This proposal and even the idea of no federal income tax was floated 30 years ago by Jack Kemp / Libertarian Republicans, but shot down by many local activists as they feared it would create a "Monaco on the Potomac" of rich people 'living' (in name only) in DC and pricing everyone out of the housing market.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just join Maryland? And then only a small portion downtown could be federal property (the mall, white house, congress, etc)

Maryland doesn’t want DC to join. Right now Annapolis and Baltimore are very happy being the seats of power in the state. If DC joins they lose their sway. And DC doesn’t want to join either... we like our unique identity.

Who cares about unique identity. I thought we wanted representation. Retrocession is the easiest way and it obviously has precedence. Just get it done already.

You want representation. Some of us want unique identity. I feel well represented with a say in Council, Mayor and Eleanor Holmes Norton's speaking rights. It's enough for me. Did you not know DC wasn't a state when you moved here or had your kids here? Anyway, we are allowed to disagree. I don't think that DC being a District is a shocking or new status, since it has been that way since inception.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What handouts?

Because the Fed gov't is tax-exempt, they don't pay DC property tax. They own a huge amount of land/buildings, so they give DC some $$ to make up for it.

I think you have some directionality issues. Read the constitution.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just join Maryland? And then only a small portion downtown could be federal property (the mall, white house, congress, etc)

Maryland doesn’t want DC to join. Right now Annapolis and Baltimore are very happy being the seats of power in the state. If DC joins they lose their sway. And DC doesn’t want to join either... we like our unique identity.

Who cares about unique identity. I thought we wanted representation. Retrocession is the easiest way and it obviously has precedence. Just get it done already.

Anonymous wrote:Why not just join Maryland? And then only a small portion downtown could be federal property (the mall, white house, congress, etc)

Maryland doesn’t want DC to join. Right now Annapolis and Baltimore are very happy being the seats of power in the state. If DC joins they lose their sway. And DC doesn’t want to join either... we like our unique identity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Statehood now! My kids are born and raised un DC and deserve true representation in Congress. Why are some of you arguing against representation? Are you less than a person? I don't get the logic.

Im a DC native and anti-statehood. Why? Because I like the unique character of the city. It was designed like this as a diatrict capital for the whole country. It's not a state. If i want statehood, I can easily move 15 minutes down the road or anywhere else for that matter.

What a ridiculous argument. What benefits do we get from not having representation? If we become a state we will still be the capital.

And all 750,000 can’t just move 15 minutes away at once. It’s not a reasonable expectation for achieving representation in Congress.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the commuter tax idea.

Not possible without statehood.

To me this is strangling the golden goose. DC would be nothing without the federal govt. and the business it brings. We should work towards tri-state agreeements (like everyone chipping in to metro) to increase flow between DC, MD. and VA. Would you like to be taxed when you drive out of DC to your Amazon job in Arlington or to visit the big box stores? Bad idea.

Why not just join Maryland? And then only a small portion downtown could be federal property (the mall, white house, congress, etc)

Anonymous wrote:If possible too would it be possible to add a tax over the bridges leading to and from VA into the district? This could generate significant $ and encourage people to be smarter regarding their commuting choices once we get back to normal conditions.

Bridges are all owned by different sources. Arlington memorial bridge is owned by NPS

Anonymous wrote:I love the commuter tax idea.

Not possible without statehood.

Anonymous wrote:Statehood now! My kids are born and raised un DC and deserve true representation in Congress. Why are some of you arguing against representation? Are you less than a person? I don't get the logic.

Im a DC native and anti-statehood. Why? Because I like the unique character of the city. It was designed like this as a diatrict capital for the whole country. It's not a state. If i want statehood, I can easily move 15 minutes down the road or anywhere else for that matter.

Statehood now! My kids are born and raised un DC and deserve true representation in Congress. Why are some of you arguing against representation? Are you less than a person? I don't get the logic.

The State of DC should be a Single-Tax State.

NO TAXES on:
Wages
Income
Sales
Buildings
Hotel Beds
Parking Spaces
meals
Liquor
Gasoline
Phone Lines
Electricity

ONLY a tax on Building Values.

Renters - they already pay what the market will bear, so rent can't go up.
Owners - give a homestead exemption the first $50,000 of land value.
Seniors - allow needs-based deferral of primary home taxes for life

The Single Tax would have to raise 2.5x what the property tax does, while exempting building value. Doing so would decrease the cost of housing (buildings) while increasing the cost of land (not building), and give a boost to commercial, restaurant, and retail employment. Cost of living would go down. Cost of under-using desirable lots would go up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What handouts?

Because the Fed gov't is tax-exempt, they don't pay DC property tax. They own a huge amount of land/buildings, so they give DC some $$ to make up for it.

You have to look at the budget - revenue. Replacement source for the $2 billion plus collected from individual income taxes? https://cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ocfo/publication/attachments/September%202019%20Revenue%20Certification%20Letter.pdf

Some income tax could be replaced by changing property tax - assessed based on 1.4 - on market for 2.4. Taxes 11.3k. Homestead worth more than a Florida homestead and property taxed lower. VA would collect on the 2.4 or FMV and no homestead. Can earn 500k plus in DC and get whopping homestead. MOCO gives $692 homestead. Can earn 500k and still get it.

If possible too would it be possible to add a tax over the bridges leading to and from VA into the district? This could generate significant $ and encourage people to be smarter regarding their commuting choices once we get back to normal conditions.