Dang it! That was me and my "morning fingers".

Bobert, DC was created from Virginia and Maryland (as you know) to be a "Federal City," which it was originally called. It was not created from any existing state so that no existing state would have a bigger voice in national affairs than another. The early history of DC (as a city) is one of corruption -- Benjamin Bannaeker was perhaps the only honest man of the whole bunch (and someone I highly respect).

The natives of DC know this; whether or not they like it is another matter. I can't see it changing, simply because having the nation's capitol in a (theoretically) independent city is a truly Good Idea.

But neither do I think that the DC city government should be made to foot the bill alone for some of the things that go on there, and usually it doesn't. Frankly, I think that DC city government should pay for those things which any city of comparable size would have to pay for (schools, streets, cops, etc.) and the rest -- and anything stemming from the city being the Capitol -- should be paid by the Feds.

There should be a limit, too, on the amount the taxpayers spend on an inaguration -- enough for a modest ceremony and a state dinner, perhaps. The rest should come from true contributions -- contributions which are NOT deductible.