Page 6 The Sun Bay Paper August 2, 2026 DSAAssault on Prisons Is Rooted in Third World-ist Lust for Barbarism The Democratic Socialists of America are having a moment. In fact, they’re having a season. DSA candidates are winning nationwide in Democratic Party primaries, knocking off incumbents while running on some of the most deformed and deranged platforms in recent political memory. Zohran Mamdani, the charismatic young socialist in Gracie Mansion, is the new leader of the DSA pack. Terrifying as it may be, Zo may be the closest thing the entire activist left has these days to a kingmaker. It couldn’t be clearer what the DSA wants: The democratic socialists want to finish the job, launched by Barack Obama on the precipice of presidential victory in 2008, of “fundamentally transforming” the United States. The DSA’s new policy platform, released earlier this month, says the quiet part out loud: “We are workers fighting to transform society,” to “draft a new constitution, and create a democratic socialist republic.” It would be one thing if these were the words of a starry-eyed freshman pothead, first exposed to Marx and pontificating to dormmates while John Lennon’s dreadful song “Imagine” plays in the background. But people like Hizzoner and the new uptown socialist “it girl,” Darializa Avila Chevalier, are adults. They are serious. And that makes them not just naive but dangerous. Zo has had a complicated relationship with the issue of public safety. The official DSA platform stops short of calling for full “abolition” of prisons or policing, instead calling to “demilitarize police departments” and “end mass incarceration.” But Avila Chevalier promoted full-on police and prison abolition from a since-deleted Twitter/X account, and Mamdani condemned the “carceral state” when he ran for state assembly in 2020. After Avila Chevalier’s primary victory, Mamdani was pressed during an appearance on ABC News on whether he supports the existence of prisons. “There are prisons,” he simply responded. That’s not exactly reassuring. Just this week, Zo appeared on purported comic Jon Stewart’s podcast and doubled down on prevarication. Stewart asked Hizzoner if he is “comfortable” with calls to abolish prisons. “I’m comfortable with disagreement,” he replied. Noted. But the more important question is: Should Americans be comfortable with public officials entertaining the abolition of the twin pillars of public safety, police and prisons? The answer is obvious: No. Democratic socialists think they’re helping the “little guy” with their anti-cop, anti-prison lunacy. They’re not. According to recent federal data, 62% of state prisoners were serving time for a violent offense, such as homicide, rape or robbery. These people are threats to society and need to be incarcerated. As esteemed criminologist Barry Latzer notes, the average American inmate was arrested a whopping 11 times before getting locked up, and an astonishing 83% of released prisoners are ultimately rearrested -- about half in the first year after release. Socialists might think they’re helping Blacks amid our post- ”1619 Project” racial reckoning, but they fail here too: Nearly 90% of Black homicide victims are killed by other Blacks. The biggest danger to law-abiding Blacks in America today is the threat posed by violent Blacks out on the streets and not behind bars. There is only one coherent explanation for the DSA’s anti-cop, anti-prison obsession: naked, raw ideology. Cont’d. on pg. 7 All-purpose cleaners are designed to clean everything from dust bunnies to toilet rings and grease spills. Having evaluated many commercial products for effectiveness, ease of use, versatility, price and overall value, here are my picks for the seven best all-purpose cleaning products for keeping your house clean. BEST INEXPENSIVE Don’t let its low price fool you. Soft Scrub All-Purpose Cleanser is fantastic for cleaning almost anything, including countertops, sinks, showers, toilet bowls and appliances. It removes grease, grime, sticky stuff, soap scum, lime scale and hard water stains from surfaces. It’s fast-acting and easy to use. Simply spray on a cloth or tissue and wipe away any mess. BEST FOR GUNKY GRUNGE Is The Pink Stuff really a miracle cleaner? Millions of social media fans think it is since becoming all the rage on TikTok. But I wasn’t buying all the hype without trying it. I tested The Pink Stuff on a few grungy, grimy situations, and it performed really well on porcelain sinks, tubs and toilets -- even on those decals and anti-slip patches on the bottom of older tubs. It left stainless steel faucets, fixtures and appliances dazzling! It made quick work out of cleaning the glass oven door and glass cooktop to like-new sparkle. But it did nothing to clean white grout, which is puzzling. So, it is a miracle? Actually, I would put it in that category for gunky, grungy situations, as mentioned, but not across the board for every cleaning job, so it really cannot qualify as “all-purpose.” But for the very reasonable price, you won’t be disappointed with the price for all the things that The Pink Stuff can do. It deserves a spot in your cleaning arsenal. As always, test any new product first in an inconspicuous place! BEST FOR KITCHEN As a natural, plant-based product, Better Life All-Purpose Cleaner is an exceptional option for cleaning in the kitchen. It’s safe, nontoxic and scent-free. Ingredients listed include soap bark, coconut and corn -- no harsh chemicals or synthetic soaps. You can even skip that extra rinse. Not only for the kitchen, but this product is also excellent for daily bathroom cleaning. BEST OVERALLALL-PURPOSE CLEANER If you can have only one all-purpose cleaning product in the cupboard, without a doubt, it should be Mr. Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist Spray. First, it comes in a unique spray bottle that actually works. And Mr. Clean Freak cleans grout, tile, appliances, cabinets, countertops, showers, sinks, toilets, mirrors, windows, ceilings and walls like a clean freak! It removes soap scum, urine stains, water rings and grease stains -- on just about any surface you can think of and any messy situation you can imagine. Easy to use, too. Simply spray onto the area where the cleaning needs to take place and then wipe off with a damp cloth. Amazingly, 77% of Amazon reviewers give Mr. Clean Freak Deep-Cleaning Mist five stars, and we know why. It’s an excellent cleaning product. BEST MULTIPURPOSE CLEANING CONCENTRATE Short on storage space for cleaning products? Consider a gallon jug of Fabuloso Concentrate. When diluted per label instructions, it makes 64 gallons of multipurpose cleaning liquid -- just one-quarter cup concentrated Fabuloso to 1 gallon water. Depending on how often you clean, this could last for years. Sixty-four gallons! Even more, it works well for routine cleaning and maintenance. BEST SCENT IN AN ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER Sure, homemade cleaners can work well, but you might find something missing. Things look clean, but you miss that subtle, fragrant scent that makes everything smell clean. If this describes you and your family, you will be thrilled with Mrs. Meyers’All-Purpose Cleaning Spray. It’s a great cleaner, available in scents of lemon verbena and lavender. BEST VALUE ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER Of all the choices, Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner will likely give you the best bang for your buck. That’s because it is a disinfectant plus an excellent surface cleaner. When applied to hard surfaces, the multiuse formula kills 99.9% of germs in one minute flat. And it goes beyond disinfecting. This allin-one cleanser removes stains, cuts through grease and melts away soap scum. It works best on nonporous surfaces such as plastic, tile and glass, but you can safely use this product to clean almost everything. You can find resources for each of the products mentioned above at EverydayCheapskate.com/allpurpose. MARY HUNT EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.” Best All-Purpose Cleaners for Every Place in Your Home
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