tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post6057805807248848482..comments2023-10-30T11:47:53.134-04:00Comments on why.i.hate.dc: Again with the DC Voting RightsDave Strouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12284013068083846700noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-27595339201140827672007-09-24T18:19:00.000-04:002007-09-24T18:19:00.000-04:00Hey, I'm from Utah and I think that giving us this...Hey, I'm from Utah and I think that giving us this 4th seat IS unconstitutional.<BR/><BR/>Because it is.meghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16660551348523174724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-21962112060941823372007-09-24T16:26:00.000-04:002007-09-24T16:26:00.000-04:00Christopher, I understand why Utah gets the extra ...Christopher, I understand why Utah gets the extra rep. Utah getting another rep is inevitable. However, the rep can't/shouldn't be an at-large member. An at-large member gives Utahns two representatives and that can not stand.Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527020690421880939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-55459005677459191502007-09-24T15:32:00.000-04:002007-09-24T15:32:00.000-04:00You're misreading the Utah portion -- The bill inc...You're misreading the Utah portion -- The bill increases the House to 437 reps and gives one to DC. The second rep goes to whoever is next in line for it. Based on the 2000 census that is Utah.<BR/><BR/>The number of representatives is set by law, not the constitution and it can be changed by enacting a new law. <BR/>Giving us DC residents a vote is probably going to take a constitutional amendment. But I'm all for no federal income taxes for those born here!Pumpkin Patchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03934178133535569142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-40089189826921796352007-09-21T09:54:00.000-04:002007-09-21T09:54:00.000-04:00Friday New York Times:"Mr. Reid, in his comments t...Friday New York Times:<BR/><BR/>"Mr. Reid, in his comments to reporters, criticized Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, for withdrawing his support for the Webb proposal. Mr. Warner, a respected voice on military affairs, had voted for the proposal in July but changed his position in response to heavy lobbying by the Pentagon. <BR/><BR/>Mr. Reid said Democrats had gone to great lengths to win Republican votes for the Webb plan, and in a pointed dig he said: “I even called Larry Craig, trying to get some votes. We only needed three, and we worked hard to get those.” "Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13213346506916023795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-360169395095764152007-09-21T09:46:00.000-04:002007-09-21T09:46:00.000-04:00Coffee, how has your boy John Warner done the last...Coffee, how has your boy John Warner done the last couple of days? Voted against cloture on habeas corpus and voted against cloture on fellow VA Senator Webb's bill to rotate the troops home for periods at least as long as their deployments. All this after running to the TV cameras to announce how much his position has moderated lately.<BR/><BR/>Warner is dishonest and fake moderate, and cannot retire fast enough.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13213346506916023795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-56394202855110164912007-09-20T12:50:00.000-04:002007-09-20T12:50:00.000-04:00dcrebel: see, the problem with DC getting an amen...dcrebel: see, the problem with DC getting an amendment passed is this: we have no representation, and we're overwhelmingly supportive of a single political party. There's no way to arrange any tit-for-tat, which is how these things generally work. The DC Vote folks have been trying for years to raise awareness on a national level, but with pretty much zero success. <BR/><BR/>You see, it's all very well to say "Stop crying and get an amendment," but when you don't even have your own representatives to vote for the amendment on the floor, it makes things kind of impossible. I actually can't believe an amendment made it to the states once already.<BR/><BR/>Basically, there's zero incentive for the rest of the country to change the status quo, and there's pretty much zero chance of them doing it. <BR/><BR/>Retrocession to Maryland would require Maryland's consent, and neither the Baltimore Machine nor the state's rural areas want anything to do with DC (whereas in 1846, Virginia most certainly wanted Alexandria back).<BR/><BR/>We're pretty much fucked. Our only chance is to hope that the rest of the country is eventually shamed into doing something, but I doubt that will ever happen.<BR/><BR/>And retro-retro-cession would never actually happen...but since a main argument against giving DC reps is it's population, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add 300,000 people.EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-32896923601314230862007-09-20T09:11:00.000-04:002007-09-20T09:11:00.000-04:00Make D.C. a French Protectorate. You and yours, Ru...Make D.C. a French Protectorate. You and yours, Rusty, would be at home in such "environs." You could then wear a berat and blog with a nasty, uppity Parisian attitude. Oui, Oui, Rusty is pissed again!Generalissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066524363430126515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-69609517596475847252007-09-19T17:45:00.000-04:002007-09-19T17:45:00.000-04:00"Retro-retro-cession" of Virginia is not going to ..."Retro-retro-cession" of Virginia is not going to happen. Ever. And there's no legal framework for it. Congress can *NOT* wave it's magic wand and take back Virginia. For one... the Constitution sets the MAXIMUM not minimum size of the District at 100 square miles. <BR/><BR/>The citizens of Alexandria, who between 1801 and 1846 wanted retrocession, did not ever argue for DC Statehood. They wanted to return to their homestate. I would argue that today, if the citizens of the District want to return to THEIR homestate of Maryland, they should follow the same legal route of 1846 and little resistance would probably be met. Afterall, the precedent clearly already exists.Loshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10175836482134584096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-23839924360326243632007-09-19T17:11:00.000-04:002007-09-19T17:11:00.000-04:00edthered: i agree with you that the constitutiona...edthered: i agree with you that the constitutional option has failed in the past, but it's the ONLY viable option. You can't just IGNORE the process laid forth in the constitution because only 16 of 38 States ratified it. Just because it's harrrrd to do, doesn't mean you can just throw your arms up in the air and say, oh well, we tried... now let's do it this way instead. It's hard to change the constitution because the framer's wanted it to be hard. Instead of crying about "Taxation without Representation" the citizens of the District should organize a good NATIONAL campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the issue. Maybe it should be a campaign issue in 2008? If instead, you're going to fight the constitutional process... you don't stand a chance ever.Loshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10175836482134584096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-1248604311475388082007-09-19T16:01:00.000-04:002007-09-19T16:01:00.000-04:00coffee: see that's the beauty of retro-retrocessio...coffee: see that's the beauty of retro-retrocession...the 10 mile x 10 mile boundaries for DC are already in the Constitution. Virginia got their part back by act of Congress, and Congress could take it back, just like that, lickety split, and there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone could do about it.<BR/><BR/>Of course, since Virginians actually *have* representation, Congress never actually *would* even dream of doing such a thing.<BR/><BR/>My point, however, is this: until Democrats control the legislatures in at least 35 states, no amendment will ever pass. Ever. Because DC is, as Ted Kennedy once said, too urban, too liberal, and too black. And that is to this nation's deep and lasting shame.<BR/><BR/>Although I suppose if we disenfranchised, 530,000 folks in and around, say, Sugarland, Texas, I'd feel better about things.EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-12506843245888889302007-09-19T15:08:00.000-04:002007-09-19T15:08:00.000-04:00what's your point edthered? 16 states out of the ...what's your point edthered? 16 states out of the 38 necessary for ratification is a much higher percentage than what you'd get from arlington/alexandria voters favoring retrocession back into DC. and mal, i think warner will actually do the right thing here since he'll be retiring in the near future anyway.coffeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08281869265533977694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-69275435307756472082007-09-19T14:28:00.000-04:002007-09-19T14:28:00.000-04:00Coffee, if you're waiting on Warner to do anything...Coffee, if you're waiting on Warner to do anything progressive or citizen focused other than flap his gums, you'll be waiting until he retires.<BR/><BR/>The man will talk talk talk but at the end of the day will always vote with Bush and for less rights for regular people.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13213346506916023795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-23738312354997485372007-09-19T13:40:00.000-04:002007-09-19T13:40:00.000-04:00coffee: yeah, it's such a great idea that the las...coffee: yeah, it's such a great idea that the last time one got sent to the states, it got passed by a whomping 16 of them before it lapsed into oblivion:<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_Voting_Rights_Amendment<BR/><BR/>Want to guess how many southern states passed it? Huh? Do ya? I was off by one when I guessed, because Louisiana actually did pass it.EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-14457944013539175552007-09-19T11:50:00.000-04:002007-09-19T11:50:00.000-04:00didn't john warner say he would draft a constituti...didn't john warner say he would draft a constitutional amendment making DC the equivalent of a state? that seems like it would be the best solution anyway.coffeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08281869265533977694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-87447102001399319002007-09-19T09:39:00.000-04:002007-09-19T09:39:00.000-04:00daniel: see, therein lies the rub. Maryland does...daniel: see, therein lies the rub. Maryland doesn't want us back, Arlington and Alexandria don't want to rejoin us, and the majority of the American people either don't know that we can't vote, don't care that we can't vote, or are extremely pleased that we can't vote. Well, fucking shame on all of you.<BR/><BR/>Living in a colony sucks (and yes, I was born in the District, so spare me the "why did you move there?" bullshit).EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-91099974183676034512007-09-19T09:36:00.000-04:002007-09-19T09:36:00.000-04:00Of course, from today's article in the Post, there...Of course, from today's article in the Post, there's not a single mention of the bill being unconstitutional because it gives fucking Utah an extra seat. Can't piss off Utah, or their congressional delegation might not vote for your precious little pork projects, huh, Senator Byrd? Fuck all those grandstanding bitches.EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-39448861847870426672007-09-18T18:09:00.000-04:002007-09-18T18:09:00.000-04:00edthered - On behalf of Arlington.... no thanks......edthered - On behalf of Arlington.... no thanks... <BR/>trading in a really effective government for the CF that is DC politics.... even if we do have a bit of tension with Richmond I would take that any day of the week over having to deal with the DC government.danielobvthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15770902689514604135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-31818373358199490052007-09-18T13:21:00.000-04:002007-09-18T13:21:00.000-04:00dcrebel: The Constitutional amendment option fail...dcrebel: The Constitutional amendment option failed miserably last time around. Miserably. It got to the states, and they told us to go Cheney ourselves.<BR/><BR/>james: why the fuck should I have to move out of the city where I was born just to get a representative? (Of course, exempting me from federal taxes would go be a nice spoonful of sugar to help down the bitter pill of disenfranchisement. Although if you think you've seen gentrification these past few years, you ain't seen shit compared to what would happen without a federal income tax here.<BR/><BR/>daniel: I'd go with retro-retro-cession. We'll just take back Arlington and the part of Alexandria inside the original District limits. No amendment needed, since the Constitution provides for the original 10-mile by 10-mile boundaries. The rest of Virginia would bid good riddance to it's liberal neighbors, who would increase the District's population to nearly 1 million, which would strengthen its case for a constitutional amendment granting representation in both the house and the senate. And the good people of Alexandria would finally get their smoking ban...EdTheRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076404906604458623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-72492450784137283922007-09-18T12:35:00.000-04:002007-09-18T12:35:00.000-04:00Retrocession is really the best option.... except ...Retrocession is really the best option.... except that MD in no way wants DC. DC in the long run would probably benefit, fitting into the larger support systems that larger political organizations such as states provide. And of course the DC Statehood nuts consider it to be a unacceptable option... irregardless that every Right leaning state would in no way allow DC to attain statehood and deploy 2 unassaultable Democrat Senators.danielobvthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15770902689514604135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-24226016531284050552007-09-18T11:00:00.000-04:002007-09-18T11:00:00.000-04:00Feh. If I was yearning for more politicians to "r...Feh. If I was yearning for more politicians to "represent" me, I'd move to a state.<BR/><BR/>Just exempt me from federal taxes, thanks.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06221658823743570769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216647.post-72153096268688310402007-09-18T10:55:00.000-04:002007-09-18T10:55:00.000-04:00If voting rights is what the citizens of the Distr...If voting rights is what the citizens of the District want, then the right thing to do is petition for Statehood and go through that legal process, retrocede the District back to Maryland as a new congressional district, OR amend the Constitution to grant Congress the power to give the District a vote. It is *not* a power the Congress currently has. That's the way the vote was granted to African-Americans and women, as you mentioned. It's also the way the poll tax was prohibited and the mechanism by which the voting age was lowered to 18. It *is* the only way to go.Loshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10175836482134584096noreply@blogger.com