DC Statehood - a possible compromise?

[liberalpragmatist]

Personally, I favor full DC statehood. Redefine "The Federal District" to The WH, the Capitol, The Mall, and the Supreme Court (I think it would be an "L" shape. Then let the rest be admitted as a state. I know the preferred name is "New Columbia" - personally I would have them keep the name "District of Columbia" (like "Commonwealth of Massachusetts") b/c everybody knows it as "DC" and "Washington, DC." Plus "NC" is already taken.

However, realistically, this might never happen. As long as the country is politically split it is going to be impossible.

So how about this as at least a temporary compromise? Give DC greater self-rule, along with one representative in the House. For purposes of the Senate, have them be considered part of Maryland's jurisdiction. So Maryland senators' constituency would be Maryland + DC (maybe they'd be styled as such: "Sen. Mukulski, D-MD/DC").

It's obviously not ideal. But it's better than what they have right now, which is scandalous.

[dsc]

1. actually I think they deserve 2 House seats

but other wise I think it is a good idea. It would also likely make Maryland the state with the largest percentage of African Americans in the US. They probably have close to 20% now and would get around another 25% (DC is nearly all African American and about 25% the size of Maryland). That might give us a state which routinely elected African Americans to the Senate.

[liberalpragmatist]

4. Well, technically under this scheme, they wouldn't be the same state

Maryland doesn't want DC and DC doesn't want to be part of Maryland. So it'd still have a separate administration. The Governor of Maryland would NOT be the governor of DC.

Along with this we'd have to redefine a new self-rule scheme. The current setup is ridiculous, with Congress being able to veto virtually everything DC does.

As for if Maryland+DC would have largest African-American population of any..er, "Senate constituency" - I'm pretty sure Alabama and Mississippi are 1/3 African-American.

I really think Mississippi is a state that Democrats seriously need to look into being competitive in. Yes, it's Mississippi. But I'm fully serious. With such a large African-American population and one of the poorest populations in the country, if we can get up to 40% of the white vote and hold the Black vote, we'd make it competitive.

[dsc]

5. Mississippi is about 1/3 African American

Though thanks to a lower registration rate and the disinfranchisment of felons the proportion of African American voters is smaller. The problem is that getting 40% of the White vote is hard for a Democrat there. I remember attending Democratic rallies there and seeing virtually no white faces that I didn't know (ie they were fellow teacher corps members or fellow gays and lesbians). It was really wierd.

[maveric]

2. Population about 500,000. Any states with smaller populations?

Perhaps Vermont and Wyoming?

[dsc]

3. I thought they were closer to a million

in any case even at 500k they would be bigger than Wyoming, Alaska, and Vermont.

[Solon]

6. A possible compromise is this...

Give them Representatives for the People of DC but not Senators, as they wouldn't be a state. DC is "Special" and when it was established, it was basically supposed to be a Federal City, mostly inhabited by those working for the Federal Government in one function or another, including slaves of course. Now it is much bigger than that, and the city is larger than many other American cities. But people, particularly outside DC do not want it to lose that "Special" Status, so instead, a compromise where they can elect voting members into Congress instead of the non-voting observer they have now. Either that or exempt them from ALL federal taxes, no taxation without representation after all.