The Coming Battle for Democracy and Statehood

Campaign for D.C. Democracy and Statehood
Contact: Kevin M. McCarron
(202) 726-1576

The filing of Twenty Citizens lawsuit (Adams vs. Clinton), and then Alexander vs. Daley, might well compel residents of D.C. to consider the fundamental question: By what form of governance shall we govern ourselves? Alexander vs. Daley at best can only lead to either retrocession, or some vague concept of "voting rights" in the lower house of Congress. Alexander vs. Daley won't lead us to self-government, much less to a chance for Statehood; only Adams vs. Clinton can do that.

But before we argue why Adams vs. Clinton will be good for D.C. (if it prevails), let us first review the arguments, briefly, about the superiority of Statehood to all other forms of governance.

Statehood vs. Home Rule

You don't need to have lived in the District of Columbia long to understand the horrors of living under Home Rule. A few of the more blatant examples are:

1. Imposition of the unelected, and unac-countable, Control Board and its lackey, the "Emergency" Board of Trustees to oversee the school system

2. The Congressional squashing of Initiative 59, which garnered 69% of the vote

3. The inexcusable loss of the Federal Payment, so that D.C. residents must pay for mandated federal services to keep the federal government running

4. The attempt to impose tort reform, mainly at the urging of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, to please her campaign contributors back in Texas

5. The yearly requirement to seek Congressional approval of a budget raised by D.C.'s own taxes, with Congresspersons from Virginia and North Carolina (for example) having had heavy influence in this process.

Clearly, the current situation is unacceptable.

Statehood vs. Retrocession

Because Alexander vs. Daley argues that we are already "residual citizens" of Maryland, Alexander vs. Daley presents a real threat of de facto retrocession. Although the vague concept of "voting representation in Congress" would be satisfied through retrocession to Maryland, it should be feared. Why?

1. Maryland would welcome us about as much as it does Baltimore.

2. The rural and suburban populations of Maryland, through their legislators in Annapolis, would have heavy influence in the territory now known as D.C.

3. There would be little hope of seeking tangible remedies for all the injustices visited upon American citizens who have resided in D.C.

4. Our chance to send 2 people, of our choosing, to the U.S. Senate would be gone forever.

Statehood