NYC’s ever-expanding migrant-industrial complex exemplifies wasted meals
Mayor Adams issued a warning this week regarding the possibility of tax increases and severe reductions in city services. These measures are being considered in order to compensate for the funds being allocated towards providing shelter and food for migrants.
The way in which that money is being wasted is even more concerning.
Every day, tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of meals are being wasted as they end up in dumpsters.
Every family that works hard to save money for groceries is deeply offended.
Even more concerning is the fact that taxpayers are being charged exorbitant prices for these meals, regardless of whether they are actually consumed or not.
DocGo, a company that has been awarded a no-bid contract to provide shelter and care for migrants, has the authority to charge the city a maximum of $11 per meal or $33 per day for each migrant.
A migrant family of four would be looking at a monthly expense of $3,960.
Needy American families of four receive four times the maximum amount provided by Uncle Sam’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It’s not because migrants’ meals are prepared.
The cost of meals provided to airline passengers, which are prepared by companies like Flying Food Group and Gategroup, is approximately $4 for economy class. This is less than half the cost of meals provided to migrants.
Charging $11 for a product or service can be considered as price gouging.
In 1981, New York City made a court-enforced agreement with advocates for the homeless. As a result, the city implemented and revised policies that explicitly state the obligation to provide shelter and ensure access to three nutritious meals per day for every homeless individual.
The notion of applying this approach to individuals who come to the city from other countries is ridiculous and needs to be questioned.
City rules currently do not mandate the provision of hot plates of meat and potatoes.
Under the city’s policy, migrants are provided with vouchers or debit cards that can be used to pay at bodegas, fast-food outlets, and street vendors.
New York taxpayers were being taken for a ride by shelter operators long before the migrant crisis.
In 2021, the New York Post revealed how the CEO of CORE Services Group, a nonprofit that holds multimillion-dollar contracts with the city, managed to earn over $1 million annually while posing as the head of a charitable organization.
He established for-profit subsidiaries that offered food, security services, and building maintenance, resulting in substantial salaries for himself and his family members.
During a City Council hearing in March, an official from the Adams administration was questioned about the significant difference in cost between meals for migrants and meals for homeless New Yorkers.
Emergencies will inevitably come with a higher price tag.
Sheltering and feeding a migrant costs $394 per day, which is higher than the $254 spent on homeless New Yorkers under the care of the Department of Homeless Services.
The costs have increased by over 50%, surpassing the already inflated prices.
Migrants are expressing their dissatisfaction with the quality of the food they are receiving. However, the real issue lies within the Adams administration’s mishandling of this emergency.
The responsibility of fixing this issue does not lie with the city’s comptroller, Brad Lander.
He proposes that a larger portion of the funds allocated for contracts should be directed towards “minority and women-owned business enterprises.” The goal is to distribute the benefits more evenly.
Federal law enforcement should be looked to for guidance in this matter.
In October, the CEO of a nonprofit organization called Childrens Community Services, along with his business associate, was charged by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. They were accused of running a network of “fly-by-night companies” that purchased meals, furniture, and other goods from vendors. These items were then marked up and sold at a significant profit, all at the taxpayers’ expense.
Under the previous mayor’s supervision, that occurred.
The pressure has intensified with the increasing number of migrants arriving every week.
If Adams refuses to take action, then it is necessary for the federal authorities to intervene.
Betsy McCaughey, a former lieutenant governor of New York, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.
Read More:
- NYPD arrests 13-year-old boy involved in heartless mob attack on elderly man in NYC
- New York Cares provides coats and gifts to students in the Bronx
