Stacy Mitchell
@stacyfmitchell.bsky.social
Working to change public policy, rollback corporate power, rebuild local communities. Co-Executive Director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Portland, Maine.
Thinking of all my friends and colleagues in Minnesota as thousands gather in Minneapolis. This is a state that has a long and deep history of organizing for justice.
January 8, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Thinking of all my friends and colleagues in Minnesota as thousands gather in Minneapolis. This is a state that has a long and deep history of organizing for justice.
Wishing everyone peace and joy. See you in 2026.
December 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Wishing everyone peace and joy. See you in 2026.
New York’s affordability crisis flows from a deeper problem: essential systems — groceries, energy, Internet, banking, healthcare — have consolidated in the hands of distant corporations. Today, ILSR sent the Mamdani team a memo laying out policies to reclaim local control. ilsr.org/articles/mem...
December 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
New York’s affordability crisis flows from a deeper problem: essential systems — groceries, energy, Internet, banking, healthcare — have consolidated in the hands of distant corporations. Today, ILSR sent the Mamdani team a memo laying out policies to reclaim local control. ilsr.org/articles/mem...
7. One other big reveal in the evidence is that Walmart appears to have violated the law too by pressuring Pepsi for illegal and unfair discounts.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
7. One other big reveal in the evidence is that Walmart appears to have violated the law too by pressuring Pepsi for illegal and unfair discounts.
6. Why does Pepsi do this? Walmart’s promise is: Keep us the king of our domain and we’ll make you the king of yours. Walmart helps Pepsi dominate the drink market in exchange for Pepsi ensuring that Walmart dominates groceries.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
6. Why does Pepsi do this? Walmart’s promise is: Keep us the king of our domain and we’ll make you the king of yours. Walmart helps Pepsi dominate the drink market in exchange for Pepsi ensuring that Walmart dominates groceries.
5. Another example involves Food Lion. Pepsi sees Food Lion as the "worst offender," because it prices Pepsi products below Walmart. So Pepsi creates a multi-year roadmap to force Food Lion to raise its prices.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
5. Another example involves Food Lion. Pepsi sees Food Lion as the "worst offender," because it prices Pepsi products below Walmart. So Pepsi creates a multi-year roadmap to force Food Lion to raise its prices.
4. The examples are stunning. Here's one: Pepsi executives notice that Walmart's price gap is shrinking in its South Division. Pepsi's "Pricing Council" creates extensive plan to ensure other retailers are no longer selling Pepsi products for less than Walmart.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
4. The examples are stunning. Here's one: Pepsi executives notice that Walmart's price gap is shrinking in its South Division. Pepsi's "Pricing Council" creates extensive plan to ensure other retailers are no longer selling Pepsi products for less than Walmart.
3. Pepsi monitors prices at Walmart's competitors. If they see other grocery stores starting to match or beat Walmart on price, an alarm goes off in Pepsi and a team swings into action.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
3. Pepsi monitors prices at Walmart's competitors. If they see other grocery stores starting to match or beat Walmart on price, an alarm goes off in Pepsi and a team swings into action.
1. For at least 10 years, Pepsi has conspired with Walmart to force up grocery prices. That’s the shocking evidence made public today in an unsealed FTC lawsuit. The suit was abandoned in May by the Trump FTC just before it was to be un-redacted. We went to court to get it unsealed & won.
December 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
1. For at least 10 years, Pepsi has conspired with Walmart to force up grocery prices. That’s the shocking evidence made public today in an unsealed FTC lawsuit. The suit was abandoned in May by the Trump FTC just before it was to be un-redacted. We went to court to get it unsealed & won.
1. People are freeing themselves from the myth that only big corporations can make and do things. Here's a story about 19 small towns that built their own high-speed fiber networks. They pay less than most Americans & can get a service rep on the phone no problem. ilsr.org/article/comm...
December 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM
1. People are freeing themselves from the myth that only big corporations can make and do things. Here's a story about 19 small towns that built their own high-speed fiber networks. They pay less than most Americans & can get a service rep on the phone no problem. ilsr.org/article/comm...
Growing backlash — It turns out a lot of people are not happy with their local school district and city spending millions with Amazon under sham contracts that specify dynamic pricing and shutout competing local suppliers.
December 9, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Growing backlash — It turns out a lot of people are not happy with their local school district and city spending millions with Amazon under sham contracts that specify dynamic pricing and shutout competing local suppliers.
1. Hard to believe, but Amazon has persuaded schools and cities across the country to abandon competitive bidding and fixed price contracts. Instead, they're signing contracts with Amazon that specify dynamic pricing. The result: Paying $37 for 12 pens or $74 for 36 markers.
December 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
1. Hard to believe, but Amazon has persuaded schools and cities across the country to abandon competitive bidding and fixed price contracts. Instead, they're signing contracts with Amazon that specify dynamic pricing. The result: Paying $37 for 12 pens or $74 for 36 markers.
15. The good news is that some are onto this: Tempe and Phoenix in Arizona, for example, have steered away from Amazon and prioritized competition and local businesses instead.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
15. The good news is that some are onto this: Tempe and Phoenix in Arizona, for example, have steered away from Amazon and prioritized competition and local businesses instead.
12. The reality can be seen in the data: In Berkeley County, WV, the schools spent $1.3 million with Amazon — and only $142 went to in-state sellers. The vast majority of the district’s spending went to Amazon itself or to overseas vendors.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
12. The reality can be seen in the data: In Berkeley County, WV, the schools spent $1.3 million with Amazon — and only $142 went to in-state sellers. The vast majority of the district’s spending went to Amazon itself or to overseas vendors.
11. What Amazon doesn’t mention is its punishing selling fees. It takes 45% of every sale. That makes it impossible for independent suppliers to be price competitive and survive.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
11. What Amazon doesn’t mention is its punishing selling fees. It takes 45% of every sale. That makes it impossible for independent suppliers to be price competitive and survive.
10. But these suppliers are being sidelined. For governments that might be uneasy about that, Amazon sells them a lie about how its platform is the best way to “buy local.” Your long-standing local suppliers can just sign up as third-party sellers!
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
10. But these suppliers are being sidelined. For governments that might be uneasy about that, Amazon sells them a lie about how its platform is the best way to “buy local.” Your long-standing local suppliers can just sign up as third-party sellers!
9. These independent suppliers often outperform Amazon: In a price comparison of 628 frequently purchased school items, an independent office supply dealer beat Amazon on 68% of them. And, unlike Amazon, these suppliers provide consistent next-day delivery & high level service.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
9. These independent suppliers often outperform Amazon: In a price comparison of 628 frequently purchased school items, an independent office supply dealer beat Amazon on 68% of them. And, unlike Amazon, these suppliers provide consistent next-day delivery & high level service.
8. Meanwhile, the independent businesses that used to supply schools and cities are disappearing. Over the last decade, the number of independent suppliers of office products, furniture, and janitorial goods dropped from about 1,300 to 900.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
8. Meanwhile, the independent businesses that used to supply schools and cities are disappearing. Over the last decade, the number of independent suppliers of office products, furniture, and janitorial goods dropped from about 1,300 to 900.
7. The strategy has worked for Amazon: school districts using one of these OMNIA-backed Amazon contracts spent twice as much per student with the company as those that did not.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
7. The strategy has worked for Amazon: school districts using one of these OMNIA-backed Amazon contracts spent twice as much per student with the company as those that did not.
6. Amazon has laundered these irregular contracts through OMNIA Partners, a for-profit group purchasing organization with 150,000 public entities as members. This gives the contracts the appearance of vetting and accountability but, in reality, it’s only the illusion of oversight.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
6. Amazon has laundered these irregular contracts through OMNIA Partners, a for-profit group purchasing organization with 150,000 public entities as members. This gives the contracts the appearance of vetting and accountability but, in reality, it’s only the illusion of oversight.
4. Amazon’s pricing algorithms continuously adjust what governments pay. The result is wild swings: one city bought a 12-pack of Sharpie markers for $8.99. A nearby school district paid $28.63 for the same pack that same day. Our data contain thousands of these examples.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
4. Amazon’s pricing algorithms continuously adjust what governments pay. The result is wild swings: one city bought a 12-pack of Sharpie markers for $8.99. A nearby school district paid $28.63 for the same pack that same day. Our data contain thousands of these examples.
3. This is hard to believe, but Amazon has persuaded officials to abandon competitive bidding and fixed-price contracts — by claiming that its marketplace provides built-in competition. They can rest easy paying its “dynamic” prices. Here’s Amazon’s typical contract language:
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
3. This is hard to believe, but Amazon has persuaded officials to abandon competitive bidding and fixed-price contracts — by claiming that its marketplace provides built-in competition. They can rest easy paying its “dynamic” prices. Here’s Amazon’s typical contract language:
2. Drawing on data from 128 local governments, we estimate that cities, counties & schools spent $2.2 billion at Amazon in 2023, nearly 4× more than 2016. Contract documents show this shift happened with little scrutiny & without the safeguards that normally protect tax dollars.
December 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
2. Drawing on data from 128 local governments, we estimate that cities, counties & schools spent $2.2 billion at Amazon in 2023, nearly 4× more than 2016. Contract documents show this shift happened with little scrutiny & without the safeguards that normally protect tax dollars.