Yglesias supports the idea of DC becoming the 51st state. This would be great news for Democrats since the party would be rewarded with a brace of Senators and an additional Congressman. That’s one reason why it will never happen.
Still, DC’s lack of voting representation in Congress is a boon for foreign correspondents needing an idea every so often. I reckon you can squeeze a piece out of the matter at least every 18 months. And it’s true that foreigners are astonished to discover that residents of the US capital have no votes in Congress.
So yes, it’s nice that DC car license plates carry the slogan “Taxation Without Representation”. But what about a grand bargain? In return for not having a vote in Congress, how about abolishing the federal income tax for DC residents? I suspect there are many who’d be all in favour of that. And of course such a move would do more to repopulate the city – complete with the kind of urban density Matt’s in favour of – and regenerate its schools and so on than just about anything else…
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