Should Washington DC be a state?

[nevermore]

Make it a state, or incorporate it into Maryland, what is better.

We don't want it. It can be a state or...

Just combine it with NoVA and split us off from the rest of VA while you're at it.

That sounds more reasonable. NOVA and DC certainly more in common with each other than they do with the rest of Virginia. Would be one of the richest states right off the bat, too.

One question I don't think I've ever seen addressed is: does D.C. have enough to support itself as a state, assuming the U.S. government retains the ownership (and revenues thereof) of the monuments in the city?

There aren't really direct revenues from the monuments and such, given that they're free and all. Of course, that supports a huge tourism industry, but the government would just get tax revenue off of that, which it already does. Less, I would think, since it wouldn't be getting the city sales and service taxes that it gets now.

D.C. is less than 75 square miles in area. Does it have a viable economic base, or is it basically a stunted economy, with tourism being its only product?

I think you may failing to be seeing the city for the monuments. There's a little jobs engine there called the US Federal Government, and all its attendent cottage industries like research, security, PR, lobbying, law offices...rehab facilities. I imagine that might provide a handful of jobs, here and there. Plus, as I pointed out above, the city would still get the tourism revenue, unless the US government converted the National Mall into an all-inclusive resort.

 

[JiNX-01]

Yes, they should be a state. Their lack of representation in Congress gives DC natives virtually no say in how our government is run, and that goes against the very nature of democracy.

The United States is not a democracy. It's a republic.
I don't believe D.C. should be a a state. But the citizens of D.C. should have congressional representatives empowered to vote on legislation on their behalf.

 

[Myasishchev]

I like Alidar's compromise thingy.

Of course, I've always been conflicted about the idea that the United States should have any actual states, let alone more. Federalism blows. Especially for me, since it means that if I take the bar here I'm stuck in this fucking hell hole for life, or at least until I feel like shelling out blood and treasure for another bar exam.

 

[23skidoo]

My opinion is it shouldn't be a state because as the capital of the union, it should stand separate from the states it represents. Whether as its own state or as part of Maryland or Virginia, it would in some way be beholden to the state level of government. And it shouldn't be.

Also, as a state, it would require a separate governmental infrastructure be created within the city - one separate from both civic government and federal. The city would probably implode from another level of governmental bureaucracy! (I'm only partly joking.)

I do, however, feel residents of DC (as well as Puerto Rico) should have more rights in terms of voting and representation. Is it correct they can't vote in federal elections? That can't be right. If they aren't, then they should at the very least be given a presidential vote and maybe a representative or two in the Electoral College (this assumes they don't already). But I agree they should also have some House of Representatives and Senate representation.

Alex

 

[T'Girl]

If it's important for some reason, keep the WH, Capitol, and other federal buildings as extraterritorial entities in a new, severely reduced D.C. without actual residents.

This.

No, not a state. Peel off all residential areas in DC, incorporate them into Maryland. Pass zoning laws so that no new residences of any kind (houses, apartments, condos, residential hotels, etc,) could be constructed inside of the new, smaller, DC. Exceptions for presidential and vice-presidential residences, also embassies.

Government employees and public servants can commute into Washington DC.

 

[captcalhoun]

make it a state. and Puerto Rico. and Jefferson, Superior and Cascadia. you've had 50 for too long, you need more states.

 

[Gaith]

Why *shouldn't* DC be a state?

In real-world terms, the biggest barrier is that that would give the Democratic Party an extra two Senators... forever, and the GOP would rather continue disenfranchising over half a million (mostly black) citizens than let that happen. In a contest between honest fairness and the status quo, they'll fight tooth and nail for the latter every time.

I don't really know why neither MD nor VA have offered to incorporate the area; I suppose they don't want the logistical headaches or the additional in-poverty residents.

Result: permanent stasis, and thousands upon thousands of black Americans, for not exactly the first time in our history, get the short end of it. Separate and unequal.

 

[Myasishchev]

make it a state. and Puerto Rico. and Jefferson, Superior and Cascadia. you've had 50 for too long, you need more states.

This is actually sort of a dumb question that merits little real concern, but I wonder if the U.S. is the country with the greatest number of territorial subunits? Britain has 4, India has 35 (counting union territories, which I don't fully understand the function of*), China 22. France has 101 departments, but as I (vaguely) grasp French political structure, the regions are more analogous to American states, if anything is.

*Seriously, can somebody more familiar with India enlighten me? Are they equivalent to D.C. but with representation in the Rajya and Lok? If so, why so?

 

[Nowhere Man]

No, but give them representation.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It seemed like a good idea to keep DC separate from the other States at the time of independence, but that idea is as obsolete as the Electoral College. DC should definitely be a State. Also Puerto Rico (but that will actually happen, sooner or later).

make it a state. and Puerto Rico. and Jefferson, Superior and Cascadia. you've had 50 for too long, you need more states.

I agree. Hawaii became a State two years before I was born, so we've had no new States in my lifetime. That's the longest period we've gone without new additions. And when I was a kid in Dorchester (with a bunch of Puerto Rican friends), it seemed that Puerto Rican Statehood was just around the corner; I'm really disappointed that it's taking so long.

All together, we have about a half dozen territories that could be States, although some are more likely than others.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Personally, I do think we need to figure out what we're doing with the insular territories as well. The days where we needed random territories for naval bases are over. They should be on a path towards statehood or a path towards independence.

BTW, here is roughly how a DC suffrage and homerule amendment would look:

Spoiler: Amendment XXVIII

1. Residents of the District of Columbia shall have representation in Congress and the Electoral College in proportion to their population as if it were a State.

2. The District shall draft a Constitution, which, with approval of Congress and the people who reside therein, shall create the government of the District. This government shall have primary control over all affairs inside the District and absolute control over the spending of its revenue.

3. Congress shall have the power to pass laws necessary and proper to ensure the effective operation of the federal government inside the District. All other powers are reserved to the District or the people of the District as if it were a State.

4. The 23rd Amendment is repealed.

Going on the theory that "Necessary and Proper" is narrower than just "Necessary" (which is the power Congress has over territories) and certainly much narrower than "All cases whatsoever" that it currently enjoys over DC. Congress' powers would be limited to a very narrow set of circumstances and, under no scenario, should they have control of the DC budget (which is the biggest abuse, imo).

I don't see even something like this being passed any time soon, though.

 

[BillJ]

No. If people living there are worried about not being represented, they always have the freedom to move to Maryland or Northern Virginia.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Why *shouldn't* DC be a state?

Because 50 is such a nice clean number.

51 just doesn't sound as cool. Well, they could just get rid of one of the other states to fit DC in as number 50. How about Texas?

 

[Scout101]

Probably the easiest alternative would be shrinking DC to contain only the land on which the actual apparatus of government is located - and give the rest to Maryland.

Why does DC have permanent residents, anyway? That seems to run counter to the reason it exists in the first place...

I'd go with this one. Make it smaller (give the rest to Maryland, maybe Virginia gets a chunk, whatever). The remaining bit is then left for actual government, or representatives thereof. Not much worry about Congressmen and whatnot having representation, as they ARE the representation, and are legally residents of those other states anyway, so can vote there.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Why *shouldn't* DC be a state?

Because 50 is such a nice clean number.

51 just doesn't sound as cool. Well, they could just get rid of one of the other states to fit DC in as number 50. How about Texas?

Meh! Take all the "split" states and put them together:

North Dakota/South Dakota: Dakota!
North Carolina/South Carolina: Carolina!
Virginia/West Virginia: Virginia!

I also always thought Vermont and New Hampshire looked weird. Make them into a single state. Verhampshire? New Hampmont? Throw Maine into that and just call the whole thing New England. Merge Rhode Island into Connecticut because Rhode Island has always been a pain in the ass and we should just get rid of it. Now we've freed up 6 slots, so we can make states for:

DC
US Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico
Guam
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands

...and still have only 50 states.



(Do not take any of the above as a serious solution... to anything.)

 

[Marten]

Letting Maryland absorb it must be easier. Especially considering that the Republicans won't like the idea of two free domocratic senators.

 

[JarodRussell]

How many people live in DC that are not involved in any governmental stuff?

 

[Finn]

How many people live in DC that are not involved in any governmental stuff?

Most aren't. There are people who aren't aware of the white house and all that.

They are in really poor sections of town.

 

[Skywalker]

make it a state. and Puerto Rico. and Jefferson, Superior and Cascadia. you've had 50 for too long, you need more states.

This is actually sort of a dumb question that merits little real concern, but I wonder if the U.S. is the country with the greatest number of territorial subunits? Britain has 4, India has 35 (counting union territories, which I don't fully understand the function of*), China 22. France has 101 departments, but as I (vaguely) grasp French political structure, the regions are more analogous to American states, if anything is.

Russia is made up of 83 federal subjects (46 oblasts, 21 republics, 9 krais, 4 autonomous okrugs, 2 federal cities, 1 autonomous oblast), all of which have two senators each in the Federation Council.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

If you look at the BLS figures, the DC labor force is 334,700 workers, and 246,700 of them work in government--almost 74%.