Comments on: Why Not: Secede From Washington?

By: Why Not: Set Up an Ice Rink at the Waterfront? | The Georgetown Metropolitan

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:01:28 +0000

[...] Why Not: Secede From Washington? [...]

By: ANC Round Up: Traffic Alert Edition «

ANC Round Up: Traffic Alert Edition « — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:02:59 +0000

[...] 3400 block of Dent Place to make up the loss. In the past, GM has said that the ANC is basically just a reactive body and can’t do much proactively. That wasn’t entirely fair and this (the parking and the [...]

By: How Much Would You Be Willing to Pay for Safer Streets? «

How Much Would You Be Willing to Pay for Safer Streets? « — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:02:50 +0000

[...] Pay for Safer Streets? Jump to Comments Last month, GM proposed the creation of a Georgetown Citizens’ Improvement District. The basic idea is to take the Business Improvement District model and apply it to residents, not [...]

By: Why Not: Shut Down M St. on Weekends? «

Why Not: Shut Down M St. on Weekends? « — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:05:01 +0000

[...] Why Not: Secede From Washington? [...]

By: Morning Roundup: The ‘Should Georgetown Secede?’ Edition - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:04 +0000

[...] Georgetown Metropolitan weighed in with some interesting history. Turns out there's precedent for this, and I'm not talking about the [...]

By: East Georgetowner

East Georgetowner — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:50:23 +0000

Although GM generally has excellent judgment, I am afraid he is off base on the suggestion of an added tax on Georgetown residents to fund a “CID.” An essential point of any secessionist movement, as Carol Joynt noted, would be the fact that Georgetowners *already* pay overwhelmingly disproportionate amounts of income and personal property taxes. We are not just “sharing burdens” with other DC residents, we are carrying a large portion of the burden and getting inadequate city services in return and living under an often corrupt and incompetent local government. So, while I hate to disagree with GM, new taxes for Georgetown residents are not the answer — instead, we need increased accountability of government officials for the return on the taxes that we already pay, or, if that’s not possible, it is legitimate to consider an independent governing system. GM is of course right that secession is not ever likely to happen, but such a movement might have the benefit of impressing upon local goverment officials the message that certain citizens are frustrated by pulling a huge part of the load but not receiving quality, competent goverment in return.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:48:18 +0000

I remember this idea being tossed around when I moved here in 1989, and Marion Berry was destroying the city. A lot of Georgetowners wanted their own government. And given the fact that in fact it once had its own government, it’s a worthy question.

DC often complains it’s not like other states by the mere virtue of not having any state-level government. What if DC moved some government functions to a new district-wide entity, and other, more local issues to city governments – presumably one for “Washington” and one for Georgetown. What functions would be more appropriate for the city level? Roads, zoning, etc?

And perhaps someday Arlington could return as a city within the District of Columbia – then we’d have a state-like government with a whopping three cities!

In fact you could argue for a federal enclave to be another separate city, perhaps with a commission appointed by the feds, to manage the federal core around the White House, the Mall, and the Capitol.

By: Old Georgetowner

Old Georgetowner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:49:11 +0000

“And living in a city, much more than living in a suburb, entails participation in the struggles and triumphs of the whole city.”

It’s funny, I think that *every single time* I see the neighborhood crime figures.

By: Ken Archer

Ken Archer — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:17:24 +0000

IMHO, a decision to live in Georgetown is more than a decision to choose Georgetown over McLean, Bethesda or Great Falls. It’s a decision to live in a city.

And living in a city, much more than living in a suburb, entails participation in the struggles and triumphs of the whole city. Georgetowners who don’t want to shoulder the struggles of other people should not live in a city. You can’t have the liveable, multi-use benefits of city living but reject the sharing of burdens central to city living. They are two sides of the same coin and are inseparable.