Righting the Wrongs

It's Sunday morning and Turner Network Television (TNT) is replaying one of
Das Behr's all time favorite movies- "The American President". A relatively accurate fictionalised account of an American president during a re-election campaign. Said single president is also courting a beautiful lobbyist. It's funny, touching, note-worthy- it's about as american as we ONCE were. Annette Benning,
Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox and Martin Sheen head up a fantastic cast.

Personal factor: Das Behr had been to The District of Columbia. On a planned one week visit to see and hang-out with The Ottah. Some of Das Behr's best vacations were the ones where he could trip around the visited city and just see things from a perspective pretty unique to Das Behr. For example, after spending a good portion of his first night in "the District" at a bath-house, he walked out into the pre-dawn city and not having a clue as to where he was at in relation to where he needed to get to. I knew the destination was Georgetown- getting there via The Metro and using Metro maps was dicey at best.

The adventure was afoot! Capitol Mall was a different sight to see when Das Behr viewed it at oh-five-hundred in the morning, where the sun was nothing but a spit dot on the eastern horizon. It was distressing to Das Behr to see trash strewn across America's Back Yard. Perhaps a poignant reflection on the current administration...

Even Washington City is pretty decrepit. Washington City doesn't receive federal funding. Washington City is the place in which The District of Columbia is located."D.C." is not a state, nor a commonwealth. The District has no voting power at the federal level. It has the ability to observe and advise but no binding voting status. Very much like the U.S. territory known as Puerto Rico.
However, unlike the pleasant Caribbean island, D.C. is taxed heavily. Das Behr regarded the tax rate in his own Northern California as a bit extreme at 8.5%. That is cheap by District standards. Where Washington City's tax rate is a whopping 10 percent! It's a crime. What's been happening within the District of Colombia is basically-

Taxation Without Representation.

Gee, doesn't that ring familiar? Wasn't that the same cry that ultimately lead to the American Revolution against Mother England a scant two-hundred-thirty odd years ago? Thought so. Washington City is seeking via internal vote to change the law and provide "statehood like" rights to the District. Should D.C. win, then they'll be eligible for badly needed federal funding for everything from highways to housing and everything in between.

So Sayeth Das Behr