LITTLE ROCK — President Obama has attached the District of Columbia’s “Taxation Without Representation” license plate to his limousine. That is a good sign. He said he will display the plate for his full second term. That’s a good sign, too.
Or is it? Should we be pleased that the president assumes that there will be no changing, over the next four years, the injustice whereby residents of the nation’s capital must pay taxes while being denied representation in Congress? It’s good that Mr. Obama has taken notice of the issue. It would be even better if he would apply some muscle to the cause, demonstrating the “commitment to the principle of full representation” and the “willingness to fight” touted in a recent White House statement.
The State of the Union address, set for delivery on Feb. 12, offers Mr. Obama an opportunity to take the next step in seeking full citizenship for District of Columbia residents. By including a few words about the District’s plight, he would use his annual address to Congress as a call to action for equal treatment.
Editorial, Pages 18 on 02/01/2013