Washington Tweets: Special DC Rights Issue

Washington tweets. A lot. The Washington Tweets column is a collection of the most interesting, recent Washington-area tweets. These tweets reveal a candid and fascinating portrait of what is on our collective minds: Twitter gives a snapshot of what we're doing, thinking and hoping for as a group. Washington Tweets is Washington in the raw. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.

This is a special District of Columbia rights issue of Washington Tweets. The budget that Congress agreed to also asserted Congress' power to decide how the District can spend its own taxes. Not Federal taxes, but local taxes earned by District residents. It doesn't get more anti-democratic than that.

DC is not a state and therefore, have no voting rights under the law. Although, unfair, it is the current law. So, let's change the law.

I'd like to point out that DC is larger than WY, which has 2 Senators and a Representative. #statehood

DC and it's residents are the real victims of this budget battle. We're people, not collateral damage.

Unjust that #DC only jurisdiction in US that can't spend own funds in case of #shutdown #taxationwithoutrepresentation

If DC had statehood, we wouldn't be a bargaining chip for Dems and a petri dish for Republicans. #FreeDC

DC shld give up voting rights and start looking to have residents avoid paying state taxes, since we can't spend it, why pay it.

they did so by sacrificing the rights of poor women from DC who have no voting representation in congress. that's never good

Helping DC obtain statehood should be on every DC resident's bucket list.

The "shut down" deal is just another reason why DC needs statehood. I love how "states' rights" republicans interfere with DC local issues

601,723 is the population of Washington DC. None of which have a voting member in Congress and limited local rights.#DCSTATEHOOD

Rome is burning and this country is arguing over abortion funding in wash.dc.cutting 38 billion out of a 14 trillion def is futile.

DC banned from spending own money on abortions 4 low-income women. Sure, that sounds budget related.

the rider that bars DC from using own $ (DC Govt $, not Fed $) 4 abortions

@RepKevinBrady thank you for pointing out that DC residents pay taxes. when will you support democratic voting rights for DC residents?

"Bans taxpayer funding of DC abortions." Was DC thrown under bus to save Planned Parenthood? Need voting rights!

Pathetic budget deal prohibits D.C. from using its own $ for abortion services.

Yes, I'm very very upset right now at the govt over DC voting rights and autonomy. We are a fing colony of Congress. No representation

DC: larger pop then 1 state, more military recruits than 2, more indust wkrs than 6, more gross prdct than 14.#statehood

Good Morning: DC Will Lose Its Vote in Congress Today

After dipping down into the 20's overnight, today's high will be in the lower 40's -- at best. While there will be ample sunshine, the 10 mile per hour wind from the northwest (gusting to 18 mph) will make it feel like the upper 30's. So bundle up. It's January.

Rumors of snow on Thursday are floating around. But if we get any snow it won't be much. I promise! DC never gets much snow, right? But if when there's a significant snowstorm again in DC, you'd better shovel in front of your home or business: A bill cosponsored by Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Tommy Wells, would make the fine for not shoveling $20 for homeowners and $250 for businesses, according to TBD.

Tomorrow when the 112th Congress convenes with a Republican majority, Delegate Elearnor Holmes Norton will lose her vote in the Committee of the Whole, DCist reports. What little representation we had in Congress will be gone. As citizens, District of Columbia residents pay taxes, fight in wars, are subject to Federal law, but we have no say in how the laws that govern us are made. DC Vote has organized an effort to help us retain this smidgen of representation.

Wikipedia Declares DC a Territory

In its article about the minimum wage, Wikipedia classifies DC as a Territory. Oh well. We have to be something, and "territory" has a nice ring to it. Now maybe we can get that no-federal-tax status enjoyed by the citizens of Guam, the Northern Marianas, and other territories.

What DC Residents Should Wear When Traveling

When you travel, leave your Nationals t-shirt aside and wear a "Taxation Without Representation" t-shirt instead, which you can get from DC Vote. They're especially great for airplanes, where you're exposed to a lot of people from a lot of other different places and where you may have a chance to chat up a captive audience about our lack of voting representation in Congress. (At present airlines are not charging a fee for wearing t-shirts with advertising slogans.) If you're a Brooks Brothers kind of person who never wears t-shirts, then consider a DC Vote tote bag or coat for your pet. You can read more about DC Vote on their website.