[Another in our series on political devolution, the art of bringing
government close to the people it is meant to be serving]
URBAN STATEHOOD
Sam Smith
What does New York City have more of than Rhode Island, Montana, South
Dakota, Delaware, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming, all put
together?
People.
What do New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, South Dakota, Delaware,
North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming have that New York City
doesn't have?
Sixteen US Senators.
New York City gets to share two senators with the residue of New York
state, which is also larger than all these other states put together. In
fact, there are 18 states with a combined population less than New York
in its entirety.
This discrimination is, of course, not unique to New York. The larger
states of California and Texas have it worse. And the capital colony of
Washington DC lacks even partial representation in the Senate.
The results of this constitutional but crazy apportionment of America's
upper house means, among other things, that ethnic minorities are
underrepresented in a manner officially permitted hardly anywhere else
in American culture. If the Senate had been a school district it would
have been under court-ordered bussing for the past few decades. If it
were a private club, you'd want to resign from it before running for
public office.
In fact, the malapportionment of the Senate is perhaps the most
important, undiscussed issue in the country today for there is hardly a
matter of political importance that would not be affected if that body
were to reflect 21st century rather than 19th century demographics.
Curiously, however, leaders of constituencies that would clearly benefit
- with cities at the top of the list - show little interest.
One reason for this is misunderstanding. It is widely believed that
admitting new states requires a constitutional amendment and that a
state, once created, can't be split. In truth, it is easier to spawn a
new state than it was to give women the right to vote or to pass an
income tax. A simple majority in Congress and the president's signature
- plus approval of an affected state's legislature - and the job is
permanently done.
Then there is the argument that creating new states is a political
impossibility. But it has happened 37 times since the creation of the
republic and in a number of cases - Kentucky, Vermont, West Virginia,
and Maine - new states were formed out of existing ones.
If you don't care about history, think of the future. In not too many
years, white Americans will cease to be in the majority. Even leaving
moral questions aside, how much longer will it be politically practical
to tell blacks and latinos that the rules can't be changed to let them
into the Senate in some reasonable number?
Despite Washington's small size, ethnic prejudice and all the other
problems faced by weak and debilitated colonies, a statehood movement
got far enough to win editorial encouragement from the New York Times
and Washington Post, hold a constitutional convention, attract the
transitory enthusiasm of presidential candidate Bill Clinton, win a
respectable number of votes in its one House test, and even elect Jesse
Jackson to the only electoral office he ever held, albeit briefly -- the
position of surrogate or "statehood senator," a popularly elected
lobbyist for prospective states. The DC Statehood Party, which later
merged with the DC Greens, held a city council seat for over 25 years.
If citizens of such weak clout as those in DC can get this far, imagine
what the powerful folk of New York City could do if they rose up in
righteous anger against their lack of equitable representation in the US
Senate. Imagine a Million Mensch March - led perhaps by Abe Bloomberg
and Al Sharpton -- descending on Washington to press the cause, a cause
which is not just that of New York but of every American city and every
group frustrated by the undemocratic hereditary power of the landed
states that got there first. Urban states are the sina qua non of a
better America. Let a dozen of them bloom.
[The original version of this article appeared in the NY Press]
FIELD GUIDE TO DEVOLUTION
http://prorev.com/devolution.htm
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government close to the people it is meant to be serving]
URBAN STATEHOOD
Sam Smith
What does New York City have more of than Rhode Island, Montana, South
Dakota, Delaware, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming, all put
together?
People.
What do New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, South Dakota, Delaware,
North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming have that New York City
doesn't have?
Sixteen US Senators.
New York City gets to share two senators with the residue of New York
state, which is also larger than all these other states put together. In
fact, there are 18 states with a combined population less than New York
in its entirety.
This discrimination is, of course, not unique to New York. The larger
states of California and Texas have it worse. And the capital colony of
Washington DC lacks even partial representation in the Senate.
The results of this constitutional but crazy apportionment of America's
upper house means, among other things, that ethnic minorities are
underrepresented in a manner officially permitted hardly anywhere else
in American culture. If the Senate had been a school district it would
have been under court-ordered bussing for the past few decades. If it
were a private club, you'd want to resign from it before running for
public office.
In fact, the malapportionment of the Senate is perhaps the most
important, undiscussed issue in the country today for there is hardly a
matter of political importance that would not be affected if that body
were to reflect 21st century rather than 19th century demographics.
Curiously, however, leaders of constituencies that would clearly benefit
- with cities at the top of the list - show little interest.
One reason for this is misunderstanding. It is widely believed that
admitting new states requires a constitutional amendment and that a
state, once created, can't be split. In truth, it is easier to spawn a
new state than it was to give women the right to vote or to pass an
income tax. A simple majority in Congress and the president's signature
- plus approval of an affected state's legislature - and the job is
permanently done.
Then there is the argument that creating new states is a political
impossibility. But it has happened 37 times since the creation of the
republic and in a number of cases - Kentucky, Vermont, West Virginia,
and Maine - new states were formed out of existing ones.
If you don't care about history, think of the future. In not too many
years, white Americans will cease to be in the majority. Even leaving
moral questions aside, how much longer will it be politically practical
to tell blacks and latinos that the rules can't be changed to let them
into the Senate in some reasonable number?
Despite Washington's small size, ethnic prejudice and all the other
problems faced by weak and debilitated colonies, a statehood movement
got far enough to win editorial encouragement from the New York Times
and Washington Post, hold a constitutional convention, attract the
transitory enthusiasm of presidential candidate Bill Clinton, win a
respectable number of votes in its one House test, and even elect Jesse
Jackson to the only electoral office he ever held, albeit briefly -- the
position of surrogate or "statehood senator," a popularly elected
lobbyist for prospective states. The DC Statehood Party, which later
merged with the DC Greens, held a city council seat for over 25 years.
If citizens of such weak clout as those in DC can get this far, imagine
what the powerful folk of New York City could do if they rose up in
righteous anger against their lack of equitable representation in the US
Senate. Imagine a Million Mensch March - led perhaps by Abe Bloomberg
and Al Sharpton -- descending on Washington to press the cause, a cause
which is not just that of New York but of every American city and every
group frustrated by the undemocratic hereditary power of the landed
states that got there first. Urban states are the sina qua non of a
better America. Let a dozen of them bloom.
[The original version of this article appeared in the NY Press]
FIELD GUIDE TO DEVOLUTION
http://prorev.com/devolution.htm
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1 comment:
Anyone who truly believes in the Constitution should learn more about the Article V convention issue at www.foavc.org, and seriously consider becoming a member
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