Anonymous wrote: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?

"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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no way I'd agreed to anything that Bowser wants without getting something big in return.

Things Bowser wants: football stadium, FBI HQ staying in DC, RTO for Feds, and more residential construction/CRE conversion. Maybe even convincing Republicans to raise the height limit. Definitely fix the USAO's office.

She's speaking Trump's language.

The other thing she wants: don't mess with Home Rule. But she's not going to bring up that topic. Better to distract Trump with big development projects and a bustling, clean city.

+1

She really has nothing to lose.

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?

Anonymous wrote:There's no way I'd agreed to anything that Bowser wants without getting something big in return.

Things Bowser wants: football stadium, FBI HQ staying in DC, RTO for Feds, and more residential construction/CRE conversion. Maybe even convincing Republicans to raise the height limit. Definitely fix the USAO's office.

She's speaking Trump's language.

The other thing she wants: don't mess with Home Rule. But she's not going to bring up that topic. Better to distract Trump with big development projects and a bustling, clean city.

There's no way I'd agreed to anything that Bowser wants without getting something big in return.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Bowser, in requesting to meet with Trump, said she is focused on the policy priorities in which she needs federal collaboration — namely, her desire for the federal workforce to return to work in person"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/...owser-trump-meeting/

Bowser seems have a high opinion of herself and her position if she thinks that she can get a meeting with the President. Maybe she can meet the President if he’s hosting a room full of 20 other big city mayors. The closest that she’s going to get to meeting the President is probably going to be a meeting with the Deputy Chief of Staff, which is Stephen Miller. I hope she enjoys that lesson in humility.

That was a good move. It's obviously not about actually getting a meeting (and she probably doesn't want one).

I don’t disagree that it is obviously calculated, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t look silly. What is she going to do next? Demand meetings with foreign leaders? She can make all of the ludicrous demands that she wants, she’s bring to get ignored. She semis to inexplicably have an ego to match Trumps.

It’s just protocol. Like other leaders, she formally requests a meeting with the POTUS. It’s a sign of respect for the office of the President. She’s signaling to DJT’s camp that she’s willing to play ball. It has nothing to do with thinking highly of herself.

Anonymous wrote:If I were Trump, I'd agree to Bowser's RTO request but only on the condition that she and the council enact legislation ceding control of all aspects of DC's criminal justice system.

The Federal Government has the power to do that unilaterally by amending the home rule act. Don’t need DC to do anything.

If I were Trump, I'd agree to Bowser's RTO request but only on the condition that she and the council enact legislation ceding control of all aspects of DC's criminal justice system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Bowser, in requesting to meet with Trump, said she is focused on the policy priorities in which she needs federal collaboration — namely, her desire for the federal workforce to return to work in person"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/...owser-trump-meeting/

Bowser seems have a high opinion of herself and her position if she thinks that she can get a meeting with the President. Maybe she can meet the President if he’s hosting a room full of 20 other big city mayors. The closest that she’s going to get to meeting the President is probably going to be a meeting with the Deputy Chief of Staff, which is Stephen Miller. I hope she enjoys that lesson in humility.

That was a good move. It's obviously not about actually getting a meeting (and she probably doesn't want one).

I don’t disagree that it is obviously calculated, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t look silly. What is she going to do next? Demand meetings with foreign leaders? She can make all of the ludicrous demands that she wants, she’s bring to get ignored. She semis to inexplicably have an ego to match Trumps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its no secret trump has stated his hatred of DC which votes 93% for democrats.

I heard this from a friend of a friend with some ties to Trump's inner circles, the plan in the next few years will be to hit/move significant number of agencies out of DC, for the ones which will have to be in the area for logistical reasons/defense/dod will be moved across the river into Virginia in a bid to have loyalists turn Virginia into permanent red state rather than having their people waste their electoral position in MD/DC. Virginia went blue by about 200k. Eventually firing about 100k democrats and having about 100k loyalists in VA will shift it red. DC and MOCO will be rendered into a slum outside of a few places next to the mall/capital hill.

Any how, I am praying this is not true, but it sounds like something they are capable of.

I am quite worried about my job, but what you are describing is way easier said than done - just because of real estate practicalities, never mind laws and requirements for moving agencies. Where are all these agencies going to be located in congested NoVA? Or are they moving to red counties, in which case you need to build out the space from scratch? And, wouldn't this exercise be pointless since his loyalists can live and vote in VA even if they commute to DC?

Also, he cannot make DC and MOCO a slum. Among other reasons - Federal employees are not a major economic engine, as we've seen in the countless failed attempts to revitalize sketchy parts of DC by moving an agency there. Lobbyists etc. will still be in DC and they are the ones spending money at nice retail/restaurant developments and nice housing, which is what actually revitalizes areas.

Lots to worry about, but this is not on the list.

Hmmmm

Reeves Center (local Dc) was created at 14th and U and now that is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in DC.
ATF was moved to NoMa and now that is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in DC.
3 agencies were moved to Navy Yard area and now that is a very trendy area.

What agencies were moved to a sketchy area that remained sketchy? (and st eliabeths west doesn't count since it is a completely walled off installation that provides no external facing public amenities)

The area around Suitland Federal Center remains sketchy

Not DC but New Carrollton / IRS

That's in Maryland.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its no secret trump has stated his hatred of DC which votes 93% for democrats.

I heard this from a friend of a friend with some ties to Trump's inner circles, the plan in the next few years will be to hit/move significant number of agencies out of DC, for the ones which will have to be in the area for logistical reasons/defense/dod will be moved across the river into Virginia in a bid to have loyalists turn Virginia into permanent red state rather than having their people waste their electoral position in MD/DC. Virginia went blue by about 200k. Eventually firing about 100k democrats and having about 100k loyalists in VA will shift it red. DC and MOCO will be rendered into a slum outside of a few places next to the mall/capital hill.

Any how, I am praying this is not true, but it sounds like something they are capable of.

Honestly, I'm ok with this. It will lessen my commute to work.

Agreed.

Frankly they should go further and distribute agencies across the whole country. It is deeply unhealthy for our Democracy for our vast unelected bureaucracies to live in a one-party bubble city -- I cannot think of any other nation that does this.

You don't actually know where federal employees are, do you?

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like massive job growth in Virginia. Awesome!

Not really. People who live in VA and work in DC pay VA taxes already, not DC taxes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
"Bowser, in requesting to meet with Trump, said she is focused on the policy priorities in which she needs federal collaboration — namely, her desire for the federal workforce to return to work in person"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/...owser-trump-meeting/

Bowser seems have a high opinion of herself and her position if she thinks that she can get a meeting with the President. Maybe she can meet the President if he’s hosting a room full of 20 other big city mayors. The closest that she’s going to get to meeting the President is probably going to be a meeting with the Deputy Chief of Staff, which is Stephen Miller. I hope she enjoys that lesson in humility.

That was a good move. It's obviously not about actually getting a meeting (and she probably doesn't want one).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its no secret trump has stated his hatred of DC which votes 93% for democrats.

I heard this from a friend of a friend with some ties to Trump's inner circles, the plan in the next few years will be to hit/move significant number of agencies out of DC, for the ones which will have to be in the area for logistical reasons/defense/dod will be moved across the river into Virginia in a bid to have loyalists turn Virginia into permanent red state rather than having their people waste their electoral position in MD/DC. Virginia went blue by about 200k. Eventually firing about 100k democrats and having about 100k loyalists in VA will shift it red. DC and MOCO will be rendered into a slum outside of a few places next to the mall/capital hill.

Any how, I am praying this is not true, but it sounds like something they are capable of.

Just because you work in DC doesn’t mean you LIVE in dc.

+1 most of the federal employees they are targeting can't afford to live in DC. They already live in Virginia.

Anonymous wrote:
"Bowser, in requesting to meet with Trump, said she is focused on the policy priorities in which she needs federal collaboration — namely, her desire for the federal workforce to return to work in person"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/...owser-trump-meeting/

Bowser seems have a high opinion of herself and her position if she thinks that she can get a meeting with the President. Maybe she can meet the President if he’s hosting a room full of 20 other big city mayors. The closest that she’s going to get to meeting the President is probably going to be a meeting with the Deputy Chief of Staff, which is Stephen Miller. I hope she enjoys that lesson in humility.