Reply to AP: Biden will not stop override of DC crime laws

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Reply to "AP: Biden will not stop override of DC crime laws"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It is infuriating to watch the DC Council act like they are SURPRISED that Biden has said he won't veto an override.

I'm about as pro-statehood as it comes and it drives me nuts that Congress is getting to weigh in on any aspect of our city governance, especially when you know the people making the most hay of this are the ones who could not care less about the citizens of the district and just want to score easy Fox News talking points.

But also: this is how it works in DC as of this moment, and how actually stupid do you have to be to write and pass this specific crime bill and not see how it's going to be used in this way.

Would it have been hard to write a bill that updates the code (badly needed), also includes liberal changes to the crime code that people in DC really want, but does not hand super hot button talking points to Republicans in Congress on how "liberals want to make it easier to carjack." It would have been no harder than writing the current bill which now won't become law because of how badly the DC Council and mayor have mucked it up.

I am so tired of the sheer ineptitude of these people. DC is full of people who are brilliant at crafting policy, defining narratives, selling politicians and constituents on legislation, etc. etc. But NONE of them work for city government and it shows.

Actually, here's an argument for statehood: if gaining elected office in DC had the potential to lead to Congress or a Governorship, maybe we'd get better quality options for local government positions and not be perpetually hamstrung by people who are so clearly in way over their heads.[/quote]

None of them run for the city government because the Hatch Act bans running in partisan elections while a federal employee. So by default you’re not getting the best & brightest running the DC government. We are lucky that at least Feds can get on the ANCs. But even then, the ANCs are pretty toothless outside of negotiating liquor permits. [/quote]

Yes but if running for DC city council was a viable path to becoming a Senator or Rep, more people would be willing to quit their day jobs to run for council. Currently, only people who would like to spend the pinnacle of their career squabbling at council meetings and being recognized on the street occasionally run, because it's a dead end job. It's not even high profile enough to get you a decent consulting gig afterwards, like mayor.

A lot of local politicians everywhere are craven, but most major cities also attract actual superstars now and then because it's a stepping stone to something better. DC's local politics are a unique vortex of mediocrity. It reminds me a lot more of the city politicians in the midsize college down where I went to school than the government in any of the other major cities I've lived in.[/quote]

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