Posts about Darrell Issa

Issa endorses better design: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) wants to give DC more autonomy to decide its own own building heights, and said building quality is more about "how well you go high" rather than absolute height. (City Paper) (Comment)

Words from the mayor for life: Marion Barry shares his impressions on Darrell Issa, Newt Gingrich, and Sharon Pratt Kelly in an interview with the City Paper. (Comment)

Darrell Issa, DC's best friend: When many thought House Republicans might try to re-impose the Control Board, oversight chairman Darrell Issa instead turned out to be a big advocate for more DC budget autonomy. How did that happen? (City Paper) (Comment)

New oversight: Budget autonomy supporter Darrell Issa is moving oversight of DC from a subcommittee to the full House Oversight and Government Reform committee, which he chairs. Eleanor Holmes Norton likes the change. (City Paper) (Comment)

Government

Steny Hoyer spreads myths about the District's budget

by Ken Archer • July 28, 2012 11:42 am

One of the predominant myths about the District is that the federal government fully compensates any costs or lost revenue it incurs as the Federal District. In reality, DC residents bear a heavy fiscal burden—to the tune of about $1 billion a year—because of a structural deficit that Congress could fix.

Photo by jcolman on Flickr.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, clearly understands this, stating last week that he is open to a measure that would shrink this deficit.

What about House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer? It was disappointing enough that the powerful Maryland Democrat came out immediately against Issa's proposal. Did he have to do it by evoking the myth that won't die?

The District's structural deficit begins with the fact that the largest employer and landowner in the city—the federal government—pays no property tax. Neither do embassies, non-governmental organizations or other nonprofits. Yet the District provides all of these institutions and their employees with the same services it provides to private, tax-paying property owners. The DC chief financial officer estimates that the District loses $540 million a year because of this.

Continue reading Ken's op-ed in the Washington Post. And please congratulate Ken for his first op-ed for the Post! We hope to see more of Ken's articles on the editorial pages in the future, as well as those from other frequent contributors.

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Tags: budget, commuter tax, Congress, Darrell Issa, DC, Steny Hoyer

Issa OK with commuter tax: Toward the end of a hearing on DC's height limit, Rep. Darrel Issa suggested that DC should be able to impose a commuter tax. Though even if such a proposal does get passed, it is unclear what other conditions there would be. (DCist) (Comment)

Raise the height limit?: Congressman Darrell Issa is talking to Mayor Gray about raising DC's height limit. The current proposal would just let currently-allowed mechanical penthouses hold livable space, not actually make taller buildings. (Post) (Comment)

Abortion provision kills nascent bill: District leaders have rejected a bill from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) that would permit the city to skip Congressional assent to spend its own money. Issa had inserted an anti-abortion provision. (Post) (Comment)

Issa giveth and taketh away for DC: Rep. Darrel Issa (R-CA) promised to give DC the ability to approve its own budget, but only if it restricts abortion funding. He also apparently didn't show any DC leaders the bill ahead of time. (Post) (Comment)

More autonomy, more meddling?: Darrell Issa's suggestion for more budget autonomy for DC also might help Congress meddle even more, but Martin Austermuhle argues that DC should accept it nevertheless. (Post) (Comment)

Issa would help DC: Vince Gray and Kwame Brown went up the hill expecting to be beaten up by Republicans; instead, Darrell Issa (R-CA) promised to push legislation keeping DC from getting stuck in future federal shutdowns. He also offered to stop having Congress meddle in DC's affairs. No, just kidding on that last part. (Loose Lips) (Comment)

House will probe Gray campaign: Staffers for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said they will investigate of Vincent Gray's mayoral campaign. (Post) ... This, of course, has Jack Evans worried about a new Control Board. (Examiner) ... Alan Suderman says Issa is unintentionally doing Gray a favor. (Loose Lips) (Comment)