With Obama, D.C. residents hope for a voice

[sniffa]

In recent years, residents of this city - the "last colony," some call it - have resorted to political theater in their fight for representation in Congress. They dumped tea into the Potomac River. They sarcastically petitioned for reunification with Britain. They produced license plates that proclaimed they lived in a place of "Taxation Without Representation," which President Bush refused to put on his limousine.

But now, after two centuries of complaint, the District of Columbia may finally be about to get a full-voting representative, if not two US senators and the ultimate goal of statehood. President-elect Barack Obama is an original cosponsor of the DC Voting Rights bill, which would turn the city's congressional delegate, who has limited power, into a full-fledged member of the US House.

Some are hoping Obama will also back measures eventually leading to statehood. The issue could be one of the first legislative initiatives of his presidency, and a test of his commitment to make life better for the district's 581,000 residents, who on average pay some of the nation's highest federal income tax bills.

....

Backers of voting rights for D.C. residents have asked for a meeting with Obama to discuss his views. Meanwhile, they are hoping that when he rides in the presidential limousine on the day of his inauguration, he will approve the use of the license plate that says "Taxation Without Representation," symbolizing his sympathy with the cause.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/31/with_obama_dc_residents_hope_for_a_voice/

I fully support DC's right to full representation but I just happen to think there are more important issues right now. Their time will come so I hope they don't try and make a big deal about it.

[Clio the Leo]

1. ha ha! Love that last line....

... good one. ;-)

[sniffa]

10. .

[LisaM]

2. I think it is a big deal that they pay taxes and don't have representation

I hope Obama does put those license tags on his cars and that the issue gets addressed immediately. There are more people in DC than in the entire state of Wyoming! What if you lived in Wyoming, and they suddenly said, "we're going to take away your senators and your congressman, oh, and by the way, we're going to raise your federal taxes".

I do not believe any of us are equal until we're all equal. I'm sure the residents of DC, like gays, minorities, and women, get tired of being told that they must wait for other issues. I don't agree with that.

Working with the residents of DC to give them a voice would send a strong signal that in this new America, everyone has a voice.

[sniffa]

3. "I do not believe any of us are equal until we're all equal."

Same here. I just think it's not the right time to press the issue. In the face of bigger issues, Obama shouldn't be burdened by such issues so trivial in comparison.

[LisaM]

4. But people are saying that about so many issues right now

My gosh, Susan B. Anthony never even got to cast a legal ballot because people didn't think women's suffrage was a pressing enough issue. I thank God she had the perseverance to keep fighting. So at some level, I accord many fights the same value, even if they don't seem pressing to everyone else.

[sniffa]

7. But the country didn't face such challenges then

[LisaM]

25. Are you fricking serious?

The Civil War, recessions in the 1890s and in 1919, the worldwide flu pandemic, and World War I?

I'm sure those were all used as excuses to deny women the vote.

[AtomicKitten]

5. K&R

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. I, for one, cannot wait. D.C. needs a lot of help and I think Fenty and Obama

will work well together...

[sniffa]

9. One of their options is to reunite with Maryland

Apparently Maryland rejects this option and that is their right.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. LOL!!! You might be right.

[VADem11]

12. One that will never happen

I doubt Maryland will want to absorb another major city when they already have Baltimore. Besides, DC residents always pride themselves on being distinct from VA and MD. DC should just be given statehood anyway.

[sniffa]

13. I agree but now is not the time for that

They'll get their rights eventually.

[slick8790]

15. I hope this is an exercise in irony.

Because it sure is ironic, especially coming from someone with a rainbow obama logo in their sigline.

[sniffa]

30. Oh, you noticed that?

[ronnykmarshall]

26. I agree with DC statehood too.

Doesn't DC have a larger population than some states?

[cbc5g]

8. We're all putting our hopes on Obama

And I think a lot of us will be disappointed.

[LisaM]

24. I don't have a lot of hope

I don't think he's going to change anything. He's just way better than Bush or McCain. I don't think he'll aggressively make things worse.

[fortyfeetunder]

14. Their time will come?

DC residents have asked for home rule and voting representation in Congress for over 30 years !!!!

How much longer do they have to wait?

[Starry Messenger]

16. This is a really interesting issue.

I never knew this about DC until recently. What a weird situation.

[NYC_SKP]

17. Did you miss Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Colbert Report? (link)

She represents DC as a delegate to congress, and she's a firecracker!

There is a link to her appearance on her official website, on the right. http://www.norton.house.gov/

Happy New Year, MPK! :toast:

[Starry Messenger]

18. Thanks for the link!

Happy new year!

:fistbump:

[elleng]

22. You and MANY people!

Imagine my surprise when I registered at a motel in Washington State (years ago) and desk person did not believe that PEOPLE LIVE in the District of Columbia!

Education, eh?

[MasonJar]

19. I hope they finally get representation.

[elleng]

23. There IS representation;

there is no VOTING representation.

[MasonJar]

20. In addition, any locale that we tax, be it Puerto Rico, Guam, Marianas

or etc., or control the people of should have representation in our government. It is what we fought the Revolution for.

[Politicub]

21. Michelle's statement about getting involved in her new local community (D.C.)...

inspired my partner to get more involved in our local community. It's great that the Obamas provide such a positive example for folks to emulate.

[PurityOfEssence]

27. Yes, he's going to do everything for everybody

(That is, of course, except for those conservatives he's been sucking up to for months now; he's just stringing THEM along.)

It'll be heaven on earth.

[liberalpragmatist]

Problem is, when will we ever have majorities this big again?

Apparently even Holmes Norton and most of the DC leadership is putting the statehood issue on the backburner, because they reason they don't have support for it. But the problem is, when will they ever have this level of support for it? Republicans will oppose DC statehood if they can because it would add two Democratic senators to the total.

I support DC statehood -- it's the easiest solution, and it will pass constitutional muster. Retrocession to Maryland would be acceptable to, but it has very little public support in both DC and Maryland.

[sniffa]

29. True, but there's just more important issues right now

They can wait for a better time.

[liberalpragmatist]

28. Problem is, when will we ever have majorities this big again?

Apparently even Holmes Norton and most of the DC leadership is putting the statehood issue on the backburner, because they reason they don't have support for it. But the problem is, when will they ever have this level of support for it? Republicans will oppose DC statehood if they can because it would add two Democratic senators to the total.

I support DC statehood -- it's the easiest solution, and it will pass constitutional muster. Retrocession to Maryland would be acceptable to, but it has very little public support in both DC and Maryland.