A solution to the taxation without representation issue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

[Anonymous]

No, I want two senators and a member of the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue: DC residents pay federal income tax but have no voting representation in Congress.

Proposed solutions that have already been endlessly debated: DC statehood; giving all territories voting representatives; retrocession to Maryland; DC residents not paying federal taxes, etc.

My proposal: DC residents should continue paying federal income taxes (we don't want to turn the city into a tax haven), but the revenue should go into a special fund dedicated to improvements to the city. DC belongs to the entire nation, and it should be the best darn model of a city the nation can imagine. Roads, infrastructure, Metro, museums, law enforcement -- all should be repaired / improved to the highest standard. Smithsonian museums open until 9:00 or 10:00pm for locals to enjoy as much as tourists (especially since there are limited family friendly options in the city after the museums close). Money would also go to public health facilities, including re-establishing asylums for the mentally ill who are a danger to themselves and others. Once the country sees how effective a solution this is, the homeless population would drop dramatically.

What do you think? What changes would you make to DC if our taxes went into a dedicated capital improvement fund?

Why do we even have to pay federal taxes at all? Other territories without representation don’t.

DC is not a territory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

No matter how much you think Maryland ought to want DC, the reality is that Maryland doesn't. So you could equally well advocate for DC joining Narnia or Equestria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

No matter how much you think Maryland ought to want DC, the reality is that Maryland doesn't. So you could equally well advocate for DC joining Narnia or Equestria.

Presumably MD residents and state officials have made statements against retrocession. Can you provide some links?

I agree that DC residents should have representation, but at the very least, MD should have the opportunity to get its land back if it is not being used for the original purpose. If MD votes against retrocession, then DC should be a state. If MD votes for retrocession and DC votes against it, then DC remains a federal district with no representation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

No matter how much you think Maryland ought to want DC, the reality is that Maryland doesn't. So you could equally well advocate for DC joining Narnia or Equestria.

Presumably MD residents and state officials have made statements against retrocession. Can you provide some links?

I agree that DC residents should have representation, but at the very least, MD should have the opportunity to get its land back if it is not being used for the original purpose. If MD votes against retrocession, then DC should be a state. If MD votes for retrocession and DC votes against it, then DC remains a federal district with no representation.

Since that happened 230 years ago, there aren't a lot of Marylanders who perceive it as a burning issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

No matter how much you think Maryland ought to want DC, the reality is that Maryland doesn't. So you could equally well advocate for DC joining Narnia or Equestria.

Presumably MD residents and state officials have made statements against retrocession. Can you provide some links?

I agree that DC residents should have representation, but at the very least, MD should have the opportunity to get its land back if it is not being used for the original purpose. If MD votes against retrocession, then DC should be a state. If MD votes for retrocession and DC votes against it, then DC remains a federal district with no representation.

I agree. I am not sure why Maryland wouldn't want it back. Controlling the B-W corridor has tremendous economic potential.

[Anonymous]

I’d prefer retrocession back to MD. They’ve done a pretty good job during this crisis on the health front and education front. ( Looking at you Bowser & FCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue: DC residents pay federal income tax but have no voting representation in Congress.

Proposed solutions that have already been endlessly debated: DC statehood; giving all territories voting representatives; retrocession to Maryland; DC residents not paying federal taxes, etc.

My proposal: DC residents should continue paying federal income taxes (we don't want to turn the city into a tax haven), but the revenue should go into a special fund dedicated to improvements to the city. DC belongs to the entire nation, and it should be the best darn model of a city the nation can imagine. Roads, infrastructure, Metro, museums, law enforcement -- all should be repaired / improved to the highest standard. Smithsonian museums open until 9:00 or 10:00pm for locals to enjoy as much as tourists (especially since there are limited family friendly options in the city after the museums close). Money would also go to public health facilities, including re-establishing asylums for the mentally ill who are a danger to themselves and others. Once the country sees how effective a solution this is, the homeless population would drop dramatically.

What do you think? What changes would you make to DC if our taxes went into a dedicated capital improvement fund?

Why do we even have to pay federal taxes at all? Other territories without representation don’t.

DC is not a territory.

.

And yet congress treated us just like a territory in funding for the COVID stimulus package. Half as much as every other state. They can’t have it bothered ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

But then folks can’t say “ah be in Deecee.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue: DC residents pay federal income tax but have no voting representation in Congress.

Proposed solutions that have already been endlessly debated: DC statehood; giving all territories voting representatives; retrocession to Maryland; DC residents not paying federal taxes, etc.

My proposal: DC residents should continue paying federal income taxes (we don't want to turn the city into a tax haven), but the revenue should go into a special fund dedicated to improvements to the city. DC belongs to the entire nation, and it should be the best darn model of a city the nation can imagine. Roads, infrastructure, Metro, museums, law enforcement -- all should be repaired / improved to the highest standard. Smithsonian museums open until 9:00 or 10:00pm for locals to enjoy as much as tourists (especially since there are limited family friendly options in the city after the museums close). Money would also go to public health facilities, including re-establishing asylums for the mentally ill who are a danger to themselves and others. Once the country sees how effective a solution this is, the homeless population would drop dramatically.

What do you think? What changes would you make to DC if our taxes went into a dedicated capital improvement fund?

I like this. Mind you, we get money from fed govt from some, not all of this. Vis re-establishing asylums, yes. However, our loony council + Mayor would also have to legislate to meet commitment requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I want two senators and a member of the house.

Same here. I am sick of us being treated this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would rather stop paying federal taxes than become a state.

If that happens, I'm buying as much property as possible. DC will have land prices on par with Monaco. Every rich person and company in the country will want to own property here.

Then Bowser will argue for Manhattan style zoning to make housing “affordable.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue: DC residents pay federal income tax but have no voting representation in Congress.

Proposed solutions that have already been endlessly debated: DC statehood; giving all territories voting representatives; retrocession to Maryland; DC residents not paying federal taxes, etc.

My proposal: DC residents should continue paying federal income taxes (we don't want to turn the city into a tax haven), but the revenue should go into a special fund dedicated to improvements to the city. DC belongs to the entire nation, and it should be the best darn model of a city the nation can imagine. Roads, infrastructure, Metro, museums, law enforcement -- all should be repaired / improved to the highest standard. Smithsonian museums open until 9:00 or 10:00pm for locals to enjoy as much as tourists (especially since there are limited family friendly options in the city after the museums close). Money would also go to public health facilities, including re-establishing asylums for the mentally ill who are a danger to themselves and others. Once the country sees how effective a solution this is, the homeless population would drop dramatically.

What do you think? What changes would you make to DC if our taxes went into a dedicated capital improvement fund?

I have another proposal.

NW becomes an independent state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland doesn't want dc it has enough issues with Baltimore.

Why wouldn’t MD want the tax revenue? Carve out the mall, ellipse, WH, Congressional complex and any contiguous federal property. That would be Washington, DC. The rest Washington, MD.

No matter how much you think Maryland ought to want DC, the reality is that Maryland doesn't. So you could equally well advocate for DC joining Narnia or Equestria.

Presumably MD residents and state officials have made statements against retrocession. Can you provide some links?

Maryland’s Senators are co-sponsors of the DC Statehood bill, so no, they don’t support retrocession. Here’s what Maryland residents think: https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/oct-9-14-2019-washington-post-u-md-poll-of-maryland-residents/87dd2791-3ed5-4230-a08e-80f7081038aa/?_gl=1*14etatg*_ga*ZjhqaDkycnR3TjQ3VUw4dmFXN0hoRjAySnYyUXJnNnVPSUVuY1phbWdrU2FtaE1VLXpkdjJ3RnB6RVVZXzhBcw..&itid=lk_inline_manual_2