DC voting rights clears the Senate

[akhhorus]

62-34 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022401375.html?hpid=topnews)

This was the biggest hurdle since it always died in the Senate(filibusters). Obama will sign it if it reaches his desk. To balance out the partisan consideration, this will give Utah a new general congressional seat. Thoughts?

[BurgundyNGold]

62-34 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022401375.html?hpid=topnews)

This was the biggest hurdle since it always died in the Senate(filibusters). Obama will sign it if it reaches his desk. To balance out the partisan consideration, this will give Utah a new general congressional seat. Thoughts?
DC should get proportional votes in the House, if not the Senate. But, then again, so should Puerto Rico, Guam, et al.

[shally]

62-34 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022401375.html?hpid=topnews)

This was the biggest hurdle since it always died in the Senate(filibusters). Obama will sign it if it reaches his desk. To balance out the partisan consideration, this will give Utah a new general congressional seat. Thoughts?


i have no problem with this.. as long as it doesnt lead to the district being declared a "state" and giving them 2 senators.. that would be an abomination

[BurgundyNGold]

i have no problem with this.. as long as it doesnt lead to the district being declared a "state" and giving them 2 senators.. that would be an abomination
If DC was given state's rights, the US should give the same options to all of her territories. Too bad we don't have the Canal Zone still.

[shally]

If DC was given state's rights, the US should give the same options to all of her territories. Too bad we don't have the Canal Zone still.

maybe we can ask hugo chavez to invade it for us and trade it back to us?

better still, now that the Dems are in control perhaps cuba can become our next state

[AliBabba]

does this mean i have to pay for new license plates?

[CNYSkinFan]

well I am for it. i think all territories should get a rep in congress too (voting that is). Senate no, but definitely the house.

I dont understand the whole need to balance it out with Utah but fine whatever.

[Ibleedburgundy]

well I am for it. i think all territories should get a rep in congress too (voting that is). Senate no, but definitely the house.


To clarify, are you saying all the territories combined together should get one congressman? I could go along with that. Otherwise I don't see why American Samoa (population 57000) should have equal voting rights in congress to DC (population 592,000). Even if you combine all the populations of all the territories together, it's still less than 500,000.


I dont understand the whole need to balance it out with Utah but fine whatever.

Neither do I. The mere notion suggests equal opportunity for future Republican victories is somehow on the level of importance with our nation's Democratic principles.

Although it's impossible to get worked up because (from what I read) Utah was going to get a seat as a result of the 2010 census anyway.

[BurgundyNGold]

To clarify, are you saying all the territories combined together should get one congressman? I could go along with that. Otherwise I don't see why American Samoa (population 57000) should have equal voting rights in congress to DC (population 592,000). Even if you combine all the populations of all the territories together, it's still less than 500,000.
I think that the territories should get the number of seats in Congress that are commensurate to their populations, just like any state does. With a population of nearly 4M, Puerto Rico should get 5 seats, similar to Oregon. As for Guam, the US Virgin Islands and other territories with lesser concentrations of people, they should still get 1 seat by virtue of sovereign jurisdiction.

Short of that, each territory should get 1 seat regardless of population. If they want more, they can petition for statehood (I'm looking at you, Puerto Rico, lol).

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

i have no problem with this.. as long as it doesnt lead to the district being declared a "state" and giving them 2 senators.. that would be an abomination
And just why would that be an "abomination"?

[Ibleedburgundy]

I think that the territories should get the number of seats in Congress that are commensurate to their populations, just like any state does. With a population of nearly 4M, Puerto Rico should get 5 seats, similar to Oregon. As for Guam, the US Virgin Islands and other territories with lesser concentrations of people, they should still get 1 seat by virtue of sovereign jurisdiction.

Short of that, each territory should get 1 seat regardless of population. If they want more, they can petition for statehood (I'm looking at you, Puerto Rico, lol).

ooops I left Puerto Rico out of my earlier numbers.

[BurgundyNGold]

ooops I left Puerto Rico out of my earlier numbers.
Oh, and don't forget Canada. Technically, they've been a US territory since 1914.

[Ibleedburgundy]

And just why would that be an "abomination"?

Because the Democrats would have a supermajority lol.

[RedskinsDave]

Any group of people who repeatedly elect Marion Barry deserve no vote on the Hill. I am pretty sure the Constitution denies D.C. the right to a Congressman but we can let SCOTUS decide that one, ha ha.

[shally]

And just why would that be an "abomination"?

because they arent a f**** state !!!

[Keino]

Any group of people who repeatedly elect George W. Bush deserve no vote on the Hill.


FFY. :devil2:

[RedskinsDave]

FFY. :devil2:

I wouldn't vote for him again. You can't say that about Barry and D.C. voters.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

because they arent a f**** state !!!
Well, make them a state!!!!

Would you be satisfied then?

[CNYSkinFan]

because they arent a f**** state !!!
to play devil's advocate, they have a higher population then wyoming and wyoming gets two senators.

[CNYSkinFan]

I wouldn't vote for him again. You can't say that about Barry and D.C. voters.
well, now that you are constitutionally barred from doing so it is easy to promise that.

[shally]

to play devil's advocate, they have a higher population then wyoming and wyoming gets two senators.

i was waiting for that bunch of crap

why dont you ask for statehood for new jack city and the people's republic of
san francisco ? they have more population than some states ? i am sure you feel they deserve 2 senators each as well

statehood isnt based upon a particular population mark, or otherwise california would be 3 and delaware none

forget it !! they deserve representation for certain... they arent a state and wont be because even if the congress is craven enough to vote it in, it would pass muster from the individual states.. and thank God for that.

again, an abomination of an idea..

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

i was waiting for that bunch of crap

why dont you ask for statehood for new jack city and the people's republic of
san francisco ? they have more population than some states ? i am sure you feel they deserve 2 senators each as well

statehood isnt based upon a particular population mark, or otherwise california would be 3 and delaware none

forget it !! they deserve representation for certain... they arent a state and wont be because even if the congress is craven enough to vote it in, it would pass muster from the individual states.. and thank God for that.

again, an abomination of an idea..
Shally...I don't know you but can I assume from the tone of your posts that you are a conservative?

[shally]

Shally...I don't know you but can I assume from the tone of your posts that you are a conservative?

no.. i am not tolerant of political ideologic b*****t no matter what side of the spectrum it comes from.

for the record: i voted for Obama, and i am proud of that fact. i think Bush is/was an idiot who betrayed those who voted for him thinking they were going to get an honorable man who meant what he said. i think the pathway that the gop has taken is immoral on many issues, and dishonest on others.
they deserved to be swept out to sea.

on the other hand, i think that the democratic leadership in congress is reprehensible scum who will do anything to enhance their own power. and they are corrupt and using this crisis to provide obscene amounts of pork that will not help the country at all..and thus by providing a mechanism for insuring 2 perpetually Democratic senators by declaring DC to be a state they are morally and ethically bankrupt and dishonest.. it spits in the eye of the constitution for craven political gain.

a plague on both their houses

[CNYSkinFan]

i was waiting for that bunch of crap

why dont you ask for statehood for new jack city and the people's republic of
san francisco ? they have more population than some states ? i am sure you feel they deserve 2 senators each as well

statehood isnt based upon a particular population mark, or otherwise california would be 3 and delaware none

forget it !! they deserve representation for certain... they arent a state and wont be because even if the congress is craven enough to vote it in, it would pass muster from the individual states.. and thank God for that.

again, an abomination of an idea..
for one...I am playing devil's advocate...i sadi before i am not in favor of it. Adn NYC, San Francisco, and any other alrge city already have two senators because they are paart of a state. They have representation, DC doesn't.

I don't know what the solution is but surely the framers of the constitution never envisioned disenfranchising 500k people of representation in Congress.

[shally]

for one...I am playing devil's advocate...i sadi before i am not in favor of it. Adn NYC, San Francisco, and any other alrge city already have two senators because they are paart of a state. They have representation, DC doesn't.

I don't know what the solution is but surely the framers of the constitution never envisioned disenfranchising 500k people of representation in Congress.

i said i was with you on that.. DC deserves representation. a voting congressman/woman is totally approriate and should be approved. not 2 senators for a city

and i would have no problem with DC becoming part of maryland or virginia, or even ny state, for that matter.. the thing is no one else wants to see their power diluted by adding however many hundred thousand voters to the voting lists. it is a matter of turf wars and for that reason it will never happen

[Fathead]

for one...I am playing devil's advocate...i sadi before i am not in favor of it. Adn NYC, San Francisco, and any other alrge city already have two senators because they are paart of a state. They have representation, DC doesn't.

I don't know what the solution is but surely the framers of the constitution never envisioned disenfranchising 500k people of representation in Congress.




The framers created the federal district!