Taxes, taxes, and more taxes

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/06/AR2010120606792.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/12/three_council_members_to_propo.html

It really strikes me as bad policy. The District while improving is still not the most attractive place to live. Already high taxes, poor schools and services, bloated govt. Raising taxes to make it the higher taxed jurisdiction will just cause people who were on the fence to move and others not to move in to DC. When your budget is out of whack what do you do? You cut the fat, DC refuses to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... When your budget is out of whack what do you do? You cut the fat, DC refuses to do that.

Adrian Fenty proposed a budget that did it all with cuts. But the cuts necessary to do the job (at least in the opinion of those who should know) would severely impact those most dependent on the government. So, instead of making the poor shoulder the burden, the rest of us are being asked to share the pain. If you make $100,000, you might perhaps have $70,000 in taxable income (??) and the rate that Catania is proposing (8.75% rather than the present 8.5%), which I think applies to income over $40,000, would cost you $75. Some of my assumptions may be incorrect, and I know an income of 100K is paupersville for many of you, so perhaps OP can estimate how much s/he is contemplating leaving the city over.

[Anonymous]

Perceptions matter way more than reality in many cases, and taxes are one of those things folks like to bellyache about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... When your budget is out of whack what do you do? You cut the fat, DC refuses to do that.

Adrian Fenty proposed a budget that did it all with cuts. But the cuts necessary to do the job (at least in the opinion of those who should know) would severely impact those most dependent on the government. So, instead of making the poor shoulder the burden, the rest of us are being asked to share the pain. If you make $100,000, you might perhaps have $70,000 in taxable income (??) and the rate that Catania is proposing (8.75% rather than the present 8.5%), which I think applies to income over $40,000, would cost you $75. Some of my assumptions may be incorrect, and I know an income of 100K is paupersville for many of you, so perhaps OP can estimate how much s/he is contemplating leaving the city over.

The point is that the District already taxes you more than any other local jurisdiction yet we can't seem to make the budget work. We spend more per pupil than anyone else, have the most cops per person and the highest crime rate, spend the most on welfare etc. Raising taxes won't solve these fundamental problems, it'll just take more from us that could be used to spend at a local business establishment that would be used to create more jobs. That is how you jumpstart the local economy.

[jsteele]

Gray's budget proposal was approved without tax hikes. Everyone can relax now.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Gray's budget proposal was approved without tax hikes. Everyone can relax now.

Yes yes I saw that. Phew. My point isn't that I don't want to pay my "fair share" (we can argue over what that means to the cows come home) my point is just that we shouldn't be so quick to just "raise taxes" as a solution to our money problems when there is SOOO much waste and inefficiency in our locality. Also the $100m that was stolen by Harriet X (the tax employee) could cover this year's shortfall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Gray's budget proposal was approved without tax hikes. Everyone can relax now.

Yes yes I saw that. Phew. My point isn't that I don't want to pay my "fair share" (we can argue over what that means to the cows come home) my point is just that we shouldn't be so quick to just "raise taxes" as a solution to our money problems when there is SOOO much waste and inefficiency in our locality. Also the $100m that was stolen by Harriet X (the tax employee) could cover this year's shortfall.

Sure, you're right.

[Anonymous]

The point is that the District already taxes you more than any other local jurisdiction yet we can't seem to make the budget work. We spend more per pupil than anyone else, have the most cops per person and the highest crime rate, spend the most on welfare etc. Raising taxes won't solve these fundamental problems, it'll just take more from us that could be used to spend at a local business establishment that would be used to create more jobs. That is how you jumpstart the local economy.

That is an oft-repeated canard. If you include local jurisdiction income tax and property tax, which you should, Montgomery County taxes more than DC. VA is slightly behind.