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What should happen to DC?

What should happen to Washington DC

  • make it a state

    Votes: 5 11.6%

  • cede it to maryland

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • keep current situation

    Votes: 17 39.5%

  • other

    Votes: 10 23.3%

  • not sure

    Votes: 3 7.0%
  • Total voters
    43
M

Masterhawk

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Washington DC is an interesting place. It is one of the few places in the US which has to follow federal law and pay federal taxes yet they don't get any representation in congress.

Wait, what was the slogan of the American Revolution again?

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DC has a larger population than Vermont and Wyoming and may surpass Alaska by 2025 and all three of those states have one representative and two senators. Although the 23rd amendment addressed the problem with presidential elections, they still have zero congressional representation.

Now that we can see the problem, here are two potential solutions

Statehood

Statehood would create a new state called "New Columbia". It would add two senators and one representative to congress. Many opponents of this idea cite that the founders created DC to prevent the importance of one state from inflating. A proposed solution is to create federal enclaves which would serve as the new capital

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Another concern, particularly cited by republicans is that it's just an attempt for democrats to gain seats since DC is a blue area.

Cede it to Maryland with federal enclaves

this second option would give DC a voice in congress (and Maryland an extra seat) while keeping Maryland from becoming too important by creating federal enclaves where the federal areas such as the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Supreme Court Building are located.
 
Republicans in Congress have all but admitted that they won't allow it to become a state because it's very liberal. I don't know why Democrats are opposed to it becoming a state.
 
reinoe said:
Republicans in Congress have all but admitted that they won't allow it to become a state because it's very liberal. I don't know why Democrats are opposed to it becoming a state.
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Oh yeah, those 3 or 4 electoral votes will totally make the difference.
 
I may be wrong, but DC first of all is limited to a small area by constitution, and was meant as a government center. Not a population center.
 
I was born & raised in northwest Louisiana just across the Red River from the largest B-52 base on planet Earth, then home of the 2nd bomb wing of SAC

during the 'cold war' the place was one of the top five targets for the Russians; if a major war would have broken out then, there would still be a little glow on the Red

I think DC would be somewhere in there .........
 
If 'other' means 'I don't give a ****'...that's my choice.

Not knocking the thread...it just means little to me.
 
Nuke The Site.jpg
 
Carjosse said:
Oh yeah, those 3 or 4 electoral votes will totally make the difference.
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The two Democratic senators would totally make the difference in the Senate right now.
 
Anagram said:
The two Democratic senators would totally make the difference in the Senate right now.
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I'll bet those advocating such a thing are for Gerrymandering before they are against it.
 
I voted other.

But after considering the situation as I understand it (DC not part of any state, no senators represent it, it's representatives cannot vote in the House.)

The best option would appear to be at least letting the citizens of DC vote in Maryland, at the very least.
Frankly I'm not sure why we have an area where people have no congressional representation. It seems somewhat counter to our ideals.
 
The Mark said:
I voted other.

But after considering the situation as I understand it (DC not part of any state, no senators represent it, it's representatives cannot vote in the House.)

The best option would appear to be at least letting the citizens of DC vote in Maryland, at the very least.
Frankly I'm not sure why we have an area where people have no congressional representation. It seems somewhat counter to our ideals.
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I agree. Just make them residents of the state for population count of representatives, and representation.
 
Carjosse said:
Oh yeah, those 3 or 4 electoral votes will totally make the difference.
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It's not about electoral votes that they ALREADY cast. It's about 2 additional Senators and a vote in the House.
 
Lord of Planar said:
By those who cry about gerrymandering...
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Both sides gerrymander. Ohio gave Democrats an extra seat and solidified 3 Republican seats. When 10 years ago those 4 seats went all Republican.
 
austrianecon said:
Both sides gerrymander. Ohio gave Democrats an extra seat and solidified 3 Republican seats. When 10 years ago those 4 seats went all Republican.
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I know both sides do it.

Just pointing out the hypocrisy.
 
Washington 'DC' should be moved to Washington state, thus removing a source of endless confusion. The people, of course, could stay where they are, excepting those 'inside the beltway'.
 
Master PO said:
if they had put the seat of power in 1 particular state, that state would be the most powerful in the union
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Yet, the people of that area should have the option to vote for representatives who can present their issues before congress, and vote on them.

So how do you both prevent DC from being part of a state, and also give the US citizens who reside there representation in congress?
I suggested having them vote as part of Maryland.

Would you prefer they voted as their own entity? 2 senators and at most a few representatives who represent DC? That would give them undue representation in the Senate, considering the small size of the area - basically a large city.


Seems better to just have them represented as part of Maryland, with the actual federal government areas not included.


Edit: Also, the founders likely did not expect the city to be so populated.
 
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Master PO said:
the founders did not want the federal seat of power to be within a state
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So what. Dudes are looong dead. Can't have 700,000 voters/tax payers as second class citizens and justify it because of the opinions of 200-year-old ghosts.
 
The Mark said:
Yet, the people of that area should have the option to vote for representatives who can present their issues before congress, and vote on them.

So how do you both prevent DC from being part of a state, and also give the US citizens who reside there representation in congress?

I suggested having them vote as part of Maryland.

Would you prefer they voted as their own entity? 2 senators and at most a few representatives who represent DC? That would give them undue representation in the Senate, considering the small size of the area - basically a large city.

Seems better to just have them represented as part of Maryland, with the actual federal government areas not included.
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the original purpose of representation in congress is to secure the interest of the people [the house] and to secure the interest of the state legislatures [the senate]

today the congress it used to secure money for people, special interest groups and redistribution of wealth among the states.

d.c. is only 10 sq miles, most of the structure here is under federal control and is maintained under the federal budget, living there you are not a state citizen and not entitle to representation.

since they are not citizens, maybe they should be able to claim a status as a citizen of Maryland as you say and vote in their elections.

i in no way believe they should have representatives or senators.
 
Give it a voting representative but not a voting senator. In fact every US district and territory should have at least one voting representative.
 
Andalublue said:
So what. Dudes are looong dead. Can't have 700,000 voters/tax payers as second class citizens and justify it because of the opinions of 200-year-old ghosts.
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It's really quite simple. Since the 2008 elections, the GOP has run a successful scorched earth elections process to gain the triumvirate starting in 2010. Though two DEM senators from DC would still leave the GOP with a 52-50 lead, it will NEVER happen.

GOPs currently have a 23-7 lead over DEMs in GERRYMANDERED state legislatures. That's what the 2018 and 2020 elections are all about before the next round of federal and state remaps are done by the state legislatures in 2021 .
 
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