Tax debate, part II

Taxes really never go away. First off, in response to Phil's comment from yesterday, commuter taxes are legal in all 50 states, just not in the District due to a 1974 law that is a protects the revenue that the bordering states would loose if DC got a commuter tax. Guess who wanted that law, the representatives and senators of MD and VA, guess who doesn't have a representative in Congress, DC. Hmmm, how'd that happen. Many cities already have a commuter tax, Philadelphia found when they enacted a rather aggressive commuter tax, businesses moved away. The government and all the tourist attractions are stuck in DC. , which is the largest employers in the District anyway. If a commuter tax was really illegal, I think it would have been tested before now. A city has a right to levy an income commuter tax to those who work in it's borders. People who work across state lines have to pay taxes to the state that they work in, but not live in. Happens all the time and is perfectly legal.

The greatest quote came from a DC Council member's mouth on this debate:
"'The only argument [the suburbs] have is: 'We're greedy. We do not want to pay our fair share,' " Evans said. 'I'm appalled at the people in Virginia. They're living up to their reputation of being narrow-minded. When you think of people in Virginia, you think of them as backward, and they confirm it on something like this.'"
That's fabulous.

I don't think this got a lot of news time, but has many people heard of that 31 year old ex-marine that ran off with a 12 year old Brit? Well, she was found. I have no idea why, but for some reason if an american gets kidnapped by an american, it would have been all over the news here. But an ex-Marine takes a minor who is 19 years old his junior away and it's gets buried in the back pages of the world section. Either way, the girl was not all there in the head, and neither was her mother (from the BBC article):
"Earlier on Wednesday, Shevaun's mother said she was desperate to have her daughter back home - with Mr Studabaker if necessary.
Joanna Pennington said: "I understand that she's got feelings for him and he may have feelings for her.
"I'm actually quite relieved that he's still with her in a way, because he's obviously helping to look after her.
"As long as she comes back, she can even come back with him, I'm not bothered - I just want her back."

Yeah, the ex-Marine looked after her daughter so well he took the unattended minor against the parents will across two international borders.

Cardinal Law is in the buidling. If I really felt like being fired I guess I could ask him his views about this ex-Marine and if he should just be given a new post.