Comments on: Budget Shortfall: Finally Some Hard Choices for Fenty? http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/ D.C. News, Politics, Media, Arts, and More Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:59:56 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: David Schwartzman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/comment-page-1/#comment-335277 David Schwartzman Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:22:13 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6875#comment-335277 Sorry, there was a typo in my comments above. Substitute "youth job debacle" for "school job debacle". Sorry, there was a typo in my comments above. Substitute "youth job debacle" for "school job debacle".

]]> By: David Schwartzman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/comment-page-1/#comment-335264 David Schwartzman Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:12:57 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6875#comment-335264 Some cuts in the FY2009 budget are in order, in particular the subsidies to the corporate sector, with corporate earmarks at the top of the list for elimination. The special funds hidden in the budget must be revealed and critically examined for potential cuts. But the social service budget must be increased, not cut, i.e. we need more funds for a whole lot of programs such as the Housing Production Trust Fund, TANF (directly linked to child poverty), Local Rent Supplement Program, child care, job training, substance abuse treatment etc. The Fair Budget Coalition proposed some $300 million in additional funding for this budget, with modest improvements, and very little was approved, with the budget not even keeping up with inflation. So we again should make our regressive DC tax structure both progressive and more capable of meeting this challenge, by hiking the tax rate on those who can afford to pay, not the middle/working class now sinking closer to poverty. The District’s rainy day fund has a couple of $hundred million, with $20 million withdrawn during the summer to cover the school job debacle, despite the restrictions that Congress has imposed on its use (go to DC Fiscal Policy Institute for details). We should demand this fund be used to cover any deficit WITHOUT hurtful budget cuts on an already austerity FY 2009 budget that shortchanges our working class majority especially the low income sector. We must not have a repeat of the Control Board days when the budget was balanced on the backs of the poor! So, now is the time to hike the income tax rate on DC millionaires as well as the top 5% to pump in supplementary funding to this budget. I warned about this in my Council testimony last January: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/testimony.php?annc_id=228&section_id=1 David Schwartzman At-Large City Council Candidate DC Statehood Green Party www.davidschwartzman.com Some cuts in the FY2009 budget are in order, in particular the subsidies to the corporate sector, with corporate earmarks at the top of the list for elimination. The special funds hidden in the budget must be revealed and critically examined for potential cuts. But the social service budget must be increased, not cut, i.e. we need more funds for a whole lot of programs such as the Housing Production Trust Fund, TANF (directly linked to child poverty), Local Rent Supplement Program, child care, job training, substance abuse treatment etc. The Fair Budget Coalition proposed some $300 million in additional funding for this budget, with modest improvements, and very little was approved, with the budget not even keeping up with inflation. So we again should make our regressive DC tax structure both progressive and more capable of meeting this challenge, by hiking the tax rate on those who can afford to pay, not the middle/working class now sinking closer to poverty.

The District’s rainy day fund has a couple of $hundred million, with $20 million withdrawn during the summer to cover the school job debacle, despite the restrictions that Congress has imposed on its use (go to DC Fiscal Policy Institute for details). We should demand this fund be used to cover any deficit WITHOUT hurtful budget cuts on an already austerity FY 2009 budget that shortchanges our working class majority especially the low income sector. We must not have a repeat of the Control Board days when the budget was balanced on the backs of the poor! So, now is the time to hike the income tax rate on DC millionaires as well as the top 5% to pump in supplementary funding to this budget. I warned about this in my Council testimony last January:
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/testimony.php?annc_id=228&section_id=1

David Schwartzman
At-Large City Council Candidate
DC Statehood Green Party
http://www.davidschwartzman.com

]]> By: Si Kailian http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/comment-page-1/#comment-334922 Si Kailian Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:18:51 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6875#comment-334922 might help if we actually collect rent on the stadium, not give the feds 10 million for ford's theater & ask mother Harriet nicely for our money back. Oh and collect vacant property taxes off of slumbanking developers. That'd be nice. might help if we actually collect rent on the stadium, not give the feds 10 million for ford's theater & ask mother Harriet nicely for our money back. Oh and collect vacant property taxes off of slumbanking developers. That'd be nice.

]]> By: Stating the Obvious http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/comment-page-1/#comment-334918 Stating the Obvious Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:13:19 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6875#comment-334918 Cut the summer jobs program (fiasco) and you're already a quarter of the way there. Cut the summer jobs program (fiasco) and you're already a quarter of the way there.

]]> By: Adams Morgan http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/24/budget-shortfall-finally-some-hard-choices-for-fenty/comment-page-1/#comment-334896 Adams Morgan Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:00:40 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6875#comment-334896 Gadzooks...we're still getting crappy city services and now they are going to make cuts? Bet they won't be cutting anyone's property taxes anytime soon to go with the diminished services. Gadzooks...we're still getting crappy city services and now they are going to make cuts? Bet they won't be cutting anyone's property taxes anytime soon to go with the diminished services.

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