Offices in the DC area are filled with uptight Type A who want to turn the world of fire! (Washington: lawyer, luxury)
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The grand theory also fails on the fact that many of the outfalls listed at the end happened in cities across the country. Sure government spending fueled most of it here (it will forever amaze me that people can be shocked that a region built to exist off tax dollars does) but increased home prices, mortgage failures, house flipping, increased demand for urban living by the middle class, increased traffic, etc.. were all experienced nationally.
Need to look more broadly to understand cause and effect.
I should clarify: I agree that way too much money is spent in this area on defense and corporate lobbying. I just think it's unrealistic to expect this area's economy to be based primarily on anything but federal tax revenue.
Washington, D.C. was not built to exist off of tax dollars.
It was supposed to be a centralized headquarters for the Federal government whose sole responsibility was the protection of American rights for American citizens as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. That's it!
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Mason did not intend for an American capital to be a huge money siphon to be used to enrich .001% of Americans at the expense of the other 99.999% of Americans.
Washington, D.C. was not built to exist off of tax dollars.
It was supposed to be a centralized headquarters for the Federal government whose sole responsibility was the protection of American rights for American citizens as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. That's it!
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Mason did not intend for an American capital to be a huge money siphon to be used to enrich .001% of Americans at the expense of the other 99.999% of Americans.
However big or small the nation's capital was intended to be or should be, and that's a legitimate debate that's been going on since the founders argued between creating a strong centralized federal presence and a diffuse state power, Washington, DC was still created to exist off of federal taxes that allow it to protect ... "American rights for American citizens as outlined in the U.S. Constitution." You can't get around that fact with a government city.
However big or small the nation's capital was intended to be or should be, and that's a legitimate debate that's been going on since the founders argued between creating a strong centralized federal presence and a diffuse state power, Washington, DC was still created to exist off of federal taxes that allow it to protect ... "American rights for American citizens as outlined in the U.S. Constitution." You can't get around that fact with a government city.
NO!
The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is supported by TAX REVENUE (and borrowed money from China but that's for another thread).
The CITY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. AND THE METRO AREA was never intended to be a massive taxpayer-funded money magnet siphoning off what little cash recession addled Americans have left!!
Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, McLean, Potomac, Falls Church, etc. are not wealthy enclaves because its citizens are better at producing important products and services than other towns in America.
They are rich because the townspeople have their mouths firmly attached to the breast of SugarDaddy government.
How can D.C. types justify the lifestyle of lobbyists, contractors and PR executives who have milked the system during a brutal recession? Where else in America can you find sympathy for such greed (except Wall Street, the #1 beneficiary of D.C. filtered tax money OUTSIDE of D.C.)?
What kind of approval ratings does the Federal Government have OUTSIDE of the Beltway?
The DC economy boomed during the 2000s when George W. Bush was president and the Congress was majority Republican. The response to the 9/11 terror attacks and then the military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan generated billions of dollars in annual revenue for contractors (large and small) in the DC region. There was a significant flow of federal government funding to firms specializing in electronic surveillance, computer/data security, satellite technology, advanced weapon systems like drones, biological and radioactive detection systems, and private security services.
I definitely see this as how DC became so prominent with all the jobs, while other places not so much.
I attach it directly with the Bush Administration. Plus Homeland Security and FIMA. Bush created a lot of government.
Among Fox News types, it seems there is a belief that Obama created a lot of federal government. All newcoming administrations do to some extent.
But starting 10 years ago, it seems to be that metro DC became filled with a ton more gov't-related jobs/opportunities than within the last two years with Obama. Not saying Obama hasn't been good for DC (as he doesn't seem to be reversing any of it), but Bush created massive, massive amounts of government during his administration.
The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is supported by TAX REVENUE (and borrowed money from China but that's for another thread).
The CITY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. AND THE METRO AREA was never intended to be a massive taxpayer-funded money magnet siphoning off what little cash recession addled Americans have left!!
Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda, McLean, Potomac, Falls Church, etc. are not wealthy enclaves because its citizens are better at producing important products and services than other towns in America.
They are rich because the townspeople have their mouths firmly attached to the breast of SugarDaddy government.
How can D.C. types justify the lifestyle of lobbyists, contractors and PR executives who have milked the system during a brutal recession? Where else in America can you find sympathy for such greed (except Wall Street, the #1 beneficiary of D.C. filtered tax money OUTSIDE of D.C.)?
What kind of approval ratings does the Federal Government have OUTSIDE of the Beltway?
You're confusing two topics to try and make some talk radio political point, but here's the facts: none of this metro area (except a few small towns) would exist without Washington and Lincoln choosing to create a city for the sole purpose of housing a federal government.
DC was created to receive federal taxes and use them to provide for defense, the general welfare, and all the other things listed in the Constitution. This is not debatable. The discussion of how much money DC should receive is an entirely different topic.
You're confusing two topics to try and make some talk radio political point, but here's the facts: none of this metro area (except a few small towns) would exist without Washington and Lincoln choosing to create a city for the sole purpose of housing a federal government.
DC was created to receive federal taxes and use them to provide for defense, the general welfare, and all the other things listed in the Constitution. This is not debatable. The discussion of how much money DC should receive is an entirely different topic.
Wonder if Washington and Lincoln could ever have envisioned the huge cadre of vampires (aka federal contractors, lobbyists, law firms, etc.) that would surround that federal government in that city and suck up so many of those tax dollars for their own special interests.
Wonder if Washington and Lincoln could ever have envisioned the huge cadre of vampires (aka federal contractors, lobbyists, law firms, etc.) that would surround that federal government and suck up so many of those tax dollars.
Probably did.
I think Lincoln had a similar problem with the Civil War....
I also recall some story about the railroad, and people were afraid it would become incorporated and become politically influential and powerful. So, they'd give such businesses a temporary 'title' to do business.
Somewhere along the line, corporations became 'people' capable of receiving rights and freedoms, etc.
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