Demonstration tomorrow

[Anonymous]

For those who want to tell Congress that the people of DC deserve Democracy, DC Vote is having a demonstration at 7 AM tomorrow. See http://www.dcvote.org/events/event.cfm?eventID=570 for details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those who want to tell Congress that the people of DC deserve Democracy, DC Vote is having a demonstration at 7 AM tomorrow. See http://www.dcvote.org/events/event.cfm?eventID=570 for details.

You could have a demonstration every day from now until Hell freezes over but DC Statehood is a fantasy.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:You could have a demonstration every day from now until Hell freezes over but DC Statehood is a fantasy.

Every political accomplishment worth achieving started as a fantasy. How different would your circumstances be if your forefathers had chosen not to attempt that which was difficult?

[Anonymous]

the only remote possibility (i.e., acceptable to national politicians) would be to make DC part of Maryland, but Maryland doesn't want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the only remote possibility (i.e., acceptable to national politicians) would be to make DC part of Maryland, but Maryland doesn't want it.

A full vote in the House for our delegate would hardly be revolutionary. DC is treated like a state for other purposes, it could easily be an interpretation of the 14th Amendment right to be citizens of the state in which we reside that we can be among the "states" with representation in the House. Like I have said elsewhere, if the 1st Amendment is powerful enough to turn corporations into persons for purposes of free speech, the 14th could turn a district into a state for the purpose of representative democracy.

Otherwise, why don't we be honest and give us our true name, Washington, PC (Plantation of Columbia)?

[Anonymous]

Who held a gun to your head and forced you to live in DC? This was your choice and you knew, or should have known, that you would not enjoy the same representative government as you would if you lived in Maryland or Virginia or any other state. The District of Columbia is the Capital of the United States and it belongs to all states and it should not be granted statehood.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Who held a gun to your head and forced you to live in DC? This was your choice and you knew, or should have known, that you would not enjoy the same representative government as you would if you lived in Maryland or Virginia or any other state. The District of Columbia is the Capital of the United States and it belongs to all states and it should not be granted statehood.

If you believe in principles, for example the principle of "no taxation without representation", you should support DC statehood regardless of the state in which you live. I am so curious about those who are opposed to DC statehood. Why is it that you don't support it?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who held a gun to your head and forced you to live in DC? This was your choice and you knew, or should have known, that you would not enjoy the same representative government as you would if you lived in Maryland or Virginia or any other state. The District of Columbia is the Capital of the United States and it belongs to all states and it should not be granted statehood.

If you believe in principles, for example the principle of "no taxation without representation", you should support DC statehood regardless of the state in which you live. I am so curious about those who are opposed to DC statehood. Why is it that you don't support it?

I am going to assume that most of the people on this board live in NW or the up and coming parts of NE or right around the hill. DC does a decent job of taking care of those areas and I can't believe that I am going to say this but I agree with Marion Barry when he says his ward is neglected, an after thought, and a sad area because of mismanagement of the entire city. The GA Ave area that has been built up over the past few years and along 14th st. was done because of the Chris Donatelli and Fenty relationship-funding his campaign, look beyond where you live and go across the bridge and see how it is over there. Until DC can manage itself, I don't think anyone will be in favor of statehood. They will all talk the game but they won’t put their vote on it.

Our forefathers had a plan when they had their “fantasy” DC has no leadership to do such a thing.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

I am going to assume that most of the people on this board live in NW or the up and coming parts of NE or right around the hill. DC does a decent job of taking care of those areas and I can't believe that I am going to say this but I agree with Marion Barry when he says his ward is neglected, an after thought, and a sad area because of mismanagement of the entire city. The GA Ave area that has been built up over the past few years and along 14th st. was done because of the Chris Donatelli and Fenty relationship-funding his campaign, look beyond where you live and go across the bridge and see how it is over there. Until DC can manage itself, I don't think anyone will be in favor of statehood. They will all talk the game but they won’t put their vote on it.

Our forefathers had a plan when they had their “fantasy” DC has no leadership to do such a thing.

I almost don't know where to start with this. DC voters just got rid of Fenty primarily because he and his developer buddies only cared about 1/4 of the city. The guy who won just happens to come from East of the River. As for looking beyond where I live, my ward -- the ward in which Fenty lives -- voted for the East of the River guy. We looked beyond where we live.

What is most interesting is your position that DC doesn't deserve Statehood because part of it is full of poor people. If we used that measure, we'd have to take away statehood from West Virginia, Kentucky, and quite a few other states.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am going to assume that most of the people on this board live in NW or the up and coming parts of NE or right around the hill. DC does a decent job of taking care of those areas and I can't believe that I am going to say this but I agree with Marion Barry when he says his ward is neglected, an after thought, and a sad area because of mismanagement of the entire city. The GA Ave area that has been built up over the past few years and along 14th st. was done because of the Chris Donatelli and Fenty relationship-funding his campaign, look beyond where you live and go across the bridge and see how it is over there. Until DC can manage itself, I don't think anyone will be in favor of statehood. They will all talk the game but they won’t put their vote on it.

Our forefathers had a plan when they had their “fantasy” DC has no leadership to do such a thing.

I almost don't know where to start with this. DC voters just got rid of Fenty primarily because he and his developer buddies only cared about 1/4 of the city. The guy who won just happens to come from East of the River. As for looking beyond where I live, my ward -- the ward in which Fenty lives -- voted for the East of the River guy. We looked beyond where we live.

What is most interesting is your position that DC doesn't deserve Statehood because part of it is full of poor people. If we used that measure, we'd have to take away statehood from West Virginia, Kentucky, and quite a few other states.

Exactly my point, has nothing to do with being poor but taking care of everyone not just a certain area and they can't do it.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Exactly my point, has nothing to do with being poor but taking care of everyone not just a certain area and they can't do it.

So, you support taking statehood away from states that can't take care of people in certain areas?

[Anonymous]

The very basis of our county is that democracy is an inalienable right, not something reserved for those who prove they can efficiently govern themselves. That, I think, is called fascism.

[Anonymous]

Yep, the Bill of Rights isn't conditional on whether you're a nice person. It protects us all because it protects the biggest asshole as well as the nice deserving person. In that spirit, we all deserve voting representation in Congress, regardless of who we are.

[Anonymous]

There was a Federal District which was the Capital of the US, land was added and was named after our 1st president, George Washington. If DC were (and my chances of winning the $126 million Power Ball are much higher) to become a state all Federal buildings and land would then revert to a Federal District and this new state would not be able to tax these properties. All your new governor could do is jack up the taxes on the residents and businesses of the new state and the Federal government is the primary employer in Wash., DC and, again, you can't tax this business. The new state would be bankrupt from the beginning because Congress would no longer appropriate funds to this new state. Seems to me you are better off as you are.


I know Jeff will excoriate my argument and I'm ready.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:There was a Federal District which was the Capital of the US, land was added and was named after our 1st president, George Washington. If DC were (and my chances of winning the $126 million Power Ball are much higher) to become a state all Federal buildings and land would then revert to a Federal District and this new state would not be able to tax these properties. All your new governor could do is jack up the taxes on the residents and businesses of the new state and the Federal government is the primary employer in Wash., DC and, again, you can't tax this business. The new state would be bankrupt from the beginning because Congress would no longer appropriate funds to this new state. Seems to me you are better off as you are.


I know Jeff will excoriate my argument and I'm ready.

Federal buildings don't pay property tax today. DC would still be able to charge its residents income tax. So, things would stay pretty much as they are today. The Federal payment would probably go away, but DC might be able to come up with some service fees that the Feds would pay (e.g. for ambulance service and so on).