Reply to Trump's plan to destroy DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How does RTO for feds appreciably increase DC revenue? WMATA is doing ok. Most federal offices are owned by feds so I don’t think they pay DC taxes. Is it just downtown retail she’s concerned with? [/quote]

"Just downtown retail"

You get that DC is a major city, right? People spending money in the city on food, entertainment, transportation, and consumer goods is a huge part of the revenue base. It's not like we make our money off of local factories. Yes property taxes play a big role too and federal properties don't pay that. But the trade off is bring thousands of people into the city every single day who will spend money.

RTO doesn't just mean more sandwich shops for lunch and retail in the downtown core dues better. It means boosting restaurants and bars across the city even in the evening as workers who come into the city are more likely to go out in the city after work. This also helps event planners, caterers, and entertainment venues. Yes it helps retail. But the bigger point is that it provides a population of consumers in the city 5 days a week and gives the city lots of opportunities to capture their interest and money. Someone working 9-5 in the city is more likely to head to a Nats game after work, plus grab dinner and drinks in Navy Yard and maybe stop in the team store and buy a cap. With WFH that worker might decide the commute into the city isn't worth it, watch the game in TV, order take out from a nearby restaurant in VA, and order that cap online-- DC gets nothing.

Federal RTO would be a huge boon to DC's economy and accelerate the existing shift towards RTO for law, consulting, and lobbying firms as well as other white collar jobs that bring plenty of consumer dollars with them.  [/quote]

meh. show me some actual dollar amounts here about how federal RTO somehow turns around DC’s economy. I know I’m not paying $25/day for lunch in L’Enfant Plaza if they force me back 5 days/week.

DC’s revenue issues are not due to telework. They are due to DC policies that make it unattractive & unaffordable for businesses and families to move to or stay in DC. Burdensome zoning and building codes that raise housing costs. The continuous erosion of MS and HS programs in DCPS appropriate for college-bound kids and the DC policy commitment to apparently tank the existing well-functioning schools in the name of (fake) equity. Business licenses that are impossible to obtain. All that stuff. Fed schmoes schlepping 5 days/week to their dark and brutalist GSA office isn’t going to achieve any of that. [/quote]

Out of everything you cite, the only one that is valid is the quality of the public schools.

Every jurisdiction has building codes and zoning. DC's is no different than anyone else's.
You can get a business license online in 30 seconds, it isn't hard.[/quote]

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