Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tax receipts are about to fall off the table but, sure, let's create a new spending program.

How many times have you come crying wolf about that? It's as long as I can remember.

The city has been living in la la land for years now thanks to low interest rates that created a giant real estate bubble and, with it, send property taxes soaring, and thanks to Congress dumping a mountain of money on state and local governments. All of that is now coming to a crashing halt. You are free to be completely ignorant and assume tomorrow will be exactly the same as yesterday but I'd suggest maybe paying a little bit of attention to what's happening around you. Things are going to get ugly.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

They have to make it attractive for employers to end the work from home model. Free bus is one of many steps in that direction.

Right. People are abandoning downtown because the buses are too expensive.

I love how your definition of people only includes high income people. Like your barista, waiter, street cleaner, etc. don't also need to get to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tax receipts are about to fall off the table but, sure, let's create a new spending program.

How many times have you come crying wolf about that? It's as long as I can remember.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

They have to make it attractive for employers to end the work from home model. Free bus is one of many steps in that direction.

Right. People are abandoning downtown because the buses are too expensive.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

They have to make it attractive for employers to end the work from home model. Free bus is one of many steps in that direction.

Right. People are abandoning downtown because the buses are too expensive.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

Their job to figure out how to get companies to change remote-work policies that they were forced to implement during an unexpected global pandemic and proved very popular? That seems a bit beyond the purview of city government somehow, no? Their job is to figure out what they need to do to adjust to a new reality in how people work.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

Their job to figure out how to get companies to change remote-work policies that they were forced to implement during an unexpected global pandemic and proved very popular? That seems a bit beyond the purview of city government somehow, no? Their job is to figure out what they need to do to adjust to a new reality in how people work.

Part of the city is dying, and that alone seems bad enough, but it promises to bring the city's budget down with it. So, yeah, that kind of seems like it's part of their job. I know politicians just want to hand out goodies to people all day long but sometimes they have to do hard things too.

Again, I don't see how the city is supposed to force workers back into their offices when the workers' employers aren't able to do that. I do think the city's job is to figure out what to do if some large share of the workforce is only in their offices about three days a week, and I agree it's a problem, but I don't think "get back to work, office drones!" is really a municipal government policy problem.

Replying to myself to add: I doubt the cost of bus commuting downtown for D.C. residents who work in offices and have the option of remote work some of the time is really tipping anyone's decision one way or the other among that group, but if it is, the city could make a reasonable argument that this particular policy is actually helping the problem, not making it worse. I usually take Metro when I go downtown, but I ... guess if bus service improved significantly and was free, I'd take the bus instead.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

Their job to figure out how to get companies to change remote-work policies that they were forced to implement during an unexpected global pandemic and proved very popular? That seems a bit beyond the purview of city government somehow, no? Their job is to figure out what they need to do to adjust to a new reality in how people work.

Part of the city is dying, and that alone seems bad enough, but it promises to bring the city's budget down with it. So, yeah, that kind of seems like it's part of their job. I know politicians just want to hand out goodies to people all day long but sometimes they have to do hard things too.

Again, I don't see how the city is supposed to force workers back into their offices when the workers' employers aren't able to do that. I do think the city's job is to figure out what to do if some large share of the workforce is only in their offices about three days a week, and I agree it's a problem, but I don't think "get back to work, office drones!" is really a municipal government policy problem.

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.

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

Isn't that kind of their job to figure these things out?

Their job to figure out how to get companies to change remote-work policies that they were forced to implement during an unexpected global pandemic and proved very popular? That seems a bit beyond the purview of city government somehow, no? Their job is to figure out what they need to do to adjust to a new reality in how people work.

Part of the city is dying, and that alone seems bad enough, but it promises to bring the city's budget down with it. So, yeah, that kind of seems like it's part of their job. I know politicians just want to hand out goodies to people all day long but sometimes they have to do hard things too.

Anonymous wrote:Tax receipts are about to fall off the table but, sure, let's create a new spending program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Then maybe we need to do better with our homeless shelters if they're choosing a bus over the shelter.

But I also don't believe your hyperbole.

Believe whatever you like, but our city is hostile to homeless people and warm buses will look like a pretty good sleeping option to many, all things considered.

I'd be very ok with our city being less hostile to homeless people

NP. This kind of holier-the-thou posturing tells me you will be the first to flee to the burbs or the wealthiest corner of ward 3 furthest from any homeless person's shopping cart or tent the minute their presence causes you any amount of discomfort, just like every posturing holier-than-thou millennial straight from a small town, who hasn't grown up with, much less had to deal with the quality of life degradation from whatever cause you're clamoring for. Right now, it's more homeless people on buses. 'Mmkay.

You might want to get some help for those voices in your head because your "intuition" is flat wrong.

I live in DC well away from the burbs or Ward 3. I take the bus, sometimes with people who seem homeless. Sometimes there are people living in tents nearby or abandoned buildings. I don't need to avoid most of them - they are people.

LOL, exquisitely grating mix you got there. Gaslighting 'get help for those voices' and grandstanding 'they are people, too." Nice. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Then maybe we need to do better with our homeless shelters if they're choosing a bus over the shelter.

But I also don't believe your hyperbole.

Believe whatever you like, but our city is hostile to homeless people and warm buses will look like a pretty good sleeping option to many, all things considered.

I'd be very ok with our city being less hostile to homeless people

NP. This kind of holier-the-thou posturing tells me you will be the first to flee to the burbs or the wealthiest corner of ward 3 furthest from any homeless person's shopping cart or tent the minute their presence causes you any amount of discomfort, just like every posturing holier-than-thou millennial straight from a small town, who hasn't grown up with, much less had to deal with the quality of life degradation from whatever cause you're clamoring for. Right now, it's more homeless people on buses. 'Mmkay.

You might want to get some help for those voices in your head because your "intuition" is flat wrong.

I live in DC well away from the burbs or Ward 3. I take the bus, sometimes with people who seem homeless. Sometimes there are people living in tents nearby or abandoned buildings. I don't need to avoid most of them - they are people.