Posted on 02/26/2009 2:22:49 PM PST by Domandred
Even if Congress gives D.C. a vote in the House, don't expect federal lawmakers to stop meddling in the city's business.
Feb. 26, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- Not long before President Obama's inauguration last month, some homemade fliers started popping up on lampposts and traffic lights around town. "Welcome to D.C.!" the posters proclaimed, in red ink, next to stenciled images of people in voting booths. "Wyoming: 522,830 residents. 244,818 voters. Washington, D.C.: 588,292 residents. 399,127 voters. 0 votes in Congress."
The stats were a little off; the population estimates came from 2007 Census figures, not the more current 2008 numbers, which show both Wyoming and D.C. have grown. And the voter registration numbers actually undercounted D.C. voters, by using stats from August instead of the November election. But the point should not have been hard to miss for the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people who came to Washington for the inaugural celebration: The nation's capital may as well be a colony, taxed heavily by its powerful rulers without any say in how the money is spent.
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
Bolded part cracks me up though as it honestly applies to everyone not living on the coasts.
Excuse me, but where does the Constitution say anything about any non-state having representation in Congress?
Slamming the Constitution again, are they?
Right next to the part that it says that the 2nd amendment only applies to hunting and sporting purposes.
Old habits die hard.
Excuse me, but what gives you the idea that Democrats give a damn about the Constitution?
The bill proposes to give DC a representative seat AND increase the total House seats to 437. Both of which are unconstitutional.
The first is obviously unconstitutional. Why would changing the size of the House be? The size of the House hasn't always been 435 seats, and is often bumped up by 1 until the next census and reapportionment when a new state is admitted.
It isn't unconstitutional to change the number of seats in the House. There is no fixed number. There is no provision for any political divisions other than states having representation in Congress. It would take a constitutional amendment. It would be possible to cede back the residential areas of DC back to Maryland for the purposed of representation. I would support that only if simultaneously the 23rd amendment were repealed. DC shouldn't be able to have 3 electoral votes and simultaneously also be able to vote for Maryland's two senate seats.
The size of the House hasn’t always been 435 seats,
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Only since 1912...
Some of the Congressional Republicans care about the Constitution. None of the Democrats do.
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Course not. The Constitution stands in the way of getting their agenda done. Working as intended.
“...taxed heavily by its powerful rulers without any say in how the money is spent.”
Don’t we all feel that way?
I say if DC gets a vote, then stop having us pay for their municipal upkeep. The federal government doesn’t build and maintain subway stations anywhere else, for example. Just DC because it is a district of the federal government, and not a state. They dont get a vote but they get federal funding. If they want the vote so bad, treat ‘em like every other congressional district. One vote and no special funding considerations.
Will trade one Republican party full of RINO turds for one Real Reagan conservative party.
Less Govt. is best govt.
You wrote:
“Excuse me, but where does the Constitution say anything about any non-state having representation in Congress?”
Don’t Guam and Puerto Rico and other US territories just have delegates (i.e. non-voting members) in the House?
Why then should D.C. be treated differently, right?
This is a great bill because we will get (1) Utah Republican and (1) psycho-liberal from DC. After the Supreme court rules we will be left with the Republican from Utah and the unconstitutional DC rep will be dismissed.
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