Bridget Todd

Like in my capacity as co-host for a local DC podcast, CityCastDC, I've spoken to a lot of people in DC government and reporters. And the best I can come up with is that Congress just really does not understand what they have done. A reporter that I spoke to said that There seemed to be confusion with lawmakers that we were talking about D.C. 's local tax money and not federal money.

Like in my capacity as co-host for a local DC podcast, CityCastDC, I've spoken to a lot of people in DC government and reporters. And the best I can come up with is that Congress just really does not understand what they have done. A reporter that I spoke to said that There seemed to be confusion with lawmakers that we were talking about D.C. 's local tax money and not federal money.

And so this was happening in March during the height of like Doge efficiency. I'm putting efficiency in like heavy scare quotes. It was at the height of that. And so the best I could think was that lawmakers thought like, oh, this will we will be able to like say that, you know, making D.C., cut a billion dollars from the budget will be a big show of federal tax dollar savings.

And so this was happening in March during the height of like Doge efficiency. I'm putting efficiency in like heavy scare quotes. It was at the height of that. And so the best I could think was that lawmakers thought like, oh, this will we will be able to like say that, you know, making D.C., cut a billion dollars from the budget will be a big show of federal tax dollar savings.

And so this was happening in March during the height of like Doge efficiency. I'm putting efficiency in like heavy scare quotes. It was at the height of that. And so the best I could think was that lawmakers thought like, oh, this will we will be able to like say that, you know, making D.C., cut a billion dollars from the budget will be a big show of federal tax dollar savings.

But we're not talking about federal money. We're talking about local tax money, not federal money. It doesn't save anybody any federal money. And so I think that from what I've heard, it sounds like people like Mike Johnson just maybe like did not really have a good understanding of that. It is a little bit complicated, but like if you're a lawmaker, like, come on, dude.

But we're not talking about federal money. We're talking about local tax money, not federal money. It doesn't save anybody any federal money. And so I think that from what I've heard, it sounds like people like Mike Johnson just maybe like did not really have a good understanding of that. It is a little bit complicated, but like if you're a lawmaker, like, come on, dude.

But we're not talking about federal money. We're talking about local tax money, not federal money. It doesn't save anybody any federal money. And so I think that from what I've heard, it sounds like people like Mike Johnson just maybe like did not really have a good understanding of that. It is a little bit complicated, but like if you're a lawmaker, like, come on, dude.

Exactly. And what's funny is that like For all the talk about how we're not a defund the police nation, this bill would kind of defund D.C. police. It would defund everything. It would mean like $67 million cut from the D.C. police budget, along with cutting funding for D.C. public schools and the Department of Human Services, which serves the city's poorest residents. Right.

Exactly. And what's funny is that like For all the talk about how we're not a defund the police nation, this bill would kind of defund D.C. police. It would defund everything. It would mean like $67 million cut from the D.C. police budget, along with cutting funding for D.C. public schools and the Department of Human Services, which serves the city's poorest residents. Right.

Exactly. And what's funny is that like For all the talk about how we're not a defund the police nation, this bill would kind of defund D.C. police. It would defund everything. It would mean like $67 million cut from the D.C. police budget, along with cutting funding for D.C. public schools and the Department of Human Services, which serves the city's poorest residents. Right.

So like it would defund everything, including the police. So it's like funny to be like, we're not down with defund the police, but we are down with this bill that kind of does it.

So like it would defund everything, including the police. So it's like funny to be like, we're not down with defund the police, but we are down with this bill that kind of does it.

So like it would defund everything, including the police. So it's like funny to be like, we're not down with defund the police, but we are down with this bill that kind of does it.

So our mayor has really been doing her diplomacy thing and appealing to exactly that. Right. Like Trump has been really clear about all these goals he has for the district, like beautifying D.C. and cracking down on crime and homelessness. There is no way to do that if you are slashing the budgets of these departments that are meant to work on those things by tens of millions of dollars.

So our mayor has really been doing her diplomacy thing and appealing to exactly that. Right. Like Trump has been really clear about all these goals he has for the district, like beautifying D.C. and cracking down on crime and homelessness. There is no way to do that if you are slashing the budgets of these departments that are meant to work on those things by tens of millions of dollars.

So our mayor has really been doing her diplomacy thing and appealing to exactly that. Right. Like Trump has been really clear about all these goals he has for the district, like beautifying D.C. and cracking down on crime and homelessness. There is no way to do that if you are slashing the budgets of these departments that are meant to work on those things by tens of millions of dollars.

Who's going to prune the cherry trees, Donald?

Who's going to prune the cherry trees, Donald?

Who's going to prune the cherry trees, Donald?