It's one of the thorniest issues in the smallest of districts... voting rights for Washington, D.C. Currently, the District has no representation in the Senate, and just one, non-voting member of the House -- the inimitable and indefatigable Eleanor Holmes Norton (Seriously, click that link. It's her appearance on Comedy Central that aired last night, and it is laugh-out-loud funny. I was just roaring with laughter at my desk and without even looking, (guest host) Rebecca was just like, "Let me guess: Eleanor Holmes Norton's appearance on Colbert?"). Anyway, Congress has passed a bill that would give D.C. a vote (and balance it with another vote for Utah)... but is it constitutional to give a vote to a non-state? On the flipside, should the District's more than half a million taxpayers have no voice in how their money is spent? And what about the remaining 250 million Americans out there - do you even care?
Blog of the Nation
As a former Washingtonian who now lives in Utah, I believe the Utah issue is that if Mormon missionaries had be counted the Representative would have been awarded with last census. But do government functionaries want to give their landlords power.
I just listened to the entire piece on D.C. voting rights and I was encouraged to hear how many people recognize that it is time for the 500,000+ residents of the District to get the right to vote. I'm originally from Arlington, and may move back to the D.C. area after graduate school. It has definitely crossed my mind that if I move into the District, I'll lose my right to vote. To those who question whether D.C. should get the right to vote, think about this conundrum, if I stay at home, pay my taxes and move to D.C., I lose my right to vote. If I move abroad and essentially stop paying taxes, I would get to keep my rights by using my last American address.
I think it is a shame that we are the country that STRONGLY promotes freedom at home and in the world (Iraq), but yet the capitol of this nation has no say in Congress.
Extra US Representative Vote Compromise
There is an ethically-fatal flaw in the proposed compromise of giving Utah, with three US Representatives, an additional congress-person in return for a congress-person for the District of Columbia. Some states like South Dakota, with only a single US Representative have nearly double the number of constituents dependent upon that sole US Representative. They have almost, but not quite, enough for two.
This "Single Representative" flaw is the most egregious failure of ubalanced representation in our system. It leave several hundred thousand extra South Dakota citizens, just below the House of Representatives demographic threshold relying upon only one overloaded Representative. The crucial change that is needed, more urgently than the DC problem, is to change our laws so no state has less than two US Representatives. The current law disenfranchises large populations and vast geographic areas in our already-disadvantaged smaller states.
People! Just look at your American history! NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! And how did so many of the states in the west become states? By applying after they reached population milestones! Sometimes compromises were necessary - like when Missouri and Kansas became states. I am from near Valley Forge, PA and I say Yes! to DC Voting Member of Congress and to DC Statehood. We fought a war against tyranny in these United States more than 230 years ago. It is high time we practiced what we preached. Certainly DC residents merit more participation in our federal government. They pay taxes just like the rest of us!
To give DC a voting representative is well enough, but then what about Puerto Rico? Another non-state with a non-voting representative in Congress. They are citizens of this country too... Don't they deserve a vote?
Dear Victoria.
Puerto Ricans don't pay federal taxes...
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