JJ5

Interesting thread, and Ryan has made some valid points about taxation- especially over-taxation without ANY relative levels of representation, and also about tax flows to D.C.

But there are far more people than live in D.C. that have REAL taxation without representation in the USA. All those who are multiple home owners in states that demand homestead status for "singular" multiplier property taxes.

I have the same quote on a sign in front of my house in Michigan. As a non-homestead homeowner (with a primary home outside of the state of Michigan) I pay twice the property taxes as a Michigan only homesteader AND I have NO representation and no right to elect anyone or anything, even the dog-catcher. This last year they held their own special election to promote a new "millage" charge- which is primarily surtaxes for schools on a county level. Less than 200 out-of-staters are supporting almost 1/2 the county district's schools budget- right now. And they also want to build a new sewer plant /system for the farming/ vineyards off of us. What is happening is that they are going to kill the golden goose. Over time you will see many just switch their primary residence to Michigan so at least they have some voting privledges and input on millage decisions. Right now, I just consider it charity and don't begrudge the money as much as the fact that you have not one iota of input or influence in the institutions and levels of government that you are supporting.

One time a real old timer who was a homesteader got all pent up over some changes that he saw as corruption and wanted to dump a bunch of tea in some lakes and the St. Joe. But it is rather ironic.

Actually, I take those taxes in stride, because I have seen so much corrupt political machinery for so long, that I don't know if I believe there is a cure anymore. O'Bama?? We will wait and see.

Illinois and Chicago have such corrupt governmental organization that double dipping is a normal situation and the triple dippers are the ones who "may" get caught. Our Democratic Party in Chicago has been paying people to vote for more than 60 years that I know about personally. It would make Huey Long and Louisana look like kindergarten cliches. All those jokes about all the dead in the cemetaries voting are absolutely true too.

JJ5

And also, I forgot to add. Because I did work at a crisis center and did dispatch police a few years past, I learned that it is NOT a good idea to have all these different kinds of plates on the cars.

Vanity plate alphabet /number choices are ok- but all the plates from one state should have the exact same color and/or background feature. This is really getting to be a terrible identification problem nation-wide with police, because witnesses can never identify state or year easily any more.

repete

JJ5,
That's not an issue with the DC plates. It's the same color scheme and format, only the motto is changed.

This thread has plenty of misdirected/informed bile about DC's lack of voting rights.

The issue: surrounded by states with full rights, is a populace without them. no voting rep in Congress, the body that decides their fate. DC residents get no tax break for this lack of representation, in fact, their tax load is one of the greatest in the country.

And for having this high load, does DC get better infrastructure? Nope, just more roads to get closed off when any dignitary wants a trip to Ben's Chili Bowl.

Sure plenty of federal money comes here. It ain't cheap to run the federal government ... but is that any reason the residents shouldn't have the same rights as the person living across the street from them in Va. and Md.? (And that person in Va. and Md. also has a lower tax load.)

I have the feeling alot of this anti-DC stuff (beyond the obvious partisan issue) has to do with frustration about the way the federal govt. is operating ... and the ironic thing about that is D.C. voters had less of a say than anyone else.

If you're looking for an actual population that benefit incredibly from federal money, look to Alaska where there's no income tax, no state sales tax and the PFD, the annual grant to every man, woman and child (ranging from $919 to nearly $2,000 over the past 10 years.)

In the most recent federal spending bill, Anchorage got more than $900,000 for an outdoor ice rink -- but it had only requested $250,000.

Of course, the D.C. delegation did not vote for it, And it did not vote against it, either.

jor

DC gets more representation than any state does especially considering its tiny size. Every high rolling law maker and power broker who influences spending desicions lives or works there. And they sure aren't living and working in a dump. Beautiful federal subsidized subway, arport, office buildings, streets, etc. What the tax payer isn't force to pay for for, summer tourists pay for in the millions per day. Maybe DC residents should go to central Alabama to see how the other half lives (with so called representation).

nytraveler

Jor -

Sorry - you seem a little confused. Very few of the Wahington high rollers live in DC. They mostly live in the (very expensive and fashionable) suburbs.

As for federal subsidies for airports etc - all parts of the country get federal subsidies. And I believe that Alabama is one of the areas that gets the highest % of its income from Federal subsidies. As a matter of fact New York State (and NYC which support NYS) supports the 7 poorest states with its money to the federal gov't (including, I'm sure Alabama).

So, perhaps its a little more compicated than you think!

jor

repete, Alaska and Texas do not have state income taxes and 'state' sales tax because it is taken off the top of all oil revenues which residents depend on. That would include the oil products used by DC and the entire federal government. So yes, they pay taxes in one form or another.

Former resident of Texas

repete

Jor,
Got any idea what percent of oil pumped in Alaska comes from federal lands?

--Former Alaska who lived far better on the federal largesse in Alaska than those in D.C. do.