Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: straffo on March 20, 2003, 03:36:56 AM

Title: Question about USA and vote
Post by: straffo on March 20, 2003, 03:36:56 AM

I was reading this article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,917035,00.html

I've no comment on the content of the article it's biased IMO and polemic.


I've outlined in bold a part in the first chapter I find very strange :

1. At present, according to the official website of the Iraqi National Assembly ("a major organ for the expression of democracy") the 250 members are elected by blocs of 50,000 voters throughout the country. This suggests the outline principle is the same as in the US. However, the American constitution demands that the 600,000 inhabitants of its own capital city should not be allowed to take part in this process. The reasons are so obvious that no one can remember what they are, but most of those affected are poor and black, anyway. To ensure true devotion to US principles, the same will have to apply in Iraq; doubtless the Americans will break the news to the people of Baghdad tactfully.  


hu ? is it true ? why ???

Title: Question about USA and vote
Post by: Holden McGroin on March 20, 2003, 05:09:13 AM

At the inception of the government, the thought was that senators, representatives, the president and their staffs would not be residents of the District of Columbia, instead they would be residents of their home states, and thus they have voting representation on congress thru their home states' representation.

The founders did not foresee the growth of the population of DC, (or for that matter the federal goverment) and did not see the need for DC to have independant representation in Congress.  

The very reason that DC exists as a seperate entity from any state is so that any single state would not have undue influence over the federal government.

Founders thought that Maryland would be able to influence federal officials to Maryland's stand on an issue by passing some ordinance (for instance) prohibiting the breed of dog the Massachusetts Senator favored, and he would change his stand on an issue to allow Fido to come to Washington.      

Amendments have been proposed to alleviate this, and while  voting congressional representation is still not available to the citizens of DC, they do have a non voting representative in the House, and delegates to the electoral college and therefore have a vote for the president.

Title: Question about USA and vote
Post by: straffo on March 20, 2003, 05:12:23 AM

Thanks !

I understand it now, but IMO it should change they are citizen like the others no ?.
Afterwall woman can vote now.

Title: Question about USA and vote
Post by: ET on March 20, 2003, 05:55:05 AM

Almost all of the 600,00 moved to D.C. after the no vote rule was put into law. They took their own vote away.

D.C. was asked if they wanted to  become a city in the State of Maryland a short time back but they turned that idea down because they want to be a state with all the powers of a state.

Title: Question about USA and vote
Post by: Sikboy on March 20, 2003, 08:29:42 AM

Washington DC license plates read "Taxation without representation" on the bottom... I'm not sure if this is standard, or optional lol.

-Sik