PROPOSED AMENDMENTS However, should the committee decide that some modifications of the Senate-passed measure are required, the Coalition recommends three: (1) Removal of Section 325 (d) (1), forbidding the imposition of a reciprocal income or "commuter" tax; (2) Elimination of Section 325 (h), providing for a veto of District Council legislation by either House of Congress, with the Congress retaining under Section 325 (b) the authority to override by affirmative legislation of both Houses any action by the District Council; and (3) The addition of a section to establish a commission to conduct a full and complete study of, and recommend to the Council, a plan for the establishment of D.C. or neighborhood councils, which shall have delegated to them those functions which can properly be administered on a neighborhood basis. There are other bills, of course, which we find highly acceptable. There are several bills authored by our Delegate, Mr. Fauntroy, now pending in the House, which represent as we view it perhaps the maximum, the highest, all excellent bills. Were we starting from scratch, this is what we would be recommending here today. We urge features of his bills, if there are to be modifications of the Senate bill, be considered. But given the facts indicated above, we would urge passage of the Senate bill as indicated. Senate bill 2652, in our view, properly recognizes the unique position of the District of Columbia as the Nation's Capital. Constitutional scholars have noted that the Constitutional mandate to the Congress to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over the seat of government was meant to preclude State control over the City of Washington, not Congressional delegation of authority to a local body. The Senate bill is a legitimate delegation of legislative authority to elected officials of the city. Historical and judicial precedents amply support this form of delegation. The pre-eminent authority of the Congress is recognized by the provision, which we recommend, permitting the Congress to overrule actions of the elected Council through legislation enacted by both Houses of the Congress. We submit that a delegation of legislative authority to an elected city government is consistent with the intention of the Founding Fathers. We note, for instance, the comments of James Madison in Federalist Paper No. 43 which indicates the logic and validity of an elected local government for the Nation's Capital. Congress has recognized this intention many times in the past by granting various forms of elected self-government for the District of Columbia. On behalf of our constituency, and of all the disenfranchised residents of our Nation's "last colony," we come before the District Committee today to urge your receptive consideration and legislative assistance to restore to us this basic American right of self-government, of which we were deprived almost 100 years ago. It is a basic principle of democracy that government officials should be elected rather than appointed, and, therefore, answerable to the electorate, rather than to the appointing authority. Yet, in the District of Columbia, where democracy should be most evident and at its very strongest, it is conspicuously absent. If our Federal Government does not believe that it can function democratically at its own seat, then how can it expect to convince the rest of the world that democracy is good for anybody, or can work anywhere? In the eyes of many people throughout the world, the government's attitude toward the District of Columbia appears, as suggested by an observing foreign student, like an automobile salesman who drives one make of car, but sells another-a salesman who does not have enough confidence in his own product to use it himself. There are no legal, moral or philosophical grounds for the denial of self-government to the residents of Washington-we live and pay taxes here. We raise and educate our children here. We are citizens of the country; we are citizens of this city. We are not transients, we are not squatters; this is our home. We plan to remain here. We do not have one foot here with another foot elsewhere. We want what residents of other cities of this country have, the right to elect those who govern us; control over our revenues; and participation in the decisions which affect our lives daily. We are not mythological; we are here, and are entitled to be treated as though we are! FEDERAL INTEREST As to the protection of the Federal interest, we believe that interest should be properly protected-for us, as well as for the rest of the people of the country. But there are also State interests in Albany, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas, and Columbia, South Carolina. Those interests are protected in those capital cities. Surely, the Federal interest can be amply protected here in the District of Columbia, without the necessity of denying suffrage to the people who make their homes here, whose roots are deep, and whose civic loyalties are lasting and strong. Legal, moral and philosophical arguments aside, there are compelling practical benefits which would accrue to the District from selfgovernment. It would start a political process a people becoming involved in a systematic approach to problems and progress. It would put an end to the isolation of people from their government-both local and national. It would provide opportunities for leadership development, and create a body of legitimate and authentic leaders, responsive to the people, yet responsible to their government. This is why the Metropolitan Coalition, and the broad-based, bipartisan group of organizations and individuals which we represent, feel that the citizens of the District are entitled to and should enjoy the full measure of democracy, and the same privileges of citizenship as all other Americans, and that there exists no justification of the second-class citizenship status to which Washingtonians have been relegated. I would now like to introduce to the committee representatives of our constituent organizations, who will, when called upon, identify themselves, and, with your leave, Mr. Chairman, file their respective statements with the Clerk of the Committee. Before doing so, however, I wish to express to the members of the District Committee the appreciation of the Metropolitan Coalition for Self-Determination for D.C. for this opportunity to appear in support of elected self-government for the Nation's Capital. We strongly urge your support for the enactment of Senate Bill 2652, with the few but highly important amendments which we recommend. If there are amendments, we wish you to consider the attractive features in the bills supported and recommended by Mr. Fauntroy. I would like to read that list. Some of them are not here, Mr. Chairman. I will just call the list and they will present their statements, if they might. American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2677, of the Office of Economic Opportunity. Mr. MCMILLAN. They may present their statements to the official stenographer. Mr. TUCKER. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Americans for Democratic Action, Greater Washington Chapter. Anacostia Economic Development Corporation. Bar Association of the District of Columbia. Capital East Community Organization. Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Coalition of Concerned Citizens. Columbia Lodge No. 174, International Association of Machinists. Committee for Aid and Development of Latin Americans in the Nation's Capital. Council of Churches of Greater Washington. Mr. Steven Danzansky. D.C. Citizens for Better Public Education. D.C. Republican Home Rule Committee. D.C. Women's Political Caucus. Democratic Central Committee. Efforts for Ex-Convicts. Friendship House. Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington. Dr. Kenneth Kennedy, Federal City College, Community Education Division. Knox Hill Tenants Council, Inc. League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia. Lincoln Civic Association. Linton, Mields & Coston, Inc. Metropolitan Citizen's Advisory Council. Metropolitan Retail Liquor Dealers Association. Metropolitan Washington Planning and Housing Association. MICCO. Montgomery County Council. NAACP Field Training. National Academy of Wiscom, Inc. National Association of Social Workers, Metropolitan Chapter. National Council of Negro Women, Washington Section. TransCentury Corporation. United Presbyterian Church, Washington City Presbytery. Washington Teachers Union. Washington Urban League. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. These are some of the organizations, Mr. Chairman and Members of the committee, supporting this effort of self-determination for the District of Columbia. Thank you very much. (The statements referred to follow :) Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL, Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: As a member of the National Coalition for Self-Determination for the District of Columbia, and as an elected member of the Montgomery County Council, I wish to bring to your attention the fact that the Montgomery County Council has gone on record as being strongly in favor of selfgovernment for the District of Columbia. Our metropolitan area and our local area governments are affected in numerous ways by lack of home rule in the District. The officials in DC need to be elected by the citizens in order to represent in a responsible way the residents of the District of Columbia. Appointed City officials do not develop the same responsiveness to citizens that elected officials do. Many of the problems of the entire metropolitan area surrounding Washington stem from the lack of home rule in the District. Local elected officials working together-responsive to local needs because they are elected-could and would strive for the solution of problems and for improvement of the quality of life for everyone in the area. Respectfully submitted, IDAMAE GARROTT, Member, Montgomery County Council. HOUSE DISTRICT COMMITTEE, THE PRESBYTERY OF WASHINGTON CITY, GENTLEMEN: We are most encouraged at the advent of public hearings commencing February 8, on Home Rule for the District of Columbia. We urge that you give thorough and thoughtful consideration to every aspect of the issue of self determination for the people of Washington. We need not repeat the exhortation that every citizen of this country should have the right to participate in the government of his or her city and state, as you know far better than we the fundamental importance of participatory government. We believe that the strength of the City of Washington, and of the metropolitan area of which it is the center, will depend in future years to a great extent on the degree of self government which is granted to the people of the District of Columbia. The people of Washington have a right to determine their own budget and the policies under which their city will be governed. Governing officials elected by, and responsible to, the citizens of Washington will be better able to work cooperatively with the elected officials of suburban jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia on the growing number of metropolitan problems that must be addressed on an area-wide basis, including rapid transit, the provision of interjurisdictional sewer systems and water supplies for this region and cooperation among jurisdictions on many matters including public safety, zoning, land use regulation and housing. We believe in the capability of the people of the District of Columbia to elect responsible and able officials who will rule the city wisely. We believe that it is imperative that the Congress of the United States continue payments in lieu of real estate taxes toward the support of the Washington City Budget. The Congress should relinquish to the city officials the determination of policy for the government of the city, allowing them the same privileges concerning relations with the Federal government and with neighboring states as have been traditionally held by other states and jurisdictions of the Union. Recently, the Washington presbyteries of the two major branches of the Presbyterian Church, commonly known as the southern and northern churches, united and now operate as one church in this region. A majority of the churches in this new National Capital Union Presbytery are in the suburbs. We respectfully urge passage of legislation which grants full self government to the citizens of the District of Columbia. Thank you for your interest and stewardship in this matter. JAMES A. BARKER, The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. STATEMENT BY DAVID H. MARLIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE GREATER WASHINGTON CHAPTER OF AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION The Greater Washington Chapter of Americans for Democratic Action has been supporting Home Rule for District of Columbia residents as long as anyone can remember. We have testified before this Committe, before the Senate District Committee, and before countless other meetings called by city and federal officials and organizations for ADA as well as for nearly every Washington citizen. Legislative inquiries into Home RRule are repetitious. Repetitious if the real issue is whether District residents want self-determination. They do. Repetitious if District residents wonder whether the leaders of Congress intend to give us self-determination. We do wonder. But it is not repetitious if this is a serious attempt by the House District Committee to provide city residents with the essential characteristics of self-government that all other American citizens possess. Those characteristics include the right to elect persons who will legislate in our interest, to elect executives who will carry out and administer the law, and to have a controlling voice in the selection of judges who will adjudicate disputes. Another essential characteristic is the right to levy and collect taxes and determine the items for which public monies should be expended. The testimony given today by the Honorable Sterling Tucker. Chairman of the Metropolitan Coalition Steering Committee. fully defines the objectives of ADA. We are happy to join and support the bill that has passed the Senate and urge that bill be passed by the House of Representatives. We are voluntarily limiting our oral testimony to that of Mr. Tucker, because we think the days of rhetoric and oratory are over in this issue. Thank you for your consideration. STATEMENT OF GRAYSON MCGUIRE, CHAIRMAN OF V.O.I.C.E. Chairman McMillan, and Members of the House Committee on the District of Columbia: I am R. Grayson McGuire, Jr., Chairman of V.O.I.C.E., more fully known as The Voice of Informed Community Expression. I am accompanied here today |