shot up even higher in many ultra processed food categories such as snacks, frozen foods and meat that make up over 60% of America's calories. Such categories are usually dominated by a handful of companies. Market concentration in the grocery industry has enabled processed food conglomerates to raise prices and generate enormous profits, all while actual food consumption has been stagnant since 2019, vastly increasing food insecurity. According to CCI's Hassan, the resources needed to establish a public grocery program are infrastructure within the city's control. Grocery store planning and rollout would be driven by communities, incorporating the food preferences of people in the neighborhoods. Some grocers have expressed skepticism at the idea, including the billionaire owner of Gristedes and D'Agostinos, who has threatened to close stores. But publicly owned grocery stores are quite common and already exist at scale—in the U.S. military. Every branch of the military has its own public grocery system, called an exchange or PX, that provides goods and services for enlistees. These include groceries, commissaries, department stores, gas stations and convenience stores, the same services that many full service grocers provide for civilians. The exchanges provide basic consumable goods, tax-free, and generate over $4.6 billion in annual revenue across 236 commissaries. This size enables commissaries to leverage supply chain efficiencies at the level of any national grocery chain. If the PX were a U.S. grocery chain, it would rank in the top 20 by sales nationally. How much of a stretch would it be to municipalize such the PX model, especially if there were a large scale, committed effort to build multiple locations quickly and create the efficiencies of scale to make it viable? Exchanges keep their costs down by operating as cost (not profit) centers, with a 2-3% percent gross margin, while budgeting labor and administrative expenses, rent, occupancy and utility costs centrally and not through each operating unit. This math means exchange prices can be 30% lower than typical retail prices, and saved military families and veterans over $1.6 billion in 2023. By comparison, independent and specialty grocers typically run at 35-40% gross margins, while national chains such as Walmart and Kroger run at 22-25%, all to cover their costs and generate a thin profit margin, usually 2-5% of sales. Lower costs and massive profits are the result of massive sales volumes that give bigger chains market power with suppliers, especially due to lax enforcement of antitrust laws such as Robinson Patman. This is also why smaller independent grocery operators, such as those that dominate the New York Metro area, typically have higher prices and high operating costs. Like a post exchange, a civilian-facing public grocery option could take some of these costs out of the consumer price equation. FT. BELVOIR, VA - MAY 31: Commissary at Ft. Belvoir in Ft. Belvoir, VA. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The ... More Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images Military exchanges still rely on the same supply chains as the private sector, stocking familiar brands and products. For example, the wholesaler SpartanNash, which was just acquired by C&S Wholesale, is a large supplier to military exchanges. A network of New York City public grocery stores could leverage city purchasing power to negotiate strong wholesale contracts and keep markups low, as well as buying food directly from local growers and producers in the Northeast. And public grocers could require vendors to meet values-based purchasing standards, such as those being implemented in New York City's public schools. Such standards emphasize healthier, whole food options, fair wages for workers, environmental impacts and diversifying supply chains. In South Korea, such public investment in 'precautionary' supply chains ensures that public institutions have access to healthy, safe and sustainably grown products. In New York City, it could mean healthier options are also the most affordable, turning typical grocery value chains on their head. Public grocery stores could therefore operationalize the Right To Food, an idea supported by over 80% of Americans. A public grocery option would not be a utility, which would imply a monopoly. New York would still have a thriving and diverse grocery sector, from Food Bazaar to Trader Joe's, to thousands of immigrant-owned bodegas, even Gristedes- if they want to stay open. Nor would it be a charity vehicle, dependent on donated or lower quality products from grocers, wholesalers and processors. A public grocery sector could instead be a backstop, a vital public service and an expansion of the safety net in the tradition of the New Deal, one that bridges affordability and access for cash-strapped New Yorkers. With the Trump Administration delivering a one-two-three punch of raising grocery prices through tariffs and trade wars, sharply cutting back on SNAP food assistance and not enforcing antitrust laws to ensure fair competition, a public grocery option presents a proven, pragmatic and timely policy solution. In an era of constant supply chain crisis and disruption, Mamdani's idea for public grocers is not any more radical than the Pentagon. But it has captured the imagination of hard-working New Yorkers hungry for change.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Do NH residents support Gov. Kelly Ayotte, ICE laws, economy? See what new polls say
About half of New Hampshire residents approve of Gov. Kelly Ayotte's handling of her job, although her approval has declined slightly over the past few months, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released in late May. As of the May 29 poll, 49% of Granite staters approve of Ayotte, while 41% disapprove. In February, 52% approved and 34% disapproved. The poll found that housing remains the most important issue in the state, followed by taxes, education and rightist politicians. Democrats are more likely to mention the political right, Independents are more likely to mention housing, and Republicans are more likely to mention taxes as their top issue. The poll also looked at what New Hampshire residents think of legislation in the state, such as banning cell phones in schools and anti-sanctuary city laws. The poll surveyed 1,343 New Hampshire residents online between May 22 and May 26. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.7%. In May, Ayotte signed two bills into law that ban 'sanctuary cities' in New Hampshire and promote cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. According to the poll, Granite Staters are divided on these partnerships: 47% support state law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with ICE while 50% oppose. Support is split by party, as 93% of Democrats oppose the agreements, while 93% of Republicans support them. 58% of Independents oppose. Ayotte has encouraged legislation on banning students from having cell phones in class, with some exceptions. According to the poll, 69% of Granite Staters support this policy, with majorities in each party. Democrats are the least likely to support a ban, with 57% supporting it compared to 77% of Independents and 78% of Republicans. But New Hampshire residents are divided on another couple of state issues, like new car inspection and zoning policies. The New Hampshire legislature has been considering changes to the current requirement that all cars be inspected every year. According to the poll, 27% of residents would like to keep this policy, 26% would like to eliminate this requirement, and 25% would like to change the requirement to every two years. The legislature is also considering several bills that would require towns and cities to loosen zoning policies to make it easier to build new homes. Overall, 38% of Granite Staters support this, while 40% oppose. UNH Survey Center released another new poll on May 30 that found that New Hampshire residents are increasingly pessimistic about the direction of the U.S. economy. In that poll, 40% of Granite staters expect they will be worse off a year from now, while 33% think they will be better off. That's down from February, when 42% expected to be better off in a year. People who think they will be worse off in a year cite higher prices or increasing inflation and believe the president or government will handle the economy poorly. 59% of state residents expect tariffs to have a negative effect on the U.S. economy, up from 53% in February and 56% in April. 'While key indicators continue to show the New Hampshire economy is relatively strong and stable, consumer confidence is weakening somewhat,' said Michael Skelton, president and CEO of the Business & Industry Association, in the poll. 'Factors such as economic uncertainty and concern about the impact of tariffs and inflation are weighing on the minds of consumers and employers and the decisions they make that drive the economy.' This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: What is Gov. Kelly Ayotte's approval rating? See new NH poll stats
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New poll: Who should win, Scott Brown or Chris Pappas? Does Ayotte deserve re-election?
Neither candidate in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH is very popular, reveals a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released June 26. On June 25, former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown announced his intent to run against U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, in the race for New Hampshire's open Senate seat in 2026. But a new poll shows that New Hampshire residents don't find either candidate very favorable. New Hampshire residents are divided on four-term Rep. Pappas, with 36% finding him favorable and 36% unfavorable. 70% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of him, but 40% of Independents and 66% of Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of him. But Brown is less popular than Pappas, with 38% of New Hampshire residents finding him unfavorable and just 12% finding him favorable, including just 24% of Republicans. 30% don't know enough about him to say. The poll also looked at approval for Gov. Kelly Ayotte, her re-election, and the two Congressional races in 2026. It was based on the results of 1,320 surveys completed online from June 19 to June 23, 2025, with a margin of error of 2.7%. Per the poll, 53% of New Hampshire residents approve of Ayotte, up from 49% in May. Those who approve of her handling of her job most often cite her handling of education (25%), immigration (17%) or the state budget (10%). Those who disapprove also most often cite her handling of education (32%) and the state budget (11%). Ayotte recently passed universal Education Freedom Accounts in New Hampshire into law, and is soon to pass the new state budget. 22% say they disapprove because they because they believe she supports President Donald Trump. New Hampshire residents are divided on whether Ayotte deserves re-election, though, with 40% saying she does and 38% saying she doesn't. It's split by party, with 77% of Republicans and 32% of Independents saying she deserves re-election, while 72% of Democrats and 41% of Independents say she doesn't. However, the other current possible contenders, Democrat Tom Sherman (the 2022 Democratic nominee for governor) and Independent Jon Kiper (who lost the Democratic primary in 2024), are both not well known in the state. Since Pappas is running for Senate in 2026, his seat representing New Hampshire's Second Congressional District is open. So far, three candidates have declared their candidacy: former Portsmouth city councilor Stefany Shaheen, former Obama administration official Maura Sullivan, and Hampton selectwoman Carleigh Beriont. Shaheen, who is Jeanne Shaheen's daughter, is the most well-known out of the three candidates, but 32% have an unfavorable opinion about her. 17% have a favorable opinion and 35% don't know enough about her to say. Both Sullivan and Beriont are largely unknown in the First Congressional District, with 59% and 80% respectively saying they don't know enough about them to say their opinion. First-term Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, has announced her intention to run for re-election in 2026, where she may face off again against Lily Tang Williams, who was the Republican nominee for this seat last year. The two have about the same level of popularity in the district. 32% of Second District residents think Goodlander should be re-elected, 38% do not and 31% don't know or have no opinion. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Should Scott Brown or Chris Pappas win NH Senate? New poll says this
Daily Record
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Councillor claims Falkirk's 15.6% council tax rise could have been lower
Councillor Laura Murtagh says it feels like the main political parties are saying 'It's ma ba' and you're no playing!' A Falkirk councillor has said that the district's massive council tax rise "might not have been so high" if Independent councillors had been part of a group that helps set the council's budget. Councillor Laura Murtagh, whose budget proposing a 15.6 per cent rise in council tax to save vital services, told a meeting of Falkirk Council yesterday (Thursday) that Independent members should have been given an earlier say in discussions. She was proposing that members who are not in the main political parties be given a place on the council's Financial Strategy Group - which discusses how the council can make enough savings to allow it to set a budget - as well as an invitation to discussions when group leaders are involved. Her motion, however, was not backed by any of the three main parties which led Cllr Murtagh to comment: "What is being asked for is not in any way unreasonable. "To be a bit tongue-in-cheek, it kind of feels a bit like, 'It's ma ba', it's ma rules and yous arnae playing'." She told the meeting: "It's just maths, never mind politics, to acknowledge that no single party or Independents can pass a budget by themselves. "Excluding members who can make an important and effective contribution to that process is totally counter-productive - it's also offensive and democratically reprehensible." She pointed out that the budget that finally won enough support to pass in February was put forward by Independents. She said: "Could that budget have been better? Absolutely! But had more open discussion been available and included those who ultimately went on to develop the successful budget, we might have been able to come to a better compromise. "We might have been able to have a lower council tax! "We certainly would have cost the council less money in terms of officer time frustration, repetition and indeed saved some of our citizens the anxiety and pain of worrying that some of our services were going to be cut." The SNP administration, Labour and Conservative groups countered Cllr Murtagh's motion with an amendment which pointed out that Falkirk Council's standing orders define a main opposition group as having at least ten per cent of council membership (three councillors). The winning amendment suggests that any changes should be considered through an ongoing Collaborative Leadership review, "which includes a number of recommendations" and a phased action plan. They also say that Independent members all currently have the opportunity to meet with council officials, including the Chief Finance Officer. In the meantime, members agreed, representation should remain unchanged. Baillie James Kerr proposed the three main parties' joint motion, saying that "80 per cent of the council agreed on the amendment." "I believe that the ongoing review of the Collaborative Leadership should take its course and we should then have a debate to see if that's the way we continue forward," he said. Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn said Cllr Murtagh's "impassioned speech" demonstrated some of the reasons "why we shouldn't be making a decision on this today", as she had talked about having less restrictions and no party structures. "By going through the collaborative leadership process we can have a better understanding of how the Independents could interact constructively within the remit of the financial strategy group," she said. There are currently six councillors who are not members of mainstream political parties: two are members of the Non-Aligned Independents Group, three are Independent and one is a Reform councillor. The Labour group leader Cllr Anne Hannah said she does have some concerns that "such a large portion of councillors are not actually involved in the process", but she said she would prefer change to be implemented "in a measured manner through the Collaborative Leadership process, which is already ongoing". Councillor Brian McCabe, of the Non-Aligned Independent Group, supported Cllr Murtagh's call, saying: "Councillors find themselves repeatedly impacted by not receiving information; not having committee memberships/briefings; and therefore, not having an adequate say in the council decision-making process. " All councillors not within the Administration or a main political group (as defined under the Council's current standing orders), are regarded as Independent members, devoid of representation, unable to engage in meaningful policy discussion. "It's their ba'. And they're no for playing!"
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump wins with his Iran strikes — if they work
Sometimes the most obvious take in politics is the best take. When it comes to whether Trump's strikes against Iran's nuclear weapons program works for him politically, the answer is simple. If they work and substantively impede or end Iran's nuclear ambitions, Trump wins. If they don't, Trump loses. The initial round of polling (at the time of writing), has been generally negative on Trump's decision. More than counteracting the normal rallying around a president over military action is a combination of Trump-haters, pacifists (both left and right) and doomsday click-chasers. But when you dig deeper into the numbers, there is reason to believe that a successful action will yield significant political benefits to Trump. Three recent polls show a generally negative reaction. The Reuters-Ipsos survey has disapproval at 45 percent versus 36 percent approval. Conducted during the attacks, the most recent YouGov poll has 46 percent opposed to 29 percent in favor. The CNN poll claims 56 disapprove against 44 percent approve. When it comes to the aggregate 'toplines,' each of these polls need to be taken with a grain of salt. Both Ipsos and YouGov are generally Trump-negative polls with each consistently showing Trump at a lower approval than the RealClearPolitics average — and both lower than any poll in June except for Quinnipiac. YouGov clearly oversamples Democrats. As for CNN, their polling is just terrible in my opinion. Note that in their recent polling, they claim zero undecided or 'not sure' — which is ridiculous, bordering on outright polling malpractice. Trump's approval continues to be suppressed by Democratic voters who are implacable in their disgust for him. The YouGov crosstabs show 92 percent of Democrats unfavorable against 5 percent favorable. That disapproval suffuses everything Trump. On national security (one of Trump's strongest issues), Democrats disapprove at 80 percent while 86 percent disapprove of his handling of the Israel-Iran conflict. Democrats have embraced a collective neurosis that the world is ending, with 65 percent (and 70 percent of liberals) thinking nuclear war is more likely and 73 percent (77 percent of liberals) thinking a world war is more likely. Rounding out the hysteria, 71 percent a global economic crash is more likely (83 percent of liberals). These percentages are only rivalled by doomscrolling Generation Z. The real Trump polling problem is with Independents, who are also negative — just not nearly as neurotic, and relatively weak Republican support. Majorities of Independents have embraced the end-of-the-world narrative parroted by click-chasing charlatans like Tucker Carlson. Republican support, normally rock-solid for their own presidents, is softer than in the past with only 73 percent approving of Trump's handling of the Israel-Iran conflict and pluralities believing the risk of war is increasing. For Trump, these numbers are actually a benefit. As the days tick by without a nuclear holocaust Carlson looks more and more like Chicken Little's even more panicky cousin. In fact, the ridicule has already begun. But lame podcasters are wrong all the time. What really works for Trump is that Iran and its violent, hateful leadership are roundly despised by Americans and viewed as a threat. Fully 59 percent of Americans think Iran's nuclear program is serious threat to the U.S., with only 26 percent demurring. All demographic and partisan groups agree with either outright majorities or pluralities. In addition, 78 percent of Americans consider Iran either 'unfriendly' or an enemy against merely 4 percent 'friendly' or an ally. Of all the demographic and partisan groups, the best Iran can do is 62 percent of Black Americans in the unfriendly/enemy camp. And this opinion has been durable. Past YouGov polls from November 2024 and April 2024, show similarly highly negative opinions. In both polls Iran was considered 'unfriendly' or an enemy by 77 percent of Americans, including (in the November survey) 71 percent of independents, 78 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Republicans. Although Americans differ on the use of force, there is remarkable agreement on which countries Americans dislike. Iran and Russia trade places at the top of the list, with China not far behind. There is little partisan disagreement. Democrats are more likely to call Russia an enemy than Republicans and vice-versa for China, but antipathy is still very high. Independents are softer across the board. However, this may be more due to disengagement from politics than any warmth for the ayatollahs, the current Russian tsar and Chairman Xi Jinping. Independents are 'not sure' about Iran at 22 percent in the latest YouGov survey, compared to 10 percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrats. In the November survey, 23 percent of Independents were 'not sure' as opposed to 14 percent of Republicans and 17 percent of Independents. After miserable misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, and seeing the brutal carnage in Ukraine, Americans are notably hesitant about the use of military force. A big reason for the rise of Trumpian populism in the Republican Party was the bungling of the Iraq War by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The shambolic exit from Afghanistan by former President Joe Biden made matters worse. As a result, Trump will have to be judicious about his use of force. The limited nature of his actions in Iran will help significantly with public opinion going forward. The problem, however, is the Iran nuclear threat itself. Trump has to resolve it once and for all. If the Iranians are able to get their nuclear program back up and running, Trump's critics will have a field day. The bottom line for Trump as president is the same as for Trump the real estate developer — get the task done and done on time and all is well.
