Posts tagged Cat:budget
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Arlington can’t forget what made it what it is
It’s a truism in politics that if you repeat a statement often enough, people will believe it, regardless of whether it’s true. In Arlington, a cohort of commentators and activists has been chanting that the County Board is full of profligate spenders. Now that claim has started to have currency in county politics, even though it’s grounded in little at all. Keep reading…
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Cheh funds 11th Street Bridge Park, trees and recreation for Ivy City, and an Upper Northwest pool
Transportation chair Mary Cheh has released her serious budget proposals today, and has added funding to design and build a park on the piers of the old 11th Street Bridge, give the neglected Ivy City neighborhood new trees and a recreation center, and more. Keep reading…
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O’Malley unveils transportation funding plan
Yesterday, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley released his proposal to restructure Maryland’s gas taxes to raise $3.4 billion for transportation over 5 years. The plan is superficially similar to the recent Virginia transportation funding bill, but improves upon it in several ways. Maryland needs new revenue this year. Without it, the Purple Line, the Corridor… Keep reading…
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Support Maryland’s economy, increase the gas tax
Improving Maryland’s transportation network isn’t just about being “green,” or even moving people and goods. It’s about supporting our regional economy, and a small increase in the gas tax can go a long way. Earlier this week, University of Maryland Diamondback columnist Andrew Do argued that increasing Maryland’s gas tax would be… Keep reading…
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It’s not Wheaton vs. Bethesda, but smart growth vs. bad
Montgomery officials say there isn’t enough money in the capital budget to pay for both a new Bethesda Metro entrance and redeveloping Wheaton. But there is plenty of money, if only the county deferred some of the new and wasteful highways that will only worsen sprawl and shift the county’s growth away from the places that can best accommodate it. Wheaton residents… Keep reading…
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Raise Maryland’s gas tax? Only if it’ll be spent wisely
Would you give away your money if you had little idea where it was going? Probably not. But that is what could happen to Maryland residents if the General Assembly passes a gas tax bill that doesn’t give us a better plan for how our transportation dollars are spent. Right now, Governor O’Malley is working on a bill to levy a 6% sales tax on gasoline, adding about 18¢… Keep reading…
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O’Malley’s sales tax on gas is the right way to fund transport
In his Wednesday state-of-the-state speech, Governor Martin O’Malley proposed ending the exemption of gasoline from Maryland’s 6% sales tax. This is the best way for the state to get more money for transportation. Ending the sales tax exemption, rather than increasing the gas tax beyond the current 23½¢ per gallon, accomplishes two things. First,… Keep reading…
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Wells would keep Circulator fare, expand CaBi, and more
Tommy Wells would like to keep the Circulator fare at $1, add 40 more Capital Bikeshare stations, hire needed people at DDOT including a parking czar, set up performance parking on H Street, fund green alleys, and more. Increased residential parking fees, including for households with extra vehicles, and some higher fines will pay for these priorities. These are some of the recommendations… Keep reading…
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Got any big ideas for the DDOT budget?
DC faces huge budget gaps, and every agency is being asked to make cuts, most of which take a little from everything. For DDOT, do you have any ideas for bigger cuts that should be considered, or revenue increases to look into? The DC Council held a marathon hearing yesterday to listen to feedback on closing DC’s massive budget gap. Most of the witnesses just asked for specific… Keep reading…
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On the calendar: Peds, bikes, transit budgets, and art
Big plans for DC streets; WMATA hearings; Local budget hearings; Go M.V. go!. Keep reading…