Free bus service in DC proposed

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

And this time, we promise that home values are going to TANK. We were wrong all the other times, but now we're really really sure.

I like how you're extremely hostile to basic economics. Yes, home prices are going down and will continue to go down for a long time. Funny how that happens when the Federal Reserve radically increases interest rates. Every homeowner in D.C. should contest their property tax assessments.

Prices have to come down. The mortgage on an $800,000 house now costs probably almost $2,000 more per month than it did a year ago.

Also with all the bike lanes around for rich yuppies no one will want to live here.

What you mean is that YOU won’t want to live here. And frankly that’s perfectly fine with the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

And this time, we promise that home values are going to TANK. We were wrong all the other times, but now we're really really sure.

I like how you're extremely hostile to basic economics. Yes, home prices are going down and will continue to go down for a long time. Funny how that happens when the Federal Reserve radically increases interest rates. Every homeowner in D.C. should contest their property tax assessments.

Prices have to come down. The mortgage on an $800,000 house now costs probably almost $2,000 more per month than it did a year ago.

Mortgages don’t have much to do with the DC housing market.

Let me guess: You have no idea what a mortgage is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're going to love it when the buses are full of homeless people.

I've been on buses with homeless people and I'm ok with it.

not buses with homeless people. buses FULL of homeless people. they would become de facto homeless shelters.

I like this better than people freezing to death or dying of heatstroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're going to love it when the buses are full of homeless people.

I've been on buses with homeless people and I'm ok with it.

not buses with homeless people. buses FULL of homeless people. they would become de facto homeless shelters.

I like this better than people freezing to death or dying of heatstroke.

Maybe because you're looking at them as people? It makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Prices have to come down. The mortgage on an $800,000 house now costs probably almost $2,000 more per month than it did a year ago.

Mortgages don’t have much to do with the DC housing market.

Really? Everyone in DC pays cash for real estate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

And this time, we promise that home values are going to TANK. We were wrong all the other times, but now we're really really sure.

I like how you're extremely hostile to basic economics. Yes, home prices are going down and will continue to go down for a long time. Funny how that happens when the Federal Reserve radically increases interest rates. Every homeowner in D.C. should contest their property tax assessments.

Prices have to come down. The mortgage on an $800,000 house now costs probably almost $2,000 more per month than it did a year ago.

Mortgages don’t have much to do with the DC housing market.

Let me guess: You have no idea what a mortgage is.

I wish I didn’t! But am counting my blessings after one too many bidding wars going up against all-cash offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

The DC metro area probably has more economists and policy analysts than anywhere else on earth. That none of them are signing off on this speaks volumes. Wake me up when you have some objective analysis. Screeds from lobbyists don’t count.

Or you could just pick up a newspaper? Maybe read a little bit about things happening in our world? Try to educate yourself a little bit?

Yeah, but those of us who actually live and work here don’t really need a bunch of developers or Rupert’s media to be trying to telling us that what we can see with our own eyes is not really true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

What is the city government supposed to do to get workers back in empty offices, exactly?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Don't some high numbers of people just not pay anyways? Same with metro I see people just climb over the gates every day.

Let's pay for metro from taxes too. I'm not sure why we're wasting money on faregates and enforcement when we can just pay for the service itself.

You are paying for Metro through your DC taxes. DC already has some of the highest tax rates in the nation. Is your solution simply to raise tax rates further -- on someone else.presumably?

DP. I'm fine with raising taxes further to pay for more services, and our household is in the third-highest D.C. income tax bracket. If you want to give a break to the people in the $500,000 to $1 million and $1 million and above brackets, I'd even be fine with only raising taxes on my bracket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

And this time, we promise that home values are going to TANK. We were wrong all the other times, but now we're really really sure.

I like how you're extremely hostile to basic economics. Yes, home prices are going down and will continue to go down for a long time. Funny how that happens when the Federal Reserve radically increases interest rates. Every homeowner in D.C. should contest their property tax assessments.

My property tax assessment is well below what Zillow, Redfin, etc., say I could get for selling my house. It's also well below what comps in my neighborhood have sold for just in the last month. I don't have any reason to contest my property tax bill; I believe in paying my fair share of taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

Tony Williams was a great mayor (except the one time he forgot to qualify for the ballot properly, whoops!), but he's now the executive director of a powerful lobbying organization for real estate developers, bankers, and other business leaders, and he wrote that letter under the group's auspices. Obviously, that doesn't make him automatically wrong, but it does mean he's speaking for a particular set of interests here, not just chiming in out of civic virtue and love for the city. (One of the things the letter is doing is trying to advocate for lower commercial property tax rates! Though it suggests it's not really doing that.) The members of that group also have a vested interest in getting people back downtown 100 percent of the time, partly because many of the members are collecting rents on offices.

So I take Tony's views here for as far as they go -- there is reason to worry about what would happen if downtown really stayed emptied out for good, and there are potential fiscal issues ahead. But at the same time, I don't think the fact that a bunch of property owners are concerned about how they can appeal their tax assessments means that, for instance, the city can't afford to make bus service free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown is dying. Vacancy rates are throw the roof, which are driving down property values which will mean radically lower property tax revenues, which will blow a giant hole in the city's budget. But, sure, let's focus on...[checks notes]...making buses free?

This is what it's like to be ruled by children.

Oh no! Did your favorite steakhouse close and now you have to pick from one of the remaining 7? It must be really hard to be you now.

This is just weird. So you're cool with an entire section of the city becoming a ghost town? And what happens to the city's budget when one of its main revenue sources dries up?

You can hypothesize that all you want, but we've had surpluses for as long as I can remember. Downtown isn't a ghost town except to fox news viewers, but that's your problem.

Uh, what? Speaking of children. You're probably too young to know who Tony Williams is, and you certainly don't remember what D.C. was like before he was mayor, but here's Tony Williams saying the same thing: https://www.federalcitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Letter-to-CFO-Glen-Lee-on-Commercial-Property-Vulnerabilities-11.14.22-final.pdf

And who are all the other co-signers? Commercial property owners, dealers, and developers. If you don’t take what they saw with an entire salt flat, please be in touch as I know of a Nigerian prince who desperately wants to make contact with you.

Who do expect to sign such a letter? Do you think all the city's yoga instructors are going to get together to complain about collapsing commercial property values? You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but this is a major problem for the city's budget. Everyone is trying to get out of their downtown leases because the numbers don't work anymore.

And this time, we promise that home values are going to TANK. We were wrong all the other times, but now we're really really sure.

I like how you're extremely hostile to basic economics. Yes, home prices are going down and will continue to go down for a long time. Funny how that happens when the Federal Reserve radically increases interest rates. Every homeowner in D.C. should contest their property tax assessments.

My property tax assessment is well below what Zillow, Redfin, etc., say I could get for selling my house. It's also well below what comps in my neighborhood have sold for just in the last month. I don't have any reason to contest my property tax bill; I believe in paying my fair share of taxes.

Truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're going to love it when the buses are full of homeless people.

I've been on buses with homeless people and I'm ok with it.

not buses with homeless people. buses FULL of homeless people. they would become de facto homeless shelters.

I like this better than people freezing to death or dying of heatstroke.

They have shelters to go to. It's a lie there's no room. They want everyone to feel sorry for them and hand they the golden ticket for a free apartment for life rhat costs more than what the average working and law abiding citizen could afford.

The free bus is another perceived entitlement at someone elses expense.

If these people can’t take care of themselves, they can check into St. Elizabeth's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're going to love it when the buses are full of homeless people.

I've been on buses with homeless people and I'm ok with it.

not buses with homeless people. buses FULL of homeless people. they would become de facto homeless shelters.

I like this better than people freezing to death or dying of heatstroke.

They have shelters to go to. It's a lie there's no room. They want everyone to feel sorry for them and hand they the golden ticket for a free apartment for life rhat costs more than what the average working and law abiding citizen could afford.

The free bus is another perceived entitlement at someone elses expense.

If these people can’t take care of themselves, they can check into St. Elizabeth's.

The DHS facility at the west side of St. Elizabeth’s or the construction site on the east side of St. Elizabeth’s? Good job signaling that you have absolutely no idea about the current state of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread seems to be full of young, idealistic, naive white people who think everything should be free. I agree with them when it comes to buses because it will be comedy gold when buses are transformed into roving mental wards, full of screaming homeless people, and the people on the thread are sitting among them saying "this is totally fine."

You seem nice.

NO to free bus. YES to new build for permanent institutionalization (forced to all street people).