Thursday, September 20, 2007
No Representation, No Taxation [John J. Miller]
It's a good thing the DC voting bill died in the Senate this week — it was clearly unconstitutional. It was a rotten solution to an actual problem: the residents of DC, almost by historical accident, don't have an electoral voice in the House. It's not exactly a crisis for our democracy, but I think conservatives should have a response to it that goes beyond carrying water for the partisan interests of the GOP. Here's one of several ideas floated by the Heritage Foundation:
End Federal Taxation. Given its exclusive power over the District, Congress could abolish federal income taxes on District residents, providing a powerful solution to the city's "taxation without representation" complaint. This is a reasonable compromise and fully within Congress's powers. Other non-voting territories, like Puerto Rico, do not pay federal income taxes for similar reasons.
It would also be good for Jonah's property value.
09/20 08:55 AM
Share
