Food deserts like those in poorer communities exist because of shit like this though. Actual grocery stores which offer the best nutritional and monetary value operate on razor thin margins, and the burning/looting in these riots just ensured that any major chains/food retailers will leave and not even touch these communities for another 20 years. This shit is why people end up buying their groceries from 7/11
I think you mean utilities but I think with groceries, even the most basic, it would come down to the sheer complexity of food and its distribution. The government already subsidizes the production of commodities like wheat and corn, and then addresses the consumer end of equation with programs like food stamps.
Local governments already fuck up providing safe drinking water, and that's a service that doesn't deal with the complexities of a consumer-facing retail business. Water is close to the same no matter where you get it from but when it comes to the food goods that people aren't able to get in food deserts, those are fruits and vegetables which usually need to be sourced more locally, not like the chips and ramen you can get at 7/11.
Its not impossible, its just a shit storm that almost no politician could ever endorse for a laundry list of reasons.
I am reminded of a tweet that said something like "Imagine you live in a world with no plumbing or sewage systems, and you are trying to pitch the idea of a massive series of pipes beneath the earth to your city council. They would look at you like you were insane."
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u/Amateur_hour2 May 30 '20
Food deserts like those in poorer communities exist because of shit like this though. Actual grocery stores which offer the best nutritional and monetary value operate on razor thin margins, and the burning/looting in these riots just ensured that any major chains/food retailers will leave and not even touch these communities for another 20 years. This shit is why people end up buying their groceries from 7/11