Comments on: Howell Introduces Bill to Restore Hotel Tax Surcharge

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:12:17 +0000

Gotta say, I really don’t cotton to the idea of our government officials being turned into lobbyists for an industry.

By: Deadite

Deadite — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:04:21 +0000

If the hotels want it so badly why don’t they just form and fund their own committee to promote tourism? Why wait around for the government to get off its butt?

By: Tim Hughes

Tim Hughes — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:49:54 +0000

To reply to drax – it is my understanding that the hotel surcharge funded specific efforts and positions. This really was a business backed tax because it was specifically allocated to a specific purpose of promoting hotels and tourism. After it was not re-upped a couple years ago, AED cut all those efforts so that $1 million in fact is gone. The hotels really want this back too, so this is not just local government wanting another revenue source.

By: DCBuff

DCBuff — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:41:43 +0000

Drax, I made my point–Arlington County’s spending habits are generally unimpeded by something like a singular revenue source going away when other revenue is available. What I’m asking for–and which you usually don’t ever provide–are facts. If those facts show that your statement is accurate, then great.

By: drax

drax — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:08:51 +0000

DCBuff, do you have a point to make? Or are you just acting like Deadite and trying to be right about something, even if it is meaningless?

By: drax

drax — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:07:21 +0000

Seriously, enough, Deadite.

Yes, government corruption happens. Duh. Sure, it’s possible that this particular program is corrupt. But it’s silly to bring that up now. It’s not relevant. There’s no evidence that it is corrupt. It was just your lame excuse to back up a lame comment. It’s possible that it is corrupt, and it’s possible that it is being used to secretly bring aliens to Arlington too. So what?

By: Deadite

Deadite — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:27:59 +0000

I cannot have a rational argument with one who believes that irresponsible government spending is some kind of a “wild, lazy conspiracy theory”. Open your eyes, man. That sh– happens every day.

By: Deadite

Deadite — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:24:00 +0000

That’s all fine and dandy but does nothing to explain the “taxpayer” part of his comment. His taxes have nothing to do with this. Had he said “Arlington resident” that would have made a lot more sense in your argument.

By: DCBuff

DCBuff — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:59:42 +0000

Really? Are you certain tourism promotion spending has dropped by $1 mil? Where can one find this information? I ask only because it is not the ArlCo way to stop spending.

By: SteamboatWillie

SteamboatWillie — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:34:48 +0000

Isn’t this another quotation from C.S. Lewis?

“This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia—in our world they usually don’t talk at all”