Anonymous wrote:It doesn't even sound like a state name.

Also, it doesn't matter because it won't happen.

What are the characteristics of a "state name"? Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts, Hawaii, etc. None of these are words in English.

ITA with your second point. The name is the least of our issues.

But if there was a popular vote just on the name (which there wasn't, OP), I'd be down with Autonomous Region of Rock Creek Anacostia

let's call it "New Colombia" and somehow get Shakira to show up for the kickoff

jsteele wrote:If DC comes to be named after Frederick Douglass, I hope people will at least learn to spell his name. He added a second "s" to the end of his last name. Therefore, it is "Douglass" rather than "Douglas".

Seriously.

SIGH...

The name debate is pretty moot because DC is not going to be a state within our lifetime. Other alternatives should be considered, like retroceding to Maryland, but even that would be a challenge. As Marion Barry said (about his election though not about statehood), folks gotta' just get over it.

It doesn't even sound like a state name.

Also, it doesn't matter because it won't happen.

From what I have read, the current District of Columbia will be scaled down to include the Capitol, the White House, the Mall and the Supreme Court. Essentially it will be still the District of Columbia and Washington D.C. will remain the nation's capital. This scaled down District of Columbia will not be part of the 51st state. This action will not be a violation of the Constitution, as the Federal district will be independent of a state. That means it will still be called "DC" and that two letter abbreviation will remain its postal code designation. So the new state will be called Douglas Commonwealth and the city can still be called Washington, Douglass Commonwealth (there are four other states that are also commonwealths), however it will have to use a postal code that is not already taken. DG would work. People will just have to get use to using the term "DG" instead of "DC" when they are talking about the new state. Also, the people of Douglass Commonwealth will need to design a new state flag. I see them using the flag for the District of Columbia instead of a flag for the Douglass Commonwealth. The folks who are trying to separate the 21 counties of northern California into the State of Jefferson already are using a Jefferson state flag. Douglass Commonwealth needs to do the same.

Why not keep the name (Washington, DC) and simply treat it like a state? There's no need to change the name.

We don't refer to any other state as "the state of X." We call it Washington State (home of Seattle) precisely to distinguish our beloved Washington.

If DC comes to be named after Frederick Douglass, I hope people will at least learn to spell his name. He added a second "s" to the end of his last name. Therefore, it is "Douglass" rather than "Douglas".

If we have a north and south carolina and a north and south dakota, I suppose we can have an East Washington

If we have a New York we can have a New Washington.

Isn't there a legal definition of some sort as to what makes up a state versus a commonwealth?

This is crazy; sounds like someone with virtually no sense came up with it.

Douglas is terrible name

What about capital of free world

District of Columbia

Can be a state as well. As with all the commonwealths

Douglass Commonwealth sucks as a name.

I agree that the new name is problematic. While Douglass Commonwealth may be awkward, I like it because it allows us to keep "DC". However, I don't like "State of Washington, D.C." with "D.C" supposedly standing for Douglass Commonwealth. Why have both "state" and "commonwealth"? I think we should be the city of Washington in the Douglass Commonwealth.

The name is terrible. A few thoughts and comments.

1) the voters chose New Columbia. Can the Council change it without voter approval?

2) The phrase "Douglas Commonwealth" is awkward because Doungas is a noun, not an adjective, and standard construction is "Commonwealth of Virginia ". The council is opening itself to jokes about how they are semi-literate DCPS grads.

3) if the most important thing is to honor Douglas, at least choose something that sounds stately.

4) if the most important thing is to keep the name "Washington, D.C." just keep it. We can take the periods out of D.C. and just make it DC. Companies do this all the time when they want to keep the acronym but drop the underlying meaning because their business has changed.

Vent over. My SO confided that incompetence like this is why he voted against the recdrendum.