DC Should(n't) Have Congressional Representation

********ers

 

Should the District have Congressional representation? Not just yes, but hell yes.

Every citizen should have representation in how our government runs, and therefore a say in America's future. Currently, DC residents are denied that. Brummie pointed out that the District does have a member in the House, but a non-voting member is about as effective and powerful as a student representative to a school board.

Yeah, the District is a special case in America and it is to be the seat of the federal government, and no, the Founders didn't envision the growth of the government, nor did they think that many people would want to live this mosquito-infested swamp on the Potomac. But the government has grown and people live there and that ought not keep people from equal representation in Congress.

Currently the District has a greater population than Wyoming, a former territory that is largely owned by the federal government, and Vermont, the 14th state. We have small states, we have big states. The Constitution was written based on a compromise that promised something for both. Worries about small states having too much power vis a vis their population is a tension that we've handled pretty well for 230 years.

 

New thread idea: Should @superdave's DC United Membership Card be revoked?

 

That's HIGHLY debatable. I personally think we handle it like shit.

 

Moving is expensive.

 

Moving 500 miles is expensive. Moving 5 miles is not.

 

Great idea!

 

It seems strange that Mexico and Brazil an other countries can have their federal districts have representation at the federal level but the US can't. Maybe only countries that don't suck in football can manage this.

 

So a law where DC citizens are allowed to vote in Maryland elections or receive absentee ballots under the Maryland electoral board.


Another idea is that all Territories and Americans that live outside the USA get thrown into a new entity that would have 2 Senators and 1 Representative, this will be the Territories "State" you put DC, PR, Guam, Marshall Islands, embassies, ect in that pot.

3rd Idea, make PR a State (add the Virgin Islands to PR), DC (outside the Washington Mall and surrounding block) go to Maryland, the Pacific Island territories become a state or get added to Hawaii.Then there is the Colonize the Moon idea by Gingrich.

Then and only then do we invade Canada*



*But only if Toronto FC wins the CCL, so we can say America (as in USA) has won a CCL.

 

the Mexican Federal District is for all proposes a Mexican State now, but not officially.

I am sure if New York City was the capital (like some federalist wanted) they would have voting rights by now.

 

I'm not sure how MD could be compelled to give non-residents the right to vote in its elections. It obviously could do so if it chose.

As for the small states, as discussed with the mod, ND, SC and Montana will become a part of Canada's new SW Territories and Hawaii and Puerto to be granted independence. Vermont and Maine would be tricky but since they were once part of or claimed by other states, Vermont would revert to NH and Maine to MA.

 

Shit I would merge all of those states into one super state.

 

Nope. They'd still be a burden and complain they don't get enough highway funds.

 

I've never understood why people are so quick to believe Maryland would want DC. Sure, it could make sense, but the state's power would immediately leave Annapolis and Baltimore would become even more forgotten. Only the DC suburbs would like that and it's already a struggle for them with as much as the population they have in Maryland.

 

Maybe not to you, but to someone with limited income it is.

 

shit lot of people move into this country every year with very little income, they travel a shit lot longer distances than 5 miles.

 

...and it's ********ing expensive to do that.

People who say things like "well just move!" are invariably speaking from a place of privilege and have no perspective on what that sort of action entails.

 

Sure and people that say it is too hard are also talking from a place of privilege since a shit lot of people do so.

People should not be told that they have to move, but also saying it is too hard/expensive to do so should not be an excuse, this place was build on people that did just that (and many that were forced to move to small areas, and other that were brought here against their will).

 

So rights should be based on how much people or their ancestors moved?

 

Moving next door? Do you not have friends?

 

If you knew what I do for a living, you'd know that I'm pretty aware of all this, and I still call BS.