In re DC - one thing to remember is that not only does the federal government occupy a lot of prime real estate, there are also a whole bunch of embassies here ... and I think they're tax-exempt as well. DC relies on federal funding for a hefty chunk of the budget, but we're also largely controlled by Congress. AND we pay federal taxes (taxation without representation ... which is on the DC license plates).

Arguments against representation have historically been "well, but it's NOT a state" (and only states have voting rights) to the fact that DC traditionally votes Democratic. A recent one is that all the federal government employees would vote for increasing the size of the government ... which ignores the fact that a lot of those people live in Maryland and Virginia.

And it's amazing how many people outside the area don't realize that DC (for address purposes) is like a state.

smonster, sending much ~ma for your gran and the rest of your family.

I am all officially signed up as a substitute. I am semi-employed.

Also, good thoughts for you and your grandma, smonster.

Best wishes for smonster and family.

Thank you for the ~ma, y'all. She's had Alzheimer's for years and is at the point where she will respond to her name, but can't tell you what it is if you ask her. Plus physical issues.

-Ma for you and yours, smonster.

Good thoughts for your grandma, smonster. And you.

Thinking good thoughts for smonster's grandmother and family.

Re DC, I grew up in Australia's capital. We took a leaf out of your book and gave it its own territory, the Australian Capital Territory (and not a state). I believe the logic was similar, though whereas Washington was chosen to balance North and South, in our case it was a Sydney-Melbourne thing.

Anyway, the point is that the ACT still gets representation. We have two members in the House of Reps and two Senators. The Northern Territory likewise has a Rep and two Senators. (Each state gets twelve Senators.)