News today about the Federal Government shutdown is not good. And we're going to be stuck with the current Congress for another 16 months. Time is now for the County Board and School Board to implement their austerity spending plans (if such plans exist). The tax revenue streams derived from discretionary personal spending (sales tax, meals tax) that County Government uses to fund its extravagant vanity projects are rapidly drying up. Can tax revenue from other sources (home improvements, business expansion) be far behind?
Time for the County Board and School Board to immediately stop spending and borrowing to fund extravagant and unnecessary infrastructure - streetcars, lighted synthetic playing fields, million dollar bus shelters, elementary schools constructed with high school indoor athletic facilities, $350,000 painted fences and $450,000 brick walls pretending to be 'public art'.
Of course, Arlington being Neverland-on-the-Potomac and Arlington's First Yuppie being Gourmet Jay Fisette any sense of urgency regarding an impending fiscal crisis is drowned out by Arlington Government's theme song 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'.
Ted 22205
31 comments:
I am sick and tired of seeing vanity recreational infrastructure projects costing $1 million and more put on the County Board's consent agenda.
If you go form working full time to in-effect working part time you are not going to have money to dine out, take a yoga course, go shopping in Pentagon City. Economics 101. When will County Government get it?
Do the County Board and School Board even have Plan B budgets?
Why does the CivFed push creating an inspector general office when the CivFed's R and E Committee at most recommends adjustments to the County's bloated budget amounting to $3 million in a $1 billion budget?
Does County Government have a system in place to determine how much sales tax and meals tax revenue it's losing every day the governement shutdown continues? If not, why not?
This week Arlington residents are coughing up big dollars to pay real estate and personal property tax. How much discretionary income are they going to be left with to dine out?
Stay tuned to see how many expensive vanity projects get put on the CB consent agenda at the next CB meeting.
Meanwhile, Arlington Economic Development is persuading more yoghurt franchises and more defense contractors to move to Arlington.
They're just doing what their parents did in the Rust Belt 50 years ago before it became the Rust Belt. Only then it was manufacturing, not government.
How much would an IG be allowed to audit? Nickel and dime stuff that amounted to a couple million a year?
So how much is Arlington County losing in meals tax and sales tax revenue alone every day the shutdown continues?
Civfed? Inspector General? They can't even get Frank O'Leary to stop his stupid and wasteful car tax decal program.
Where is the concernby the business community? You would think Chamber Booster and Board Member Scott McCaffrey would be somewhat sympathetic to the plight of small businesses like take out restaurants that have seen a big decline in business.
Don't bother Scott. He's extremely busy right now with the Fairlington Fall squirrel census.
Yes, small service businesses are taking a big hit. Where is the concern by anyone other than this blog?
In arrears on paying your business taxes? Don't expect any sympathy from Frank O'Leary.
What will the Tea Partiers in Congress do for an encore? Yes, austerity spending by the county board and school board must be a priority.
Thanks for this blog. My wife has a business giving at-home yoga lessons and three of her customers cancelled additional lessons this week.
I thought Arlington Government's theme song is "Love Shack".
Take out restaurants are hurting for business, so are food trucks.
Small businesses that depend on disposable income will be really hurting if this goes on much longer.
County Board agenda for the next meeting will be out in a week.
Stop O'Leary's crazy car tax decal progrem before it gets any crazier.
Headline today (Saturday): Lockheed Martin to Furlough 3,000 on Monday.
Car tax, real estate tax, condo fee, mortgage, utilities all due the same week. Looks like I will have to dip into my savings. I don't work for the feds but do depend on disposable income from federal employees.
Yes, what will the Tea Party Congresspersons do next? Why is everyone pretending it's 2006?
Try being a home decorator as a profession.
"Economic Development" in Arlington appears to mean persuading more federal contractors and more types of food providers to locate and relocate here.
Talked with a couple of Tea Party demonstrators on Sunday. They want to fire half the government, keep DOD, NSA, and the CIA, of course.
Food truck dudes are hurting.
What's going to happen in January? More of the same? Why is Arlington taxing, borrowing, and spending like it's 2003?
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