Partial sanity returned last week to the D.C. Council, when most members indicated they wouldn’t support a tax on sodas. Councilwoman Mary Cheh had proposed it to finance implementation of legislation mandating better lunches and more exercise for city schoolchildren.
The nanny in chief, like many liberals, believes whole industries must be destroyed and residents must be bludgeoned into submission to effect behavioral change.
But McDonald’s isn’t serving salads because of a government mandate. The corporation recognized the shift in consumers’ attitudes and expanded its menu. That’s the way it works.
Still, don’t expect Cheh to check in to nanny rehab. And don’t think the council suddenly has become frugal. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray pledged to find the $6 million for the Healthy Schools Act.
Even as they attempted to close a $500 million revenue shortfall for 2011, some legislators were having difficulty setting spending priorities and cutting the budget. They couldn’t even bring themselves to vote down Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s request for a broad range of fines and fees — although they correctly accused him of nickel-and-diming residents.
Instead, they stamped “Return to Sender” on the mayor’s legislation. That throwback could result in an unbalanced 2010 budget, warned Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi.
Hello, financial control board.
Some legislators would love to finger Fenty for the control board’s return. What better way to push him out of office? But the adage “the mayor proposes and the council disposes” is more than rhetoric. By law, the budget is the sole province of the legislative branch.
Ultimately, the council will close the budget gap — even if does so irresponsibly, as it is poised to do: Ward 5’s Harry Thomas Jr. has proposed amending the city’s constitution to allow the District to tax the income of nonresident city government workers. Many states have similar authority; the District doesn’t.
Notwithstanding the inequity, Thomas is on a fool’s errand. Maryland and Virginia are hurting for money. They aren’t going to allow the District to pick their pockets. And because amendments to the Home Rule Charter must be approved by Congress — where both states have voting representatives and the District doesn’t — the proposal will never see daylight.
That may explain why instituting furloughs has gained traction. A two-to-seven-day, unpaid, mandatory vacation for nonessential workers would have the same effect of Thomas’ proposal — without the need for congressional approval: Sixty percent of District workers live outside the city. Labor unions might not embrace the plan. But for those eight council members seeking re-election or bidding for a higher office, furloughs would mean limited voter backlash.
Shout hallelujah.
But, here’s the problem: Furloughs, fees, and a commuter tax are temporary fixes for what ails the city — overspending. The cure could be creating a government 12-step program: “Hello, I’m a District elected official and I can’t stop wasteful spending of the public’s money.”
Jonetta rose barras can be reached at [email protected].
