Should DC's income tax rate change to help pay for social services?

[lianekay]

The city council revised the 2011 budget on December 7 to close a budget gap of $188 million. Some of the changes include $4.6 million from TANF, $2 million from rental assistance to people with intellectual disabilities, $1.2 million from the grandparent care-giver program. In all, the city council cut $34 million from social services. To get the complete break down go to the District's Dime http://www.dcfpi.org/fixing-dc%E2%80%99s-tax-code" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://www.dcfpi.org/fixing-dc%E2%80%99s-tax-code

What the council did not do, although it was proposed, was raise the income tax rate on people making more than $200,000 a year, or on people making more than $750,000 a year, or on people making more than a million dollars a year. The highest income tax bracket in the District of Columbia is 8.5% and that starts at $40,001 per year. So, anybody out there making more than $40,000 a year pays 8.5% of their income in taxes no matter how much more than $40,000 they make.

The proposals that were rejected asked the council to raise the rate of wealthy District residents by as little as 1%. For someone making $300,000 a year, that comes to $85 a month. Instead the council decide to cut TANF benefits by that same amount, $85 month.

I hesitate to post this hear, as I know I won't have time to monitor the comments, and it always pains me when folks seem misinformed. On the other hand, I always want to hear what the other point of view is and I am open to hearing it when my facts are wrong. I'm a single-mom who makes less than $20,000 a year, so who am I to demand more from the wealthy, right? There's another mother in the video below, a disabled TANF recipient, who pleads her case to Chairman Gray before the vote to revise the budget. I wonder how readers of this forum think he should have responded.

[Anonymous]

Really? In this economic climate you want to take more from people? We're already paying the highest income tax rate to pay for these people and now they want to take even more from us. There is a tax loophole called UHaul, we'll just up and move to the other side of Western Ave. These people need to WORK and stop living on handouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? In this economic climate you want to take more from people? We're already paying the highest income tax rate to pay for these people and now they want to take even more from us. There is a tax loophole called UHaul, we'll just up and move to the other side of Western Ave. These people need to WORK and stop living on handouts.

More HAS to be taken from somebody. The question is who is to bear the burden, those who are already suffering because of the economy or those who are doing well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? In this economic climate you want to take more from people? We're already paying the highest income tax rate to pay for these people and now they want to take even more from us. There is a tax loophole called UHaul, we'll just up and move to the other side of Western Ave. These people need to WORK and stop living on handouts.

More HAS to be taken from somebody. The question is who is to bear the burden, those who are already suffering because of the economy or those who are doing well.

"Doing well?" How do you determine what doing well is? JUst because I have a high income doesn't mean I'm doing well. People give up something in life to have a high income, dont just assume they are "doing well". This class warfare attitude ruined this city once before, and people like you will ruin this city again.

[Anonymous]

11;22 and 12:03 you are selfish. I don't know any other way to describe this attitude. My HHI is over 200k and no I do not wish to pay more taxes. However, I think I can sacrifice a night out to dinner, a latte, a weekend family movie at the theatre to help a family in need.

I am not talking about funding permanent receipients of TANF, but what about the individuals who worked hard all their lives and due to some misfortune find themselves temporarily on TANF.

How about the children who are the innocents. The city will actually pay more if these children are sent to a foster home. What is the cost.

PP if you live that close to Western Aven, why don't you utilize your UHaul. There are many buyers still out there willing to move to the District's side of Western Avenue, even with a 1% tax increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11;22 and 12:03 you are selfish. I don't know any other way to describe this attitude. My HHI is over 200k and no I do not wish to pay more taxes. However, I think I can sacrifice a night out to dinner, a latte, a weekend family movie at the theatre to help a family in need.

I am not talking about funding permanent receipients of TANF, but what about the individuals who worked hard all their lives and due to some misfortune find themselves temporarily on TANF.

How about the children who are the innocents. The city will actually pay more if these children are sent to a foster home. What is the cost.

PP if you live that close to Western Aven, why don't you utilize your UHaul. There are many buyers still out there willing to move to the District's side of Western Avenue, even with a 1% tax increase.

If you want to give more of your income to these people then go ahead and do it. You can, on your tax forms, give more to the city so do that. Don't force us to do it because you want to. We don't live in a Communist nation. This city already mishandles and blows through hundreds of millions of dollars. The answer isn't more money, it's fixing the city government and using the amt it has wisely. Go give all your damn money away. You can call me selfish, but I worked my ass off to get to where I am, and it's my money and I should have the right as an adult to keep it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? In this economic climate you want to take more from people? We're already paying the highest income tax rate to pay for these people and now they want to take even more from us. There is a tax loophole called UHaul, we'll just up and move to the other side of Western Ave. These people need to WORK and stop living on handouts.

More HAS to be taken from somebody. The question is who is to bear the burden, those who are already suffering because of the economy or those who are doing well.

Are we talking about DC's poor? Someone does have to take care of them. Right now we have the highest percentage of poverty in the region. that's why we should continue the current DC policy of slowly encouraging emigration for the poorest of the poor to MD and VA. Once our poverty profile looks anything like MD and VA, then we can talk about how DC taxpayers need to give more, more, more.

[Anonymous]

Hm? Interesting. DC has a policy of slowly encouraging emigration for the poorest of the poor to MD and VA? I'd like to know more about that. Does anyone care to elaborate?