Washington, D.C
‘An opportunity to renew that commitment': DC marks 50 years since Home Rule Act
Fifty years ago today, the people of D.C. got a Christmas present from the president of the United States, something citizens had been asking for for a century. And all these years later, the chairman of the D.C. Council sees the D.C. Home Rule Act as a gift that’s still being unwrapped.
The D.C. Home Rule Act, signed by President Richard Nixon on Christmas Eve in 1973, answered calls for self-determination that dated back to the 1870s. A year after the legislation, city voters chose their first elected mayor, Walter E. Washington, and their first elected city council. But the bill wasn’t the be-all and end-all for local governance.
Instead, it’s been referred to as a pig in a poke, and the ensuing years would reveal what was in that bag.
“I call it limited home rule because that really is what it is,” Chairman Phil Mendelson, of the D.C. Council, said.
Most glaring were the limits on fiscal freedom. Before home rule, pensions for city police officers, firefighters, teachers and judges were handled on a federal pay-as-you-go basis. So when it became the city’s responsibility, there was no money–a structural flaw that was only addressed amid budget-killing debt.
“That got up to about $3 billion before finally that got fixed,” Mendelson said.
Other shortcomings persist.
“Our criminal justice system is half-federal, half-local, and in all these ways it’s more complicated and more difficult to govern,” Mendelson said.
As recent as this past summer, amid rising crime and proposed changes to the city’s criminal code, a republican from Tennessee sponsored legislation that would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act and place the District back under control of Congress. The bill was short on details and language: it’s barely a page long and is languishing in the house.
And Congress has always kept a Damoclean sword dangling over City Hall.
“All of our bills have to go to Congress. And in the past 50 years, something like four bills have actually been disapproved. Congress still puts writers on legislation, trying to constrict what we’re doing,” Mendelson said.
And the 700,000 residents of D.C. still don’t have full representation in Congress, which Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed in a statement available here.
“Anniversaries are always an important time to reflect as well as to renew commitment, and this government and this city has been fighting for statehood for decades, so this is an opportunity to renew that commitment,” Mendelson said.
Expect celebrations of the D.C. Home Rule Act all year long, including a reunion of past elected leaders, survivors of the system that at 50 years old is still growing.
“But still, it’s a better government than the preceding hundred years,” Mendelson said.
Washington, D.C
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Washington, D.C
I lived in rural Pennsylvania for 23 years before moving to a big city. The culture shock was real.
- I moved to Washington, DC, after living in rural Pennsylvania for 23 years.
- Learning how to commute was difficult at first, but it opened up so many options for me.
- The work culture was a bit intense, but I loved how much there was to do after work and on weekends.
I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, tucked away in a stretch of the Appalachian Mountains known as the Endless Mountains. It was beautiful and quiet there, and I spent many of my days reading in sunny patches of grass.
But right after college, I moved to the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Washington, DC, for work and traded mountains for monuments.
Transitioning from Amish country to hill-staffer-tech-bro culture led to immense culture shock. But in DC, I learned how to navigate city life and experienced a lot of firsts.
Here are the three biggest surprises I encountered when I moved.
Learning how to commute was difficult at first
The fast-paced nature of the city surprised me. I grew up in a one-stoplight town, and the transition to DC traffic was jarring.
In the part of Pennsylvania where I grew up, driving was my only mode of transportation. In fact, I could anticipate a nearly hourlong drive to access the nearest chain stores.
However, learning about the different ways to use public transportation in the city was exciting. On my first day of work, I figured out how to ride the bus and use the metro system. I also started riding a bike consistently for the first time since I was 12 and walked more than I ever had before.
I also discovered new challenges, like surrendering to the mercy of public transit delays and struggling to carry my groceries home. However, I gained something I didn’t previously have access to — options.
The work culture in DC was intense
My first full-time job was in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, so right out of college, I felt like I was thrown into the most competitive work culture. For better or worse, every moment felt like a networking event.
One of the most “DC experiences” I had was joining a community pickleball group and discovering that the group was made up of people who worked for ESPN, the ACLU, and the Peace Corps.
Although I loved discovering what people do for a living, work culture is often prioritized over everything else. This was a part of life in DC that I had a hard time reckoning with.
I’m still trying to ditch the habit of asking, “So what do you do?” when I meet a stranger.
I had so many more opportunities for after-work activities
After work, I rode my bike to the library and picked out brightly colored books. At night, I danced to live music at the 9:30 Club.
On Saturday mornings, I wove my way through places like the Hirshhorn Museum and Renwick Gallery, then wandered around to find a new coffee shop. Food was everywhere, and it was delicious. I indulged in tahini lattes, ube waffles, and bowls of spicy ramen.
Being in a big city also meant I could discover more of my interests, which had been patiently waiting to be found.
Although my time living in DC has concluded, I’m grateful for the many ways it has shaped me and directed my next steps.
Washington, D.C
Election Day prompts tight security in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., was on high alert Monday ahead of Election Day.
From the White House to Howard University, local and federal police were working extra hours to ensure that the vote, the voters and the candidates stay safe.
While there has been no specific threat, there was extra security fencing around the White House to help defend against any attempt at election violence.
Meanwhile, bomb-sniffing dogs made their rounds through cars parked along the National Mall.
NBC Bay Area’s Damian Trujillo has more in the video report above.
The stakes are high, both nationwide and in the Bay Area, as polls indicate a neck-to-neck race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump. NBC Bay Area’s Damian Trujillo is in Washington D.C. ahead of the big day.
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