Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson now wants to create city-run grocery stores to promote “equitable” access to food after Walmart and Whole Foods stores closed.

Chicago’s Democratic mayor wants to create city-run grocery stores to promote “equitable” access to food after half of the city’s Walmart and Whole Foods stores closed.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a partnership with the Economic Security Project to open municipal grocery stores in Chicago in an effort to combat many of the city’s so-called “food deserts.”

Johnson’s new measures should help “repair past harms that have contributed to disinvestment, exclusion and lack of access to food” in historically underserved communities.

The liberal mayor said, “All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable and healthy grocery options.

“We know that access to grocery stores is already a challenge for many residents, especially on the South and West Sides.

“My administration is committed to promoting innovative, whole-of-government approaches to addressing these inequities.

“I’m proud to work alongside partners to take this step and imagine what a municipal grocery store could look like in Chicago.”

The city didn’t give a timetable for when the initiative would come forward — and grants that will help invest could come from state and federal tax money, not just taxes locals, reports CBS.

Reactions to this project have been mixed.

One person wrote on social media: “Let’s see…large, successful retailers and grocery store operators have pulled out of some zip codes due to chronic crime, but the City of Chicago is going to install and operate government subsidized stores.” taxpayers. What could go wrong?’

Another added: “People need to learn not to steal and grocery stores won’t be forced to close. »

And a third said: “Residents need to respect community businesses if they want to benefit from their services.

“The city, with a $538 million budget deficit, owning grocery stores with taxpayer dollars only in certain neighborhoods is unsustainable and blatantly preferential. Work to mitigate the causes of store departures.

Others accused Johnson’s idea of ​​being akin to communism.

In April of this year, Walmart announced it was closing four anchor stores in Chicago because they simply weren’t profitable enough.

Another critic said: “Well, if you want stores to locate in places like this, maybe you should get tough on crime, especially shoplifting.”

“Hard for businesses to stay open when your inventory goes out because of shoplifters. »

And another person on social media said: “I don’t believe the city of Chicago can handle an ice cream stand in the summer, let alone a grocery store.”

In April of this year, Walmart announced it was closing four anchor stores in Chicago because they simply weren’t profitable enough.

This is equivalent to half of all stores in the Chicago area.

They said: “The simplest explanation is that collectively, our Chicago stores have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago – these stores are losing tens of millions of dollars per year. year and their annual losses have almost doubled over the past five years. years.

“The four remaining Chicago stores continue to face the same business challenges, but we believe this decision gives us the best chance to help them stay open and serve the community.”

Last November, Whole Foods closed its doors in Englewood, depriving the neighborhood of its fresh food and leaving the lot empty for nearly a year.

Last November, Whole Foods closed its doors in Englewood, depriving the neighborhood of its fresh food and leaving the lot empty for nearly a year.

The closures were announced just days after newly elected liberal Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blamed the city’s poverty and crime rates on businesses that don’t pay taxes.

Although Walmart did not specify in its statement the exact causes of the continued losses over the years at Chicago stores, some on social media immediately pointed to crime rates in the area.

So far in 2023 compared to 2022, thefts have increased by 25 percent according to the Chicago Police Department, while thefts have increased by 11 percent.

In 2022, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon warned that store thefts across the country could impact stores and cause additional closures.

Despite previous warnings, the company found the decision difficult.

“The decision to close a store is never easy. The impact is greater than just closing a building. This affects people – the people who work, shop and live in the communities near our stores – and we never take this lightly,” Walmart said.

Walmart officials also cited “business difficulties” in their statement regarding the four remaining stores in Chicago.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, 63.5 percent of West Englewood residents and 52 percent of East Garfield Park residents live more than a half-mile from their nearest grocery store.

Ameya Pawar, Senior Advisor to the Economic Security Project, said, “The City of Chicago is reinventing the role government can play in our lives by exploring a public option for grocery shopping through a municipally owned grocery store and market.

“Like how a library or postal service operates, a public option provides economic choice and power to communities.

“A city-owned grocery store on the South or West Side of Chicago would be a viable way to restore access to healthy food in areas that have suffered from historic and systemic disinvestment.”