To the Editor:
What will it take to get Council to understand — and act — on the fact that their cycle of spending more money than we have — to pay for discretionary services we cannot afford — and then raising taxes — is killing our city? Your July 21 article, “Market Affordable Homes in Freefall,” cites tax increases as causing rent increases and thereby forcing low income residents out of the city. This is a real problem and one that all the council members bemoaned when running for office last year.
Some examples of unnecessary spending include: the “King Street Complete Streets Project” to reduce King Street between Chinquapin Drive and Janneys Lane from four to two lanes — which solves a problem that does not exist and will create needless traffic congestion; subsidizing the Capital Bike Share program rather than making users support it; and paying for a July fireworks display the week after the one on the National Mall. I could go on and on. By definition none of these discretionary expenditures were funded, because if we had the money we would not have to raise taxes.
Note to council: A few months ago the mayor said that the council would have to start making hard choices on budget requests — please do that.
Edward M. Templeman
Alexandria