This is the Heritage Foundation's argument against DC statehood

[yaesu]

the Heritage Foundation’s Zack Smith, arguing against DC statehood, says DC residents “already impact the national debate” because members of Congress see their yard signs while driving to work

Link to tweet

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. OFFS! (nt)

[Delmette2.0]

5. You beat me to it.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

14. When I say OFFS it's done with the voice of Scotty from Star Trek ...

Somehow just feels right

There's so much utility packed into those 4 words, isn't there?

[Delmette2.0]

17. I can hear Scotty now.

I gained admiration when I was the first Mom to drop the f bomb in front of the teenage friends of my two sons. After that I was Mom to all of them when they came over. LOL

[CurtEastPoint]

2. What a pompous little twit.

[WA-03 Democrat]

3. If no yard signs

Are the only issue...then let’s do it. My HOA doesn’t allow them. I thought it was stupid but if it gets us another Democratic State, who needs it after 1/6, full steam ahead.

[krispos42]

4. DC shouldn't be a state because it's too small geographically

Not because they have signs. Idiots.

[kcr]

8. What does geography have to do with it?

Regarding its size? Is there a minimum size requirement for statehood?

[krispos42]

18. There would seem to be

A state is a collection of smaller government organizations, such as counties and municipalities.

DC is a city. It has no counties, no other cities or towns. It has no natural resources. It's about 65 square miles total, of which a sizeable percentage is actually Federal property such as parks, monuments, and administrative complexes.

Puerto Rico, which is in the exact same boat as DC, is the size and population of Connecticut. So I'm all for PR being a state.

DC should get it's own Representative in Congress, and it should be part of Maryland in terms of Senate representation. In other words, the boundries of the Maryland Senate constituency should be extended to DC.

That's my solution for DC.

[kcr]

20. Well, if that were the actual definition of a state, you'd have a point

If having cities, towns, and natural resources were requirements for statehood, you'd have a point, But, they aren't. So, you're as equally as wrong as the political sign guy.

[krispos42]

22. There is no legal standard for a state.

Therefore, everybody is both wrong and right regardless of their viewpoint.

Also therefore, we have to gut-feeling this.

Does DC feel like a state?
No, it feels like a city.

Are the people in DC represented in the House and Senate?
No, they are not.

Should they be?
Yes, they should.

Okay, then entitle them to Representative, and make DC's people part of a neighboring state for Senate voting.

Which state?

Well, the 65 or so square miles were pulled (taken? gifted? bought? donated?) from Maryland and it would make sense in terms of both history and natural boundaries to link it to Maryland.

Cool.

Problem solved.

[kcr]

23. No, that pretty much only makes you wrong

Since you're the one that seems to be insisting that those metrics define a state, when they don't. It isn't even about whether or not it feels like a state. Again, another metric you seem to be imposing on this discussion. Your solution is one way that could work, but given that DC already has delegates the way states do, why not go all the way? Not to mention it's what the people of DC want.

[krispos42]

24. So if the people of, say, Brooklyn, wanted to become a state...

... They should?

How about the county that I live in? It's several times bigger than DC and has 200k more people.

The people of eastern Oregon and Washington want to form their own state; how about them?

And I am correct about how this feels, because it is the other states that are going to decide if DC should be a state.

I say no. It is one-twentieth the size of Rhode Island and contains a single city with no other political subdivisions. Furthermore, it is incapable of adding more. It cannot grow in size and there exists no unincorporated land in the District to add future cities. The powers and privileges of a State are not needed to run the city of DC.

What DC wants is a seat at the Congressional table. I've explained how I think the people of DC should be Federally represented.

DC also needs more local autonomy and that can be done through the Federal legislative process.

[Biophilic]

6. They obviously have no sense of shame at all. How embarrassing. nt

[Xavier Breath]

7. I can't ignore the nagging suspicion

that he likely tortured animals as a child.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

15. Easy now ...

[RANDYWILDMAN]

9. Dam, who let the deep thinkers out ??

go D.C.

[PortTack]

11. Let's take away his rights from what ever red state he is from..cause yard signs are enough..right?!

[NoMoreRepugs]

12. That's the best argument the big brains at the Heritage Foundation could come up with??

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. Check out the big ol' brain on Zack! (nt)

[EndlessWire]

13. Hahaha!

Likely the next yard signs they see will be for Statehood.

Go DC!!

[bahboo]

19. deep...

[maxsolomon]

21. Better to argue that DC should join Maryland and vote in their Senate races

with 2 congressional reps going to the city. The situation (taxation without representation) is clearly unfair.

Puerto Rico/USVI? That is a State.