By Joanne W. Young
D.C. is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The Council is considering new taxes, and the Democratic nominee for mayor, Janeese Lewis George, is a longtime member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Not one of the Council’s 13 seats is held by a Republican.
On November 3, voters can put a Republican on the Council and give one-party government a serious challenge. The people deciding how much we pay in taxes and how our police are funded need someone in the room who will make them defend every tax increase and every cut to public safety.
The Council heard seven tax proposals on October 16, including a business activity tax and a 3 percent surcharge on certain investment income for high-income taxpayers. Cut spending first. Residents need an opposition that will identify spending the city can do without, put those cuts to a vote and fight another round of tax increases.
The D.C. Chamber of Commerce warned that the proposed business tax could hit employers even when they lose money. A neighborhood restaurant struggling to cover rent and payroll could still owe more to the city. That is money it needs to keep its doors open and its workers employed.
Fund police recruitment and retention so more officers can patrol our neighborhoods. A Republican would vote against any budget that shrinks the force.
An opposition member can offer specific spending cuts and demand recorded votes. If the Council rejects those cuts and raises taxes instead, residents would see what it chose to protect at their expense.
That scrutiny should continue after the budget passes. Track police hiring and departures against the money spent on recruitment and retention. Press agency heads on contracts that run over budget and programs that miss their targets. When spending fails to deliver, push to cut it or put the money to better use.
On November 3, vote for the Republican Council candidates on your ballot. End the free pass for one-party government. You pay for the Council’s decisions. Put someone in the room who will challenge them.
Joanne W. Young is the Republican National Committeewoman for the District of Columbia.