Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am wholeheartedly against DC statehood, because the national capital should not be beholden to the interests of any single state. But if they were going to go that route, I can think of a way to mitigate the Republican concern. Instead of giving statehood just to the District of Columbia, give it to a new entity that would encompass the District, plus Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, plus Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia. Removing these blue bastions from Maryland and Virginia would greatly enhance the odds of those states electing Republican senators and thus offsetting, in whole or in part, the concern about the two new Democratic senators that a State of DC would be electing.
Solved by giving DC voting representation in the House of Representatives commensurate with their population. While I'm very well aware that this would be the safest Democratic seat in the nation, I still think it should be done, out of simple fairness to the people who live there. But they should get no representation in the Senate, because the Senate represents states, not people.
The fact that it sits on a river that is historically prone to flooding probably has something to do with this.
That's called "packing the states". You think DC, Md, & Va along with the affected counties would go along with it?
I won't dignify your comments about Alexandria........
That's called "packing the states". You think DC, Md, & Va along with the affected counties would go along with it?
No I don't. But the very premise of your thread is that someone (Congress?) would force Maryland to accept a retroceded DC into its borders. If you're going to offer hypotheticals, that by your own admission would be a tough sell, what's wrong with offering other hypotheticals?
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Very Man Himself
The other two would retrocede current DC minus a small Federal core to Md. That would be against the 2016 majority wishes in both DC and Md.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Very Man Himself
I won't dignify your comments about Alexandria........
Why not? You commented that Alexandria is prone to flooding, and I pointed out that it sits on a river that is prone to flooding, and that's why it floods. Where is your evidence to support the idea that rising sea waters have anything to do with it?
Sea level is rising twice as fast on average in the costal areas of VA; Alexandria is part of that area since the Potomac and Anacostia rivers are influenced by the ocean tides and sea level. As with the other rivers, the James, York, Rappahannock, these rivers are rising faster than other places because of rising sea levels and land subsidence.
Alexandria has one more thing which affects it: its waterfront, two blocks deep in areas, was built on a trash heap which extending into the Potomac. More specifically, its the landfill that was used from between 1749 and 1845. There is no natural river bank, it just a landfill dwindling to nothing at the water. The city is now building a seawall.
The attachment below contains an image of what the area looked like 1749. The shaded area is the area that was filled in and is now developed and flooding.
In 2018, the Governor mandated that the Virginia Institute of Marine Science begin comprehensive planning related to warming. For the cities involved in the links:
West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and a part of Minnesota were once part of VA, there is no need for VA to give up more. By the 1609 Charter, it extended to the Pacific - thought they were ignorant of what the Charter would encompass:
Removing these blue bastions from Maryland and Virginia would greatly enhance the odds of those states electing Republican senators and thus offsetting, in whole or in part, the concern about the two new Democratic senators that a State of DC would be electing.
I'm not in favor of making any decisions based on "red" or "blue". These are tired old arguments and the equivalent of "scraping the bottom of the barrel". Further upstream the argument was made (paraphrasing) "Republicans are against it because it would be 2 Democrat Senate votes". And yet this thought doesn't play into the Democrats' plans? Come on. This "my party is doing the right thing but yours objects for partisan reasons" is a joke.
Taxation without representation? Cry me a river. Nobody is forced to live in Washington DC. I don't believe this "city" was ever created with the expectation that average citizens, not affiliated with the business of Federal politics, would live there.
My opinion is "no", not because of politics, not because of taxation, simply because DC was never intended to be its own state.
No I don't. But the very premise of your thread is that someone (Congress?) would force Maryland to accept a retroceded DC into its borders. If you're going to offer hypotheticals, that by your own admission would be a tough sell, what's wrong with offering other hypotheticals?
Why not? You commented that Alexandria is prone to flooding, and I pointed out that it sits on a river that is prone to flooding, and that's why it floods. Where is your evidence to support the idea that rising sea waters have anything to do with it?
Not a hypothetical there currently are two bills in Congress seeking to do exactly that. If either were enacted it would be too late to ask the question.
Because you pointed out the obvious....you need water for flooding.
You should have looked at Webster's map.
I'm not in favor of making any decisions based on "red" or "blue". These are tired old arguments and the equivalent of "scraping the bottom of the barrel". Further upstream the argument was made (paraphrasing) "Republicans are against it because it would be 2 Democrat Senate votes". And yet this thought doesn't play into the Democrats' plans? Come on. This "my party is doing the right thing but yours objects for partisan reasons" is a joke.
Taxation without representation? Cry me a river. Nobody is forced to live in Washington DC. I don't believe this "city" was ever created with the expectation that average citizens, not affiliated with the business of Federal politics, would live there.
My opinion is "no", not because of politics, not because of taxation, simply because DC was never intended to be its own state.
There are lots of people born in DC, particularly in Ward's 7 & 8, but elsewhere too that are too poor to move.
Like federal employees?
That it wasn't "intended" as a place to live, whether that's correct or not, but is now de facto, is an example of unintended consequences.
The current DC originated statehood proposal simply reduces the size of the federal district, to that part of DC essential to the workings of the federal gummint.
There are lots of people born in DC, particularly in Ward's 7 & 8, but elsewhere too that are too poor to move.
Like federal employees?
That it wasn't "intended" as a place to live, whether that's correct or not, but is now de facto, is an example of unintended consequences.
The current DC originated statehood proposal simply reduces the size of the federal district, to that part of DC essential to the workings of the federal gummint.
It's all anecdotal so there is no more evidence to prove your point over mine or vice versa.
Going back in history, I don't know that the founding fathers envisioned people making a lifetime career out of politics and thus requiring staff there for decades. My hunch is that the general thought was that some people would "live" in Washington D.C. and then return home at the end of their term.
Regardless of people who choose to have children there - they do so fully knowing that they are in a federal district without representation.
I do not feel bad for people who choose to live there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
