Sekou Biddle’s Awkward Tax Stance
Interim At-Large Councilmember Sekou Biddle just gave the 10 people running against him in the April special election an awkward flip-flop as an early Presidents' Day gift.
Biddle told Tim Craig at the Post and Freeman Klopott at the Examiner earlier this week that he wants the council to focus on making cuts to the budget to bridge a possible $600 million budget gap. But if higher taxes were necessary, he'd support raising them for people making $125,000 because he felt councilmembers should be included in any tax increases.
This hardly seems like the stuff of controversy—who wouldn't agree that the District's budget needs to be scrubbed before people start talking about tax increases. And taking the position that any tax increase ought to include councilmembers has a nice populist touch.
But Biddle is now balking, through a statement released from his office today:
"I do not support a tax hike on businesses, individuals or households making above $125,000. The District is facing a major fiscal shortfall but solving that problem doesn’t mean we need to be shortsighted. We can’t start the process of addressing our budget challenges by putting taxes on the table up front.
If we operate from the premise that savings and reduction in waste will allow us to balance the budget then we are likely to find the will to make the changes. If we start with the idea that we can tax residents for the revenue to operate the government irresponsibly, then we will. As responsible stewards of the city's finances, the Council has an obligation to provide the kind of oversight that delivers excellent government services without spending beyond the District’s current revenue base.
Being responsible stewards means reducing waste, creating efficiencies and balancing the budget without raising taxes. The most recent audit of the District’s budget revealed that there are numerous examples of waste in the government. The Council should share the burden of fixing this problem by considering cuts to its own budget.
If we make the right decisions today, we will be in a much stronger position to make important investments when the economy rebounds and we finally return to the days of budget surpluses."
LL thought that first line in the third graf was pretty clear that Biddle was making a "read my lips, no new taxes" type statement, but others read it different. So LL reached out to Biddle's spokesman, James Jones, for clarification.
Says Jones, via email: "The councilmember feels spending cuts and eliminating waste are the best ways to address the budget deficit. Tax increases should be considered a last resort and do not appear necessary at this time."
Clear enough?
7:08 pm
Huh? What? Ok, Mr. Flip-Flop. ...will the real Slim Shadey, please stand up!
8:27 am
I am not voting for Mr. Biddle. No matter who the DC Democrats support. He is not very literate and he reminds me of Adrian Fenty when he speaks. (not very well). This Council requires someone with an accounting background who isn't afraid to go against the popular entitlement agenda and exercise some fiscal discipline. Of all the candidates, Vincent Orange, has such credentials. He has gathered enough signatures to get on the ballot, on his own, with little money. I believe my vote will be better served by VO than Mr. Biddle. That is who is getting my vote.
10:17 am
Flip-flopping ALREADY??? That tells you ALL you need to know.
10:43 am
DCDem = Vince Orange.
Thanks for posting, sir.
10:43 am
Nice of LL to publish Biddle's drivel in its entirety.
Biddle can already print his campaign posters:
"Endorsed by the City Paper"
10:47 am
I don't think Councilmember Biddle is flip flopping--tax increases are a last resort and that has not been decided yet. I think it is great that he states that the increase will start at the level of councilmembers.
11:16 am
Be a close-to-unpaid ombudsman-type in public education long enough and don't threaten anyone, being a nice, unthreatening guy, and eventually you will be called to become a CM candidate.
I object to DCDem: There's no evidence of Fenty's overwhelming narcissism, brought to full flower by the acclaim he garnered for constituent service as a CM. Biddle is the consumate, modest, team player.
Next up: In Ward 8, Eugene DeWitt Kinlow for school board. Is there a political options market on when he succeeds Marion Barry?
3:03 pm
BIDDLE IS A JOKE! He is a liar or maybe he just forgets what he say out of his mouth!
BIDDLE IS NOT WORTH US WASTING VOTES!
He hangs out with the GOOD OLE NETWORK!
3:05 pm
Biddle is TROUBLE! Biddle please go back to teaching school, that is you best bet! I heard you were and an Ok teacher@ Kipp. Please drop out the race to spare you and your family drama!
3:09 pm
SEKOU BIDDLE IS AWKWARD....GREAT WORD TO DESCRIBE HIM!
3:10 pm
@DCDEM: This Council requires someone with an accounting background who isn't afraid to go against the popular entitlement agenda and exercise some fiscal discipline. Of all the candidates, Vincent Orange, has such credentials.
AH HAHAHAHAHAHA! You have got to be kidding me! Orange is a lightweight Kwame Brown, which is really saying something. I'll give you this much, at least Orange doesn't have a track record of financial impropriety like Kwame, Brown, Barry, and Thomas. What a bunch of stooges.
Incidentally, Kwame is speaking at an event in a few weeks that I can attend. Looking forward to asking him why he can't just pay his friggin bills.
3:11 pm
@inward4- You don't think he flip-flopped on raising taxes?? You are joking, right?
@incredulous-"consumate, modest, team player"?? Yes, that how you would describe a puppet!!
We need leadership, real vision, no nonsense LEADERSHIP!
Everything Biddle has is on loan from Brown or Gray. His staff, his fundraising, his host committee members, his endorsements, his opinions, etc., check his suits they might have an expiration date. And when he gets a notion or an idea of his own, he jumps out there and making idiotic statements like "raising taxes" only to come out the next day and say "my bad", I did not mean it that way, yadda, yadda.
3:14 pm
BIDDLE GUESS WHAT.....PEOPLE REALLY DO NOT LIKE YOU!
ESPECIALLY US IN WARDS 7 & 8! PLEASE GO AWAY!
YOU FENTY LOVER!
3:17 pm
I am not voting for Mr. Biddle.
Mr. Orange is the best person for the job
out of these 11 candidate!
11:00 am
Maybe Biddle will rethink his tax stance, when he sees the history of DC tax rates and Gini index (inequality index) numbers for DC as compared with Third World countries:
http://sociologyinmyneighborhood.blogspot.com/2011/04/globalization-in-my-neighborhood.html