District of Columbia Statehood and Voting Rights

[A18]

I agree with Jake. Carve out the federal government areas, and give the rest to Maryland.

The new city can be called Columbia. Same thing was done with Arlington and Virginia.

[A18]

Combine with Maryland.  There is no need for the federal government to own the area its buildings are on and there is no need for an arbitrary state in the middle of Maryland.

It's not in the middle of Maryland; it's between Virginia and Maryland, so there wouldn't be any weird business with states inside states.

It's also in the middle of Maryland, though Maryland does not surround it on all sides.

There would be weird business with making a CITY a state, which is absolutely ridiculous.

Why don't we make my county a state?

[A18]

There is no need for the federal government to own the area its buildings are on

Of course there is. Maryland shouldn't have that kind of influence.

[A18]

Akno, shut the hell up and quit being an idiot. What remains of DC was taken from Maryland.

Angus, the residential and commercial areas would be given to Maryland. The federal government's buildings themselves would be in the "District of the Capital"  (in case anyone's to used to calling it DC ) or whatever.

What about the rights Virginia Beach to have two senators? Give me a break. It's a CITY for crying out loud.

How does the last option violate anyone's rights?

[A18]

There is no need for the federal government to own the area its buildings are on

Of course there is. Maryland shouldn't have that kind of influence.

The influence to have apartment buildings in the surrounding area be under its jurisdiction?

Maryland wouldn't have any influence over the actual affairs.

I just checked the Constitution, and you're correct. Any place purchased by Congress in any particular state -- with the consent of the legislature -- is subject to the exclusive legislation of the federal government.

[A18]

Oh, and let's give the residential areas to Utah.

Yeah. We all know what remains of DC was taken from Utah...

[A18]

Leave it as an independent district. Give it one or two representatives in the House, and let them share one Senator from each of the neighboring states, giving them two.

Why the hell would Virginia allow the dump to vote for one of its senators?

[A18]

How is it bizarre in any manner whatsoever to give the district to Maryland? It was their land in the first place.

Virginia already took its share back. Is that bizarre?

Because an amendment affecting a state's equal representation in the Senate requires that state's approval, it wouldn't matter if Congress and 49 states ratified the amendment. It still wouldn't happen.

How is it in any way unsatisfactory for DC to be part of Maryland? DC fits Maryland's politics perfectly. The legislature would certainly accept.

[A18]

well, I had hoped my question could be answered without resorting to political preferences, or voting provclivities.  Because, hell, if you want to do that, then it is easy to understand why it would never become a state.  I won't explain the mechanics of an amendment passing, or the fact that a bipartisan (as opposed to a tripartisan system, for example) greatly enhances the probability that one group will control DC, since you probably know all these things.  I'll only say that I was just wondering, in theory, what is the objection, or plan, outside the bounds of Democrat versus Republican politics.

Well, politics matters. It's like saying, let's merge Virginia with France. We want to preserve our state.

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Yes. The founders were worried that the legislature of the state the capital was in would effectively be making laws for the federal government.

But if you read the Constitution, they exempt DC, while also exempting all other federal property from any state legislation. So really, the second part makes the first unnecessary.

Making DC a state WOULD defeat the purpose, because then the capital is in a state (and in fact, is a state). But even then, any federal property in the district would not be subject to the legislature of DC's jurisdiction.

It would make most sense to give everything back to Maryland except select land for federal purposes.

It's just a little out there to on the one hand say "the capital shouldn't be in a state, so let's not give it back to Maryland" and at the same time say "let's make the capital a state."

[A18]

Combine it with Virginia.

Combine it with your ass.

[A18]

Option 1; make it a full-fledged state.

It would make far more sense to make Virginia Beach a state.

I challenge anyone to come up with an actual, rational reason why a Maryland city, covering so small an area as to be practically invisible on a map, that IS NOT SELF-RELIANT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM and could quite possibly be the most dysfunctional hellhole on the planet should get statehood.

If the Democrats ever make DC a state, as soon as we get Congress back I'll support dividing up Wyoming into pieces the size of DC and admitting them all into the union.

While we're at it, split Texas into five solid Republican states, as it is permitted to do.