jeb@JamesBarlia
5 Ideas for the Next Mayor of DC
1. Remove the Height Restriction - DC is one of the only major cities in the world that legally caps how tall its buildings can be. More housing and more building will make DC more livable on every level - more units, more density, more retail, more convenience, more life on the streets, more affordability. Yes, repealing the Height Act requires an act of Congress but the mayor sets the agenda, makes the ask, and applies the pressure. That's the job. Petition Congress and let this city grow up.
2. Cut Taxes Across the Board - Find me someone who is looking forward to paying taxes. No one is excited to do that. Low taxes are the mechanism by which a city signals it wants people and businesses here. When taxes are competitive, companies and residents choose DC over Northern Virginia and Maryland. Those companies bring jobs, salaries, and spending that ripple through every neighborhood - and a growing economy generates more total revenue even at lower rates. Cut property taxes, corporate taxes, and income taxes. Make DC the most competitive tax environment on the East Coast.
2a. No Income Tax for Anyone Under 30 - DC has one of the most extraordinarily unique concentrations of young, educated talent in the world - Georgetown, GWU, Howard, American, Catholic. Most of them leave. How do you get the smartest, brightest people in the world to come here and stay? You make it so undeniable they can't say no. Eliminate income tax for any full-time employed DC resident under 30. Keep even 10% of those people and the city transforms over a decade.
3. Pay Teachers More Than Anywhere in America - The relationship between a teacher and a student is the foundation for everything - safety, flourishing, opportunity. DC should be the highest-paying school district in the country, attract the best educators on earth, and build a curriculum that actually reflects the real world: financial literacy, EQ skills, entrepreneurship, technology, and civic life. The capital of the free world should have the best schools in the free world.
4. Government Services Strike Force - Ever tried to use DC 311? Or DC Health Link? Or get a business license? Every resident-facing government service gets rebuilt from scratch. No service exists unless it is intuitive, can be completed by a resident in less than 10 minutes, and above all, meets people where they are.
4a. Build a Transparency Dashboard - Every DC resident deserves to know exactly what their government is doing and spending money on at any moment. Build a public dashboard that serves as the city's live report card - every active project, every deadline, every dollar spent, every metric that matters, all in one place. Hard deadlines, radical transparency, full accountability.
4b. Permitting Reform - If the city hasn't responded to your permit application in 30 days, it's automatically approved. No exceptions. Slow permitting kills businesses before they open. Permit by silence changes the incentive structure entirely and sends an immediate signal that DC is open for business.
5. Embrace Our Unique Differentiation - No city on earth has what DC has - the capital of the most powerful country in history, home to the world's top policy institutions, universities, federal agencies, companies, and international organizations. But that's only half the story. DC also has a deep, proud local culture and history - 5 pro sports teams, world-class food, a thriving music scene. Lean into the global brand (government, power, history, influence) to get people here. Use the culture to make them never want to leave. The brand can, and should, be an economic engine.
PS - these are just ideas. Steal them, improve them, disagree with them, propose something better. Whatever. That's the point. The best idea should win. I'm just biased toward whatever makes DC thrive.
