Anonymous wrote:This isn't about I-82.

It is about the decimation, between COVID and trump layoffs, of downtown DC.

"Eric Ziebold, formerly chef-owner of Kinship and Métier, told WTOP that he closed his restaurants because he “couldn’t find an environment that made sense to resign a lease currently with the state of things.”

“In the post-pandemic world, people aren’t going downtown as regularly as they used to,” said Ziebold, who attributed this to workers not returning to offices, traffic, crime and parking issues.

Ziebold also said he hesitated to extend his restaurant lease because of Initiative 82, which aims to raise the minimum wage of tipped workers, including restaurant employees, from the current $10 to $17.50 by 2027. The policy has become a flashpoint for restaurateurs, many of whom say rapidly changing labor costs make long-term planning difficult.

Although D.C. voters approved Initiative 82 in 2022, the D.C. Council voted to pause the increase of tipped minimum wage in the city in June 2025. The D.C. Council later voted to repeal the initiative so minimum wage would increase to 75% of the city’s minimum wage by 2034.

“How do you sign an extension when you have no idea of how you’re supposed to pay your employees?” Ziebold said.

https://wtop.com/food-restaurant/2026/05/restaurant-closures-struggles-downtown-dc/

This is like Trump wanting to cut the gas tax, instead of just ending the war in Iran. Politicians coming up with bandaids to cover up the problems created by their stupid policy decisions. DC could just get rid of I-82 and stop making traffic horrible and let people park their cars somewhere, and then we wouldn't have to write $50,000 checks to restaurants.

Anonymous wrote:This isn't about I-82.

It is about the decimation, between COVID and trump layoffs, of downtown DC.

+1 I think this is a half-baked idea, but trying to tie it to "progressive ideals" is pretty far-fetched. Was it progressive to bail out the banks or auto manufacturers? Why is it only a problem if the money goes to a non-billionaire?

This isn't about I-82.

It is about the decimation, between COVID and trump layoffs, of downtown DC.

Janeese says restaurants deserve $100,000

They're panicking because they now realize their dumb progressive ideas are going to make commercial real estate crash and burn. Once commercial RE goes, so will residential values. Values crash then so do base assessments for taxation.

Pure geniuses. Tax, over regulate and big govt your way into an economic cesspit.

Anonymous wrote:Quick, who wants to open a restaurant?

Would a food truck count.

Why is the road go hell always paved with progressive ideas?

So now we have welfare for restaurants?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm starting to think that maybe I-82 wasn't a good idea...

https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-launches-nearly-4-million-restaurant-retail-stabilization-grant-support-local

Did the government take an equity share of the business?

No. Just free taxpayer money.

Anonymous wrote:I'm starting to think that maybe I-82 wasn't a good idea...

https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-launches-nearly-4-million-restaurant-retail-stabilization-grant-support-local

Did the government take an equity share of the business?

Quick, who wants to open a restaurant?

Ridiculous, since most of them are terrible anyway.

I'm starting to think that maybe I-82 wasn't a good idea...

https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-launches-nearly-4-million-restaurant-retail-stabilization-grant-support-local