Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

(A bill to make Washington DC a state has just passed the ostensible US House. Contact your Senators to oppose it in the ostensible US Senate. Neighborhoods in DC can be returned to Maryland.)

The smallest US state, tiny Rhode Island, has a land area seventeen times bigger than Washington, DC. The City of Chicago is almost four times bigger than Washington DC.

The City of Chicago, proper (non MSA), has a land area which is 3.7 times larger than Washington, DC, and a population that is 3.8 times larger. The population of the City of Chicago is 2,693,976 compared to a DC population of 705,749 (July 1 2019 est.)

Vermont’s land area is 151 times greater than that of Washington DC.

In fact, there are 19 US Cities, which have larger populations than Washington DC. They are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, Columbus OH, Charlotte NC, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Seattle, and Denver.

The whole idea of the US House being based on population, and two US Senators per state, was to balance rural and urban interests-rights. By definition, there can be no rural interests in a City-State, which is the proposal for Washington, DC. And, where would this end? With 20 new City-States?

Republican Abraham Lincoln’s Republican State of Illinois is held hostage to the Chicago Dem Party machine, and vice versa. The argument for Chicago statehood is far stronger than for DC, based on both population and land area. The argument for Chicago Metro area statehood is even stronger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_Illinois

“Our founders specifically opted not to give Washington, D.C. voting representatives given its special status as a federal district so our nation’s capital would not have any influence over legislative matters. “I support returning the neighborhoods around Washington, D.C. to Maryland, which would provide full representation to its residents and comply with the Constitution while keeping the core downtown federal area of DC under federal control.” (US Congressman Waltz, April 22, 2021)

DC statehood can’t be the Metro area, either, because the Metro area includes multiple states. Nonetheless, as a point of comparison, the population of the Chicago Metro area of 9,458,539 is still larger than the DC Metro area of 6,280,487.

“Waltz Statement on the Left’s Push for DC Statehood
Washington, April 22, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-6) released the following statement concerning the Left’s push for DC Statehood:

“It’s no coincidence progressives are pushing for statehood for Washington, D.C. just days after introducing legislation to pack the Supreme Court with more justices. This is nothing more than a power grab to add two Democrat senators with the help of newly appointed justices to help give constitutional cover. Full stop.

“Our founders specifically opted not to give Washington, D.C. voting representatives given its special status as a federal district so our nation’s capital would not have any influence over legislative matters.

“I support returning the neighborhoods around Washington, D.C. to Maryland, which would provide full representation to its residents and comply with the Constitution while keeping the core downtown federal area of DC under federal control.  If Democrats were serious about representation vs gaining more Senate seats, they would support this compromise too.

“Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer must stop attempting to ram through unconstitutional legislation that will only intensify partisan tensions.”
https://waltz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=490

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_metropolitan_area
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_metropolitan_area

“Population estimates, July 1, 2019, (V2019)
City of Chicago 2,693, 976
DC 705,749” https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/chart/chicagocityillinois,DC/PST045219

“Washington, D.C., in the United States, is located at 38°53′42″N 77°02′11″W (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on The Ellipse). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a geographical area of 68.3 square miles (176.9 km2), 61.4 square miles (159.0 km2) of which is land, and the remaining 6.9 square miles (17.9 km2) (10.16%) of which is water.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Washington,_D.C.

City of Chicago:
234.21 sq mi (606.60 km2)
Land 227.41 sq mi (588.98 km2)
Water 6.80 sq mi (17.62 km2)  3.0%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago

Rhode Island land area (excluding water): 1,045 sq mi (2,707 km2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island

Vermont land area (excluding water) is 9,250 sq mi (23,957.39 km2) or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

“In order to keep the House at a manageable number, Congress twice set the size of the House at 435 voting Members—the then-existing number of Representatives. In 1911, Congress designated the number of Representatives to be 433, with provisions made for two additional Members when Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the Union (see Act of August 8, 1911, ch. 5, 37 Stat 13). The 63rd Congress (1913–1915) was the first to have 435 Members. The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 capped the Membership at that level, creating a procedure for reapportioning state delegations in the House under “the then existing number of Representatives” (see Act of June 18, 1929, ch. 28, 46 Stat 21)…. There are 435 Representatives from the 50 states. In addition, five, non-voting Delegates represent the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. A non-voting Resident Commissioner, serving a four-year term, represents the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.” https://history.house.gov/Institution/Apportionment/Determining-Apportionment/