Bowser is testifying again in favor of statehood, while DC govt dissembles on statehood costs

[Anonymous]

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

If DC were a state it would be dead last in the country in percentage of kids learning in person. Usually when you go in to see the boss for a promotion you have some stuff to brag about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

The idea of statehood, and voting rights, being a vanity project...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

If DC were a state it would be dead last in the country in percentage of kids learning in person. Usually when you go in to see the boss for a promotion you have some stuff to brag about.

Hmm, why don't you compare just about every education and health metric in the country to DC. Hint, it would rate particularly favorably to states like Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama, where there are disasters abounding despite being, you know, states.

[Anonymous]

In 1889 & 1890, Republicans added North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, & Wyoming – dividing a sparsely populated Dakota territory for more electoral power.

The outrage today is at best, hypocritical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

The idea of statehood, and voting rights, being a vanity project...

Voting rights is not a vanity project. DC statehood, well....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 1889 & 1890, Republicans added North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, & Wyoming – dividing a sparsely populated Dakota territory for more electoral power.

The outrage today is at best, hypocritical.

So does this mean that we could divide into multiple states? I'd reconsider statehood, if Ward 3 could become its own state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

If DC were a state it would be dead last in the country in percentage of kids learning in person. Usually when you go in to see the boss for a promotion you have some stuff to brag about.

Hmm, why don't you compare just about every education and health metric in the country to DC. Hint, it would rate particularly favorably to states like Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama, where there are disasters abounding despite being, you know, states.

Look, every family has crazy uncles and weird aunts. It’s too late to do anything about that. But the last thing you want to do is let a poorly uneducated, unemployed drifter with a crime problem into the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

If DC were a state it would be dead last in the country in percentage of kids learning in person. Usually when you go in to see the boss for a promotion you have some stuff to brag about.

Hmm, why don't you compare just about every education and health metric in the country to DC. Hint, it would rate particularly favorably to states like Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama, where there are disasters abounding despite being, you know, states.

Look, every family has crazy uncles and weird aunts. It’s too late to do anything about that. But the last thing you want to do is let a poorly uneducated, unemployed drifter with a crime problem into the family.

Why don't you just say you don't want more representation for the black citizens of DC and be done with it. It would be more honest given that DC performs a lot better than most red states on pretty much every category.

[Anonymous]

We can't even get mail here, not to mention the hot mess that is the DMV, other city services, etc. I guess I'm just not optimistic that things will improve with statehood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can't even get mail here, not to mention the hot mess that is the DMV, other city services, etc. I guess I'm just not optimistic that things will improve with statehood.

The United States Postal Service is responsible for mail delivery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is testifying again today on Capitol Hill in favor of statehood for the District. Meanwhile, a Post article from earlier this month is getting renewed attention, on the additional costs to DC taxpayers of statehood - including for DC to assume the costs of operating the criminal justice system and the courts, plus significant additional pension liabilities and Medicaid costs. This brings the cost, some of it recurring, to $2 billion just for starters. I support DC full voting rights in Congress, but the financial impact of statehood hasn't been clearly thought out. It's a lot of money for the District, with lots of acute needs, to spend on DC politicians' vanity project.

Bowser's spokespersons said that DC has plenty of revenue to absorb these costs, but then said that it may be necessary to defer certain planned spending, such as on affordable housing and school renovations, to pay for statehood.

Also concerning was this: "Leaders of a new state would be able to make different choices about criminal justice, implementing changes that could cut costs"

So reassuring, when violent crime is spiking across the District, including last week's drive by shooting at an elementary school site in Upper NW in which two people were injured by gunfire. Someone should ask Bowser how her team can be so cavalier about criminal justice spending, when young criminals can shoot up a school with automatic weapons, just a half-mile form where the Vice President resides. And why MPD policy prohibits hot pursuit of fleeing shooter suspects, unless a federal agency takes the lead.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/06/04/dc-statehood-cost/

If DC were a state it would be dead last in the country in percentage of kids learning in person. Usually when you go in to see the boss for a promotion you have some stuff to brag about.

Hmm, why don't you compare just about every education and health metric in the country to DC. Hint, it would rate particularly favorably to states like Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama, where there are disasters abounding despite being, you know, states.

Look, every family has crazy uncles and weird aunts. It’s too late to do anything about that. But the last thing you want to do is let a poorly uneducated, unemployed drifter with a crime problem into the family.

Why don't you just say you don't want more representation for the black citizens of DC and be done with it. It would be more honest given that DC performs a lot better than most red states on pretty much every category.

That's a tired, old trope. The Chocolate City era is gone, DC is much more diverse than in the 1980s, and black citizens are no longer a majority in the city. Statehood should be debated or its merits and demerits, without resort to playing the race card. But most everyone agrees on more voting rights in Congress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can't even get mail here, not to mention the hot mess that is the DMV, other city services, etc. I guess I'm just not optimistic that things will improve with statehood.

The United States Postal Service is responsible for mail delivery.

Yes. But Bowser is responsible for MPD. Want to give Governor Bowser additional responsibility for the whole criminal justice system, without a clear plan for how to pay for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 1889 & 1890, Republicans added North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, & Wyoming – dividing a sparsely populated Dakota territory for more electoral power.

The outrage today is at best, hypocritical.

So does this mean that we could divide into multiple states? I'd reconsider statehood, if Ward 3 could become its own state.

So many ignorant things to say to you. Let Ward 3 be its own state. If you ever left Ward 3, you would know that you are getting the prized ward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can't even get mail here, not to mention the hot mess that is the DMV, other city services, etc. I guess I'm just not optimistic that things will improve with statehood.

The United States Postal Service is responsible for mail delivery.

Yes. But Bowser is responsible for MPD. Want to give Governor Bowser additional responsibility for the whole criminal justice system, without a clear plan for how to pay for it?

This wouldn't be different from every other state. So yes, I'm fine with it.