House to eliminate the DC vote

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

It would continue to make sense if there weren't a bunch of people living there, but there are.

Under the original Constitution, votes were apportioned to the people in the House. The Senate was appointed by the states themselves. As D.C. isn't a state, I can't see any justification for them having a voice in the Senate.

As for the House, I'm not sure what D.C. has to complain about. They are #1 in per student funding (by a wide margin), etc., they don't have much to complain about there.

As for autonomy, symbolically, I think the arrangement is ideal. The states rule over the capitol rather than the capitol ruling over the states.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

As for the House, I'm not sure what D.C. has to complain about.

Like I said, taxation without representation. I think that's a lot to complain about. It led to revolution, you may recall.

I can readily agree (sorry, Sen) that there are valid and appropriate reasons for the District of Columbia not to be a state. I can also agree that the role of the Senate (in theory, at least) is to represent states, not represent "the people." And I can agree that DC is different from other US territories.

I cannot, though, agree that United States citizens should have no meaningful representation in the Congress that imposes taxes on them and enacts laws they must obey simply because they live in Washington. Nor can I see how giving DC a true, voting representive in the House -- where he or she would be 1 of (presumably) 436 members -- would lead to the capital "ruling over" the states.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I cannot, though, agree that United States citizens should have no meaningful representation in the Congress that imposes taxes on them and enacts laws they must obey simply because they live in Washington. Nor can I see how giving DC a true, voting representive in the House -- where he or she would be 1 of (presumably) 436 members -- would lead to the capital "ruling over" the states.

Exactly...please repeat that.