Reply to DC retrocession into Maryland

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "DC retrocession into Maryland"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What if people actually born in DC (like me!) Were given a form of reparation - no federal taxes. Everyone else did knowingly move into a district, not a state.[/quote]

Why do you deserve any type of reparation?  The conditions of DC have been known since 1801.  Those who choose to move into the city, do so knowing that there will be taxation and no representation because it is federal property and not a state.  You paid no taxes when you were a minor.  Your parents voluntarily chose to live in the jurisdiction that had no congressional representation.  When you were old enough to pay taxes, you had the option to move out of the city if you so chose.  Everyone that pays federal taxes has the choice to move to a state that has political representation or choose to live in the federal jurisdiction that has taxation but no representation.  It is a choice that you've made.

There are many reasons why there needs to be federal property that is not under the control of any state.[/quote]

FYI, some DC residents came to the City in chains as slaves- they did not choose to move there.  The families have lived there since emancipation.

Others went to DC in the immediate aftermath of the civil war looking for a living - at a time when AAs faced disincentives to vote in many places.

As for federal property not under the control of any state, all the proposals to make "new columbia" a state indicate that a federal district would remain, but its area would be reduced pretty much to the federal core - WH, Capitol, and the Mall.  [/quote]

Reparation for slavery or racial discrimination are distinct and completely different from reparation for taxation without representation due to residents of the District of Columbia.  Don't conflate the two.  Not all residents of DC were brought to the city as slaves and not all arrived to a segregated city that disenfranchised them for their race.  Since the number of DC-born residents hovers around 30% and the population is roughly 48% AA, only about 15-16% of the population of DC would even be in the target demographics of those who might benefit from slavery reparations.

Also, MD donated the land to the federal government.  What incentives does the Federal government have to give that land back?  There are taxes on property and businesses in that area that go to the Federal government.  How would they recoup the loss in taxes for that property if it ceded the land back to MD?  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics