DC statehood referendum passes

[B.J.]

With the Presidential election, it's easy to overlook some other interesting things that were voted on. Apparently, Washington D.C. voted overwhelmingly (~86% for) to petition Congress to become a state. (Plenty of stories around, go google it.) This isn't the first time this has been attempted, but I have no idea how likely it is for Congress to approve it this time. If approved, the new state would be called "New Columbia".

It is interesting to note that DC has a larger population than both Wyoming and Vermont.

Thoughts? I understand the original intention of keeping DC and the federal government separate from any state, but how relevant is that in today's world? That's a lot of people without Congressional representation, and they didn't even have any electors in the Presidential election until the 23rd amendment was passed in 1961. I'm still partly on the fence myself, mostly due to lack of information as to the complete effects that would come with DC statehood.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Congress won't do it. I guarantee you.

Republicans, who now control all of Congress, will never allow DC to become a state so long as they can help it. It would be another reliable Democratic state.

 

[Tenacity]

Silly idea.

Carve it up and incorperate the pieces into the surrounding existing states, that way the residents can vote.

Federal buildings will sit on small plots of federal reserve/national parks department land, separate from the states.

Example, the white house would be federal out to the fence, but the side walk around it would belong to the state. Some federal builds will be federal only as far as their outside wall.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Carve it up and incorperate the pieces into the surrounding existing states, that way the residents can vote.

I'm sure the existing states don't want it. I know Maryland (from which most of DC was carved) doesn't.

Unfortunately, RobMax is right about the politics of this whole thing, but it still stinks. There is literally no logical reason (yeah, I know, expecting logic from politics, what was I thinking ) why DC shouldn't be a state. In fact if it wasn't for the damn Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, it WOULD be one.

I mean, Canada does all right for having its capital in Ottawa (a city like any other), so shouldn't DC be able to do the same?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I think there are sound logical reasons for it not being a state, namely that it was never intended to be one, and was never intended to have such a large permanent population. Clearly, the Founders imagined the government would need a lot more land than it really did and never got around to retroceding the excess back to Maryland the way they did in Virginia.

 

[MacLeod]

Must be great to live in DC and pay no taxes after all No Taxation without representation. Times have changed it's only fair that DC residents get full representation.

 

[Masao]

The Republicans are probably against DC statehood now (and previously) because it would most likely lead to two new Democratic senators. To balance the benefit to the Democratics, maybe the Republicans would be willing to split up California or Texas into more states. Having a US flag with 54 stars (predicted by ST: TNG?) might be fun.

 

[BillJ]

Having a US flag with 54 stars (predicted by ST: TNG?)...

I thought it was 52, if we're talking about "The Royale"?

 

[Skywalker]

Yeah, unfortunately no way it happens as long as the Republicans control Congress, not without some kind of compromise to keep the numbers even in the Senate. A similar issue would happen with Puerto Rico.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ I've been waiting for Puerto Rico to become a state for fifty years. Every time there's a vote, it gets a little bit closer. It seems inevitable, but it's taking forever.

As for DC statehood, I've got no problem with it. In fact, I favor it. It's one of those things-- like the runner up being vice president and the electoral college-- that seemed like a good idea at the time, but just doesn't work out in reality.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

By the time Puerto Rico becomes a state, there won't be anyone left living there--they're all moving to the mainland.

 

[Tenacity]

The Republicans are probably against DC statehood ...

Politics is the art of compromise. DC comes in as a state, in exchange Oregon gets to leave and form into it's own country.

This way the number of over the top, hard core, progressive states stays the same.

 

[Squiggy]

Carve it up and incorperate the pieces into the surrounding existing states, that way the residents can vote.

Neither Maryland nor DC residents want that.

They want statehood.

 

[Tenacity]

They want statehood.

A portion of the residents of California want to be their own country.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ The difference is, DC actually deserves to be a state.

 

[Squiggy]

A portion of the residents of California want to be their own country.

Not a majority though. Nice try.

 

[urbandefault]

What would be the benefit to the citizens of D.C. and to the country if it were to become a state?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Well, for one thing, DC residents would actually have representation in Congress. They don't have that now. For DC, 'taxation without representation' is literally true.

(DC has electors, so their residents can vote for President, but that's about all they can do. In all other matters, they exist pretty much at the whim of the federal government. )

DC does have a mayor and a local council, but they don't have much real power... all legislation passed by that council can be overturned whenever Congress wants, and Congress has control over DC's budget. Also the President appoints all DC judges.

 

[Tenacity]

Not a majority though.

And do a majority of US citizens want their Capitol to be a state?

We're not talking about some random piece of the United States, DC has a special existence.

 

[BillJ]

And do a majority of US citizens want their Capitol to be a state? We're not talking about some open section of prairie land.

There is no real reason for it to not to be a state. But, then I remember this battle cry from somewhere... "no taxation without representation". Either they need to be a state or they need to not pay any Federal taxes.