Latest news with #homeRule
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Says He's Weighing Federal Takeover of Washington, DC
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing whether to take control of the city of Washington, DC, to help combat crime, in a move that would represent a dramatic upheaval to the capital's half-century of home rule. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Are Tourists Ruining Europe? How Locals Are Pushing Back Can Americans Just Stop Building New Highways? Denver City Hall Takes a Page From NASA Philadelphia Trash Piles Up as Garbage Workers' Strike Drags On 'We could run DC. I mean, we're looking at DC,' Trump said during a cabinet meeting Tuesday, where he was holding court at length in front of cameras. 'We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that's run flawlessly.' Trump said that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is in touch with the mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser. He did not specify what he meant by the White House potentially running the city. Bowser, a Democrat, has cultivated a closer relationship with Trump during his second term, visiting the White House to tout legislative efforts to ensure the city's National Football League franchise can build a new stadium at the site of its former home near the Anacostia River and removing the Black Lives Matter plaza near the White House. Still, Trump has occasionally criticized the city over its crime rate and homeless encampments. 'We've had a good relationship with the mayor, and we're testing it to see if it works,' Trump said. Legislation passed in 1973 granted residents of DC the right to elect their own local government, though Congress is still able to review local laws and the city's budget. Residents of the city don't have voting representatives in the Congress. Trump made the comment after warning against the prospect of Zohran Mamdani winning the New York mayor's race. Trump said New Yorkers should not vote for Mamdani in November, calling him a 'communist,' and went so far as vaguely suggesting interest in exerting some federal influence on the city. 'If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same, but we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to,' he said, before pivoting to discussing Washington. He later added: 'New York City will run properly. We're going to bring New York back.' He didn't elaborate. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, hit back at the President. 'Donald Trump has once again chosen to treat democracy like a suggestion and insult the more than half a million New Yorkers who voted for Zohran Mamdani's leadership and a city they can afford,' a campaign spokesperson said in a statement. 'Zohran Mamdani won with a mandate, receiving the most primary votes in New York City history and as mayor, he will not allow Donald Trump to tear this city apart.' Mamdani won the Democratic primary election held last month. He'll face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who's running as an independent, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and another independent, Jim Walden. (Updates with Mamdani response in penultimate paragraph.) Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions Pistachios Are Everywhere Right Now, Not Just in Dubai Chocolate 'Telecom Is the New Tequila': Behind the Celebrity Wireless Boom SNAP Cuts in Big Tax Bill Will Hit a Lot of Trump Voters Too ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Weighing Federal Takeover of Washington, DC
President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing whether to take control of the city of Washington, DC, to help combat crime, in a move that would represent a dramatic upheaval to the capital's half-century of home rule. 'We could run DC. I mean, we're looking at DC,' Trump said during a cabinet meeting Tuesday, where he was holding court at length in front of cameras. 'We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that's run flawlessly.' (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Says He's Weighing Federal Takeover of Washington, DC
President Donald Trump said his administration is weighing whether to take control of the city of Washington, DC, to help combat crime, in a move that would represent a dramatic upheaval to the capital's half-century of home rule. 'We could run DC. I mean, we're looking at DC,' Trump said during a cabinet meeting Tuesday, where he was holding court at length in front of cameras. 'We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that's run flawlessly.'
CBS News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Election results in Colorado's Douglas County show a majority of voters don't want home rule
Election results in Douglas County are making it clear that a majority of voters in the Colorado county do not want home rule. People gather in Douglas County after Tuesday's vote. CBS With approximately 98% of the votes counted, nearly 90,000 people voted in Tuesday's election, and of the votes counted so far about 71% said no to the proposal while almost 29% said yes. It's a win for the community members who have been vocal about concerns that the effort was rushed and that home rule in the county would lead to court battles with the state that would cost taxpayers money. Angela Thomas, who ran against Commissioner George Teal in his most recent race for the Douglas County commission, organized a group against home rule called Stop the Power Grab. "I'm gobsmacked that we were able to defeat this by 70%," Thomas said. "And that was the work of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated alike to say we aren't prepared to look at this. You've tried to push this down our throat. We're not going to do this." On the other hand, Commissioner George Teal was disappointed that it appears the home rule proposal has failed. However, he conceded the community wanted more information and felt like the effort moved too fast. "I was really hoping to be able to say 'Hey it's early in the night. Let's see what goes on,' but the results right now given what has been counted is pretty definitive," Teal said. "Home rule was always about building a vision for Douglas county. That's not going to go away. That will be here next year. That will be here in 2 years," he said. Teal is leaving the door open for another home rule attempt in the future. He said "home rule initiatives never pass on the first go." Teal says he's committed to having conversations with the community about what they want to see and that another home effort could in theory come as soon as this November. Meanwhile, the home rule opponents say they're prepared to fight this effort again if they need to.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Home rule special election questioned by Colorado county voters, as well as developer backing
Debate over home rule in Douglas County is heating up, with residents set to vote on the matter in less than two weeks. A special election will ask voters if they want the county to create their own home rule charter and who should serve on a charter commission. If voters say yes to home rule in the special election, the commission will craft a charter that will be voted on in November. CBS County leaders say that charter could free the county from strict state laws and increase local control over things such as taxes, gun laws and immigration enforcement. Douglas County residents should already have received their special election ballots. That June 24 election is costing the county about $500,000, and many are asking why it needed to happen so quickly. "I've never seen such backlash across party lines in the county," said Barrett Roth, a Douglas County resident. "If you rush, we don't have time to ask questions of the people that matter and can influence our votes." When Barrett Roth first heard about home rule, he wasn't sure how to feel. "I think, like everyone else, I was kind of shocked, and had to learn a lot about it," Roth said. And learn more he did. Reading through campaign finance reports, Roth found the "Yes on Local Control" campaign had received $110,000 in donations. Westside Property Investment Company, the developer behind Dawson Trails, contributed $10,000. Ventana Capital, which has numerous projects underway in the county, contributed $50,000, far surpassing any previously recorded donation under their name. Ventana is also involved in litigation with the city of Castle Pines over the city council's denial of a proposed McDonald's. "Why would a land developer be interested in home rule? If it's for all these liberal versus conservative policies, it's clearly for a land grab," Roth said. CBS Colorado reached out to both companies to ask why they supported the campaign. Westside had "no comment," and Ventana did not respond. "There are four committees that are set up in favor of home rule. I actually don't know all these people. So I don't know," County Commissioner George Teal told CBS Colorado. "We will have greater control of how we set the tax base for businesses under home rule. Maybe that's their interest." Teal says he doesn't know why the developers support home rule, but that the charter could give the county more local control over zoning and exempt them from some state development statutes. "We're pursuing home rule to put ourselves in a legal position here, as a legal entity of the state of Colorado, to have more local control," Teal said. "When you talk about public safety, you talk about having more control over our taxes and being able to lower taxes when we want to as we need to. And then when it comes to being able to work with other government agencies, home rule gives us far greater control with how we interact with other levels of government here in America." Other donors to the pro home rule campaign include "The Cundy Harbor Irrevocable Trust," which contributed $50,000, Teal's wife Laura Teal, who contributed $100, and Laura Tonner, who contributed $100. Tonner is married to Sean Tonner of Renewable Water Resources, the water developer behind a controversial plan to bring water from the San Luis Valley to Douglas County. On the other side, "Stop the Power Grab", a group opposing home rule, has received a total of $30,000 from hundreds of donors, including local Democratic politicians. Roth is a member of the group. He feels the promises being made about home rule are misleading. Metropolitan State University of Denver professor Dr. Robert Preuhs previously told CBS Colorado home rule does grant more policy-making authority to counties, but it may not be so easy to disregard state laws. Legal battles may ensue after controversial decisions to determine whether the matter is truly a local or a state concern. "The county commissioners will tell you that home rule will allow them to supersede state law," Roth said. "They've talked about how they can pass laws on gun safety, on abortion rights, on plastic bag fees, and try to battle the state. Well, the battles will take place in court." "As long as it is not a matter dealt with in state law, the home rule county does have the ability to legislate," Teal said. Roth feels home rule will waste taxpayer money on legal battles and the special election. "We're going to have an election in November 2025, so just in a few months, they could have placed it on the ballot for free in just a few months," Roth said. "But, instead, they're rushing it over the summer to the tune of $500,000 of taxpayer money. That's real money." "Right now, the cost of the election is coming in at just under $500,000," Teal said. "Average cost of a home in Douglas County is $800,000, so for less than the average cost of a home here in the county, we get to chart our own course and have that legal mechanism under the state constitution for complete local control." Roth was also upset to receive a white book from the county on the home rule measure that did not include an opposing viewpoint. "They're essentially putting out campaign literature on taxpayer dime," Roth said. The county says they have pro-con statements on their home rule webpage. "I do think home rule is the right thing to do, and I certainly encourage everyone to vote yes," Teal said. As the election draws near, tensions are running high over the county's future. "Often, the community feels very divided. If you talk to people, they feel pretty united that this is being rushed," Roth said. "It's a waste of money. It's something no one asked for, and I do think it's going to fail pretty substantially." One week before the special election, the county will hold one last town hall to answer any remaining questions. The town hall will be online at 6 p.m. June 17. Saturday, a "No Kings" protest held in Castle Rock will also protest the home rule initiative locally.
