Anonymous wrote:dc has seen decades of near uninterrupted growth in wealth and spending for decades, since the real gutting the country suffered in the 70s into the 80s and the boom bust of the barry years.

most of that has been a jobs and real estate bubble around the federal government,

even if it isn't out of contempt for any of the beneficiaries in a generation of shrinking prosperity and obvious incompetence, corruption and empty propaganda on all sides of public and private employment, it's not sane or rational or healthy to assume the local gravy train will continue indefinitely into the future.

it strains credulity to pretend these institutions are going to last another 50 years or longer without profound corrective changes or implosion of public infrastructure and institutional collapse on the level of south africa or the complete bifurcation into corrupt wealth and poverty you see in England


a real progressive outlook would be a desire to redistribute the federal budget more equitably throughout the entire country and put the infrastructure of the city to some better use for it's residents than essentially an economy based only on tourism and servant industries

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed - People aren't shopping retail, it's all online. Post covid, eating out at lunch isn't as much of a thing. I live in Virginia and we have amazing restaurants here, so i almost never go to dc, and it's not because of the crime.

Anonymous wrote:Nah, Trump will want a beautiful DC. Lots of great development projects in the pipeline that will pique his interest.

Anonymous wrote:Your friend must be a narcissist. Trump is concerned about the border crisis and Middle East. Not Feds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:dc has seen decades of near uninterrupted growth in wealth and spending for decades, since the real gutting the country suffered in the 70s into the 80s and the boom bust of the barry years.

most of that has been a jobs and real estate bubble around the federal government,

even if it isn't out of contempt for any of the beneficiaries in a generation of shrinking prosperity and obvious incompetence, corruption and empty propaganda on all sides of public and private employment, it's not sane or rational or healthy to assume the local gravy train will continue indefinitely into the future.

it strains credulity to pretend these institutions are going to last another 50 years or longer without profound corrective changes or implosion of public infrastructure and institutional collapse on the level of south africa or the complete bifurcation into corrupt wealth and poverty you see in England


a real progressive outlook would be a desire to redistribute the federal budget more equitably throughout the entire country and put the infrastructure of the city to some better use for it's residents than essentially an economy based only on tourism and servant industries

I do not think there is anything economically unusual about jobs and commerce clustering in a capital city ….

Anonymous wrote:dc has seen decades of near uninterrupted growth in wealth and spending for decades, since the real gutting the country suffered in the 70s into the 80s and the boom bust of the barry years.

most of that has been a jobs and real estate bubble around the federal government,

even if it isn't out of contempt for any of the beneficiaries in a generation of shrinking prosperity and obvious incompetence, corruption and empty propaganda on all sides of public and private employment, it's not sane or rational or healthy to assume the local gravy train will continue indefinitely into the future.

it strains credulity to pretend these institutions are going to last another 50 years or longer without profound corrective changes or implosion of public infrastructure and institutional collapse on the level of south africa or the complete bifurcation into corrupt wealth and poverty you see in England


a real progressive outlook would be a desire to redistribute the federal budget more equitably throughout the entire country and put the infrastructure of the city to some better use for it's residents than essentially an economy based only on tourism and servant industries

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Oh also forgot to add - high crime that deters people from coming to DC for night time entertainment. I live in DC and often decide to stay in because I don’t want to be walking hom from the metro too late. So I stay in and my entertainment $$ go to Netflix.

Not everyone shares your generalized anxiety disorder. Plenty of people are out and about in DC. It isn't 2020 anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Oh also forgot to add - high crime that deters people from coming to DC for night time entertainment. I live in DC and often decide to stay in because I don’t want to be walking hom from the metro too late. So I stay in and my entertainment $$ go to Netflix.

Not everyone shares your generalized anxiety disorder. Plenty of people are out and about in DC. It isn't 2020 anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Oh also forgot to add - high crime that deters people from coming to DC for night time entertainment. I live in DC and often decide to stay in because I don’t want to be walking hom from the metro too late. So I stay in and my entertainment $$ go to Netflix.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

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.