DC Council votes to raise taxes on the “rich”

[Anonymous]

I don’t want to live by homeless tents. I prefer parks. So glad I no longer live in DC. Now they will raise taxes as people with money leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want to live by homeless tents. I prefer parks. So glad I no longer live in DC. Now they will raise taxes as people with money leave.

People with money aren't leaving DC. I too have a problem with the homeless situation. I have never supported Bowser and never will. People need to wake up to our politicians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want to live by homeless tents. I prefer parks. So glad I no longer live in DC. Now they will raise taxes as people with money leave.

Yeah I agree. I don’t like walking with my kid and dog past lots of homeless people. It’s not pleasant or safe. Many of them are so crazy or drugged that they stagger around, taking up most of the sidewalk while we try to squeeze by. Or they are asking for money all the time or just yelling near us or at us for whatever reason. These things have been happening more and more lately, and it does make me consider moving.

[Anonymous]

I was born and raised in DC and I'm moving to Virginia. It's not the latest tax hike, its the series of tax hikes. It's the incompetence - the failure to spend $2.3 billion in federal aid before raising taxes on a very small group of people. It's schools, the failure to regulate people who need to be regulated like crap landlords while piling red tape up on small businesses. I'm leaving because Mary Cheh only listens to developers. Council members say that rich people can afford to pay. That's true. But when Va., is right next door and I can pay 5.75 percent - why do I need to stick around for a death of a thousand cuts as DC pushes past a 10 percent tax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It’s sad that so many people who likely think of themselves as progressives are so out and out opposed to building an equitable society where people are much closer together in terms of their standards of living.

All of you hate the right wing, but you practically agree with them when it comes to “your” money. We’re never going to fix this country.

I'm sick of upper middle class families claiming they are poor and wanting to tax others to subsidize their lifestyle.

People like OP and his ilk really have no politics other than being slightly less loathsome than the GOP.

People like you and your ilk is why the Democratic Party constantly overreaches and then loses elections to candidates like Trump who was stumbling over coffee tables and yet almost wins a second term after killing a half-million Americans.

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[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s sad that so many people who likely think of themselves as progressives are so out and out opposed to building an equitable society where people are much closer together in terms of their standards of living.

All of you hate the right wing, but you practically agree with them when it comes to “your” money. We’re never going to fix this country.

I'm sick of upper middle class families claiming they are poor and wanting to tax others to subsidize their lifestyle.

People like OP and his ilk really have no politics other than being slightly less loathsome than the GOP.

People like you and your ilk is why the Democratic Party constantly overreaches and then loses elections to candidates like Trump who was stumbling over coffee tables and yet almost wins a second term after killing a half-million Americans.

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+2

-2 Who controls the White House, the House and Senate right now? The 2016 loss was from running a historically inept candidate (Bernie would have won).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was born and raised in DC and I'm moving to Virginia. It's not the latest tax hike, its the series of tax hikes. It's the incompetence - the failure to spend $2.3 billion in federal aid before raising taxes on a very small group of people. It's schools, the failure to regulate people who need to be regulated like crap landlords while piling red tape up on small businesses. I'm leaving because Mary Cheh only listens to developers. Council members say that rich people can afford to pay. That's true. But when Va., is right next door and I can pay 5.75 percent - why do I need to stick around for a death of a thousand cuts as DC pushes past a 10 percent tax.

1. DC had been slowly lowering taxes for several years now.
2. When you consider other taxes, VA, DC, and MD are not very different overall.

But you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I was born and raised in DC and I'm moving to Virginia. It's not the latest tax hike, its the series of tax hikes. It's the incompetence - the failure to spend $2.3 billion in federal aid before raising taxes on a very small group of people. It's schools, the failure to regulate people who need to be regulated like crap landlords while piling red tape up on small businesses. I'm leaving because Mary Cheh only listens to developers. Council members say that rich people can afford to pay. That's true. But when Va., is right next door and I can pay 5.75 percent - why do I need to stick around for a death of a thousand cuts as DC pushes past a 10 percent tax.



1. DC had been slowly lowering taxes for several years now.
2. When you consider other taxes, VA, DC, and MD are not very different overall.

But you do you.

Please explain why you think that VA, DC and MD are not very different. The sales tax in DC is higher. The income tax rates in DC are higher, while the MD and VA rates are 5.75% at the top brackets on the state level. MD has local income taxes which make their rates higher, but still not as high as DC. The estate tax threshold in DC is $1M, while MD is at the fed levels and VA has none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I was born and raised in DC and I'm moving to Virginia. It's not the latest tax hike, its the series of tax hikes. It's the incompetence - the failure to spend $2.3 billion in federal aid before raising taxes on a very small group of people. It's schools, the failure to regulate people who need to be regulated like crap landlords while piling red tape up on small businesses. I'm leaving because Mary Cheh only listens to developers. Council members say that rich people can afford to pay. That's true. But when Va., is right next door and I can pay 5.75 percent - why do I need to stick around for a death of a thousand cuts as DC pushes past a 10 percent tax.



1. DC had been slowly lowering taxes for several years now.
2. When you consider other taxes, VA, DC, and MD are not very different overall.

But you do you.

Please explain why you think that VA, DC and MD are not very different. The sales tax in DC is higher. The income tax rates in DC are higher, while the MD and VA rates are 5.75% at the top brackets on the state level. MD has local income taxes which make their rates higher, but still not as high as DC. The estate tax threshold in DC is $1M, while MD is at the fed levels and VA has none.

Obviously it depends on the specifics of your situation, but comparisons haber been done multiple times and there's no one clear lower net tax area. Here's an example: https://www.arlnow.com/2019/02/19/ask-eli-does-virginia-washington-dc-or-maryland-have-the-most-favorable-taxes/

Or Google "comparison of net tax rates DC MD VA" and check out some other comparisons. Look at the differences, then consider the costs of moving and your ROI on that decision is pretty low. By all means, move if you want to. It's a free country! But don't be fooled about the finances of it.

[Anonymous]

The problem for DC right now is that they have a lot of debt and a constrained tax base due to no population growth. That means that they will need to increase taxes on those who remain to maintain the same levels of service. Or, they will need to cut programs. If they make cuts to programs to those who pay the taxes, then those people will leave which will exacerbate the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem for DC right now is that they have a lot of debt and a constrained tax base due to no population growth. That means that they will need to increase taxes on those who remain to maintain the same levels of service. Or, they will need to cut programs. If they make cuts to programs to those who pay the taxes, then those people will leave which will exacerbate the problem.

That sounds like a lot of conjecture with no reality. Where's your evidence that:

1. We're overly leveraged on debt. I'm fact, DC has to have a balanced budget every year and our credit ratings, I believe, is AAA.
2. That people actually will leave because of taxes? Studies I've seen have shown that it isn't a trend. Just a common DCUM mantra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem for DC right now is that they have a lot of debt and a constrained tax base due to no population growth. That means that they will need to increase taxes on those who remain to maintain the same levels of service. Or, they will need to cut programs. If they make cuts to programs to those who pay the taxes, then those people will leave which will exacerbate the problem.

That sounds like a lot of conjecture with no reality. Where's your evidence that:

1. We're overly leveraged on debt. I'm fact, DC has to have a balanced budget every year and our credit ratings, I believe, is AAA.
2. That people actually will leave because of taxes? Studies I've seen have shown that it isn't a trend. Just a common DCUM mantra.

DC has a triple A rating only because all of their income tax revenue is pledged. It doesn’t go directly into the city’s coffers. Instead, it goes to a bond agent who pays the coupon and returns the remainder to the city.

[Anonymous]

DC property taxes are a lot lower than most other states, and we don’t have a car tax. If you are a high income renter who doesn’t like fancy cars or takes metro you are better off in VA. If you’re a fed with a nice house, DC probably has a lower tax burden.

I’m in the latter category and still want to move because I’m tired of one party rule, where the one party is shifting ever more left, and the moderates only care about developers. The rich and richish do pay the bills here and I’m tired of the homeless encampments, crime, and being considered the wrong kind of DC resident (ie white) by my government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC property taxes are a lot lower than most other states, and we don’t have a car tax. If you are a high income renter who doesn’t like fancy cars or takes metro you are better off in VA. If you’re a fed with a nice house, DC probably has a lower tax burden.

I’m in the latter category and still want to move because I’m tired of one party rule, where the one party is shifting ever more left, and the moderates only care about developers. The rich and richish do pay the bills here and I’m tired of the homeless encampments, crime, and being considered the wrong kind of DC resident (ie white) by my government.

Smart move. Now is probably a great time to jump ship. Population growth has stalled and there is a real fiscal gap that they have no intention to fill except through taxing affluent residents more, instead of also looking for cuts. Fairfax is looking more and more like they have the right recipe.

[Anonymous]

The DC govt. has some of the highest debt levels in the nation. We spend almost $1B per year on interest alone.

If you think the minuscule tax increase was going to be the last you're sadly mistaken.