Daily News on Point

In yesterday's Brooklyn edition of the NY Daily News, the paper editorializes in favor of developing a city policy to preserve local supermarkets: "The city, which gives tax breaks to enterprises it deems important, should help. Good, inexpensive, nutritious food, such as supermarkets sell, is important to our neighborhoods."

And the News puts its finger on the problem: "Now, supermarkets seem to be following mom and pop into history, mainly because of high rent and real estate costs. A City Planning Commission study has found that few neighborhoods have enough supermarkets to meet local needs." Targeted planning needs to be done to insure that good food at reasonable prices can be available to all New Yorkers; and while in the old days there were people who would, "Walk a mile for a Camel"-the cigarette, that is-there should be no need for elderly New Yorkers to be put in that position just to get their groceries.

So the city needs to act fast before its too late. If it doesn't, then in the words of the News editorialists: "If you are content with your local supermarket, count yourself lucky. Pretty soon, you may have to count yourself lucky to have a local supermarket at all - content or not."