Patterson Trying To Raise Hotel Tax

[Guest WCTC]

A critical issue emerged for our industry at the city council level on Tuesday and still exists today. A bill by Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) was scheduled for a

committee vote Tuesday afternoon that included a one percent increase on the hotel tax to pay for capital improvements for the DC school system. The bill was

introduced late on Monday and the hospitality industry was never consulted about a

tax that would greatly affect our ability to compete nationally. WCTC worked

diligently on this issue in concert with the Hotel Association and the DC Chamber of

Commerce on Tuesday. We were successful in getting the bill delayed, however the tax is still on the table.

 

Modernizing our city’s dilapidated school buildings is one of the most important

social concerns facing our city – and one that is the responsibility of DC’s entire

community, not just one industry. Piling on an additional percentage point to the

hotel tax will put DC in a negative position against our key competitors. We don’t

want to stall an industry that is so vital to the well-being of the District’s

economy and employs so many of our residents.

 

In the minds of many meeting planners and consumers, Washington, DC has risen to the top tier of destinations when considering costs associated with travel. It is

critical that we don’t put ourselves in the position that New York found itself in

during the 1990s, when meeting planners and consumers boycotted New York City as a destination. With high hotel rates and high tax rates, there was significant

business lost in New York hotels and associated hospitality businesses. The negative impact was not reversed until the taxes were reduced.

 

WE NEED YOUR VOICE.

 

 

Councilmember Patterson is convening a roundtable on Tuesday, October 25 to discuss what is at issue: how to come up with a roughly $15 million gap per year to improve and maintain our city’s school buildings.

 

 

We need you, as a concerned citizen, to contact council members via email, phone and fax to communicate with many voices the same message: RAISING THE HOTEL TAX IS NOT THE ANSWER. Raising the hotel tax will not only cripple our industry, it will have serious negative results on the District’s overall economy. When hotels sit empty, so do restaurant seats, taxi cabs, attractions and shops.

 

Please contact each member of the city council regarding this issue. You can find

email addresses and contact information for these representatives at the following

address - http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/members.html

 

 

Please do this now. Every voice and every minute counts.

[Guest DC Event Planner]

As both a resident and business owner in Washington, I was appalled to hear that this is the solution to fix our public schools. The travel and tourism industry is critical to our city. Although an increase to such a tax may not deter individual travelers, it will deter meetings and conventions. 9/11 destroyed the meeting and event industry for almost 2 years. We are finally getting back on our feet and can’t afford take another hit. Keep in mind that if the meetings and conventions don’t come to Washington, those participants also won’t be eating and shopping in our great city.

 

Washington has had more than a $15million surplus each year for the past few years. Why increase taxes when the money seems to already be there?

 

I do believe our school system need help. As a resident, I feel that what is needed even more than the money is money management. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, DC spent $13,330.00 per student, the highest in the continental US. How then, do we have some of the lowest achievement scores in the country. Something isn’t right, but it certainly can’t be fixed by throwing more money at the issue.

[Guest Jonathan Rees]

A critical issue emerged for our industry at the city council level on Tuesday and still exists today. A bill by Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) was scheduled for a

committee vote Tuesday afternoon that included a one percent increase on the hotel tax to pay for capital improvements for the DC school system. The bill was

introduced late on Monday and the hospitality industry was never consulted about a

tax that would greatly affect our ability to compete nationally. WCTC worked

diligently on this issue in concert with the Hotel Association and the DC Chamber of

Commerce on Tuesday. We were successful in getting the bill delayed, however the tax is still on the table.

 

Modernizing our city’s dilapidated school buildings is one of the most important

social concerns facing our city – and one that is the responsibility of DC’s entire

community, not just one industry. Piling on an additional percentage point to the

hotel tax will put DC in a negative position against our key competitors. We don’t

want to stall an industry that is so vital to the well-being of the District’s

economy and employs so many of our residents.

 

In the minds of many meeting planners and consumers, Washington, DC has risen to the top tier of destinations when considering costs associated with travel. It is

critical that we don’t put ourselves in the position that New York found itself in

during the 1990s, when meeting planners and consumers boycotted New York City as a destination. With high hotel rates and high tax rates, there was significant

business lost in New York hotels and associated hospitality businesses. The negative impact was not reversed until the taxes were reduced.

 

WE NEED YOUR VOICE.

 

 

Councilmember Patterson is convening a roundtable on Tuesday, October 25 to discuss what is at issue: how to come up with a roughly $15 million gap per year to improve and maintain our city’s school buildings.

 

 

We need you, as a concerned citizen, to contact council members via email, phone and fax to communicate with many voices the same message: RAISING THE HOTEL TAX IS NOT THE ANSWER. Raising the hotel tax will not only cripple our industry, it will have serious negative results on the District’s overall economy. When hotels sit empty, so do restaurant seats, taxi cabs, attractions and shops.

 

Please contact each member of the city council regarding this issue. You can find

email addresses and contact information for these representatives at the following

address - http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/members.html

 

 

Please do this now. Every voice and every minute counts.

The DC Public Schools has for years had more than enough money in its budget to address the upkeep of our schools but due to mismanagement of money and manpower it never happened.

 

There is no need to throw good money (new taxes) after bad until we address those who are guilty of the mismanagement!

 

Kathy Patterson has always solved problems with new taxes and has voted in favor of every proposed new tax contrary to her claim she hates to do it.

 

DC Public Schools like most of DC Government is TOP HEAVY. Meaning under Anthony Williams, we have twice as many $100,000.00 a year government employees than we did under Barry.

 

NEED MONEY? Then it is time to downscale the size of DC Government to a size equal to most cities our size and HOOP DE LA, we woild have that $1 billion dollars Patterson want and look MOM, no new taxes!

 

 

Jonathan R. Rees

Candidate for Ward 3 City Council

[Natalia1974]

In my opinion...

A good council member should think about the economic repercussion of every bill before it goes public. That is just plain common sense. But, then again I am a Manhattan girl living in a third world city.

 

Another thing...

 

When is the District going to revamp their DMV? I think it is a disgrace to our Capitol City.