Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who at one time was widely discussed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate, took the far left to task for being soft on crime, arguing progressives are hurting the very people they claim to represent with their approach to criminals.
“Democrats: When you ignore crime, you hurt the people you represent,” Cuomo tweeted Thursday, along with a clip from Quake Media, the platform that hosts his podcast “As a Matter of Fact.”
The video, titled “Ignoring Crime: The opposite of progress,” was posted to Cuomo’s YouTube channel.
“The far left doesn’t want to talk about crime,” said Cuomo. “They don’t want to hear the word crime spoken.”
“There is no crime problem,” the former governor added, using apparent sarcasm. “It’s all Republican propaganda.”
Cuomo then said crime most affects low-income and minority communities — the same people, he argued, Democrats should represent.
“Do you know who are the victims of crime?” he asked. “Over 70% black, brown, and poor. So, tell me, who does the Democratic Party really represent if not the Black, brown, and poor? And when you refuse to address the issue of crime, the people who are paying the price are the Black, brown and poor. They’re paying the price for your far-left politics.”
Cuomo’s comments come as some retail stores across the country are shutting their doors, citing crime as a key reason.
This month, for example, a California beauty store closed after it was robbed or burglarized a dozen times. In Portland, Oregon, a clothing shop permanently shut down last year after facing a string of break-ins that has left the store financially gutted, according to a note posted to the front of the store.
“Our city is in peril,” a printed note posted on Rains PDX store read. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”
Walmart has also closed several locations in Portland and Chicago, in part for financial reasons but also seemingly due to crime. The closures came after Walmart CEO Doug McMillon warned last year of rising crime’s devastating impact on retail stores.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillon told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in December. He added that if the crime wave is not halted soon and if prosecutors don’t bring charges against shoplifters, “prices will be higher, and/or stores will close.”
In Philadelphia, convenience store chain Wawa permanently closed locations and shortened the hours at some suburban stores due to crime.
Republicans have been quite critical of progressive prosecutors in Democrat-run blue cities, arguing they’re soft on crime and contributing to high crime rates in major cities.
WALMART TO SHUTTER PORTLAND LOCATIONS JUST MONTHS AFTER CEO’S WARNINGS ON CRIME.
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