A big part of the reason why DC has these problems is because they do not control much of their own budgeting due to the nature of how the federal government manages the territory.
Calling it a "dump" is interesting, especially compared to some other cities that have much larger populations, budget, and representation. I've been in the DMV for nearly twenty years and much prefer living here than other metro areas because it is simply a lot cleaner and safer. Baltimore and Philadelphia are both cities that are much worse than living in DC proper.
Many cities have to deal with multiple levels of government, e.g. a state and county government. And DC has a massive budget. DC’s actual 2024 expenditures were $18.7 billion. Austin is $6 billion and Travis County is another $2 billion. San Diego’s budget is about $9 billion.
Philadelphia and Baltimore have a median income half that of DC. They’re among the poorest large cities in the country, while DC is one of the richest.
DC’s problem is that it’s run by people that are somehow dumber than Congress. A literal crackhead was mayor in the 1990s. I think Mayor Bowser is actually doing an excellent job,[1] but she’s the first good mayor the city has had in my lifetime, and everyone around her sucks.
[1] My theory is that Bowser secretly doesn’t hate Trump that much. She’s not a Resistance type, and always says something like “well I don’t agree but we’ll do our best.” https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5446868-dc-crime-tr... (“I’m going to work every day to make sure it’s not a complete disaster. Let me put it that way.”).
Calling it a "dump" is interesting, especially compared to some other cities that have much larger populations, budget, and representation. I've been in the DMV for nearly twenty years and much prefer living here than other metro areas because it is simply a lot cleaner and safer. Baltimore and Philadelphia are both cities that are much worse than living in DC proper.