More cultural imperialism from the House Republicians

Common Sense is glad that the government didn't shut down but along the way it seems that the District of Columbia, while not a state it IS part of the United States, got a taste of cultural imperialism.  It seems that Congress, who must approve DC's budget, has decided that a) DC can't spend it's tax money on abortions, b) DC can't spend it's tax money on needle exchange, and c) DC must reinstate a school voucher program!

So Common Sense wonders, is it OK for Congress to tell a city, even a Federal city, how it can, can not, and must spend it's own tax money?  Is it OK for Congressional Representatives who are NOT elected from a city to dictate how that city must spend it's money?

Common Sense thinks that the answer to both questions is that it's NOT OK, most emphatically NOT OK!  There are many reasons why.

First, it is a basic principal of our democratic government that all citizens have some basic civil rights including representation.  In the case of DC citizens do not in fact have voting representation!  The reasons are historical and somewhat artificial but DC is a Federal city and not represented by any voting member of Congress.  The net is that Congress is passing laws for a group of US citizens that they do NOT in fact represent.  You may recall from your history class that previously this caused a bit of trouble between Great Britain and the American Colonies.

Second, the money involved isn't in fact Federal money!  Rather, it is tax revenue paid by the citizens of the District of Columbia.  One can only imagine what would happen if Congress attempted to tell any other US city how to spend it's tax revenue.  Common Sense would grant the DC has a rather spotty history of governance but, and it's an important but, so do many other US cities.  Congress can't intervene in those cities.  Why then should Congress be allowed to intervene in DC?

Third, many of Congress's actions will almost certainly make the issues worse not better.  They are nothing more than cultural imperialism and social purity.  Consider needle exchange.  Common Sense recognizes that drug addiction is bad, very bad.  As a society we should combat it however we can including drug intradiction, prosecution, treatment, and anything else that might arguably help.  There are several reasons for this some humane such as limiting the harm people can do to themselves and some practical such as stopping crime.  But all said and done it's clear that we haven't had much luck with drug trafficking and addiction.  So there will be drug users in DC.  There will be needles.  We can choose to provide clean, disease free needles or we can choose to treat dirty needle diseases in publicly funded hospitals.  Where needle exchanges have been allowed they have generally resulted in much less disease and somewhat less drug addiction!  Cultural purity isn't a substitute for common sense when it comes to real problems.  Much the same sorts of arguments can be made about abortions.  Which do you think is better a) an unwanted child born into poverty, likely to require social support, and almost certainly to end in crime; or b) an abortion however objectionable.  When it comes to education which do you think best serves the citizens of DC a) diffusion of limited school funds to support vouchers, or b) spending trying to do something about one of the worst school systems in the country.  When it's said and done Congresses cultural interference isn't good governance.

What surprises Common Sense is that this is just the sort of Federal interference in local government the Republican right normally opposed on principal.  Perhaps it's not so much about principal then but just a case of aggressive ideological purity forced on US citizens not represented in Congress.