Paz Fargo Davies you West Fargo Packers, who will win this battle between two of the top teams in the D. C. Find out Friday at 7:15 P.m. on air Online and on the goal right here on the flag. When it comes to your smart device, asking it to play us is probably the smart thing you could do. Hey, Alexa Wave the flag marked choice. Jimbo had a joke. 26 650, Jimbo 866554626 and We have Paul Strauss with us. He act, says the district of Columbia's nonvoting representative to the U. S. Senate. He is actively pursuing statehood for the District of Columbia, which now has passed the house and if I'm not mistaken That process now would include Senate passage, followed by a signature from President Biden. But that would that do it way. Sure, hope so. We have a bill in the Senate. Now it's as 51 it has 40. Co sponsors. Um, but we are looking for more, and we're hoping to get All of the Democrats and some bipartisan support as well. All right now that David in San Francisco had called in as regards certain other territories and of the various other such territories out there, the Mariana Islands and Guam and what have you The only one that really, I think is never seriously talked about statehood was Puerto Rico, where they do have in fact they a statehood party, which of course existed in the District of Columbia for many years, although I don't think it's active anymore because I think the Democrats have pretty well. Taken over that role you could tell us, but But do you see any parallels between what has been suggested for Puerto Rico and what is now being suggested for the District of Columbia? Well, I do. The Puerto Rico just had a referendum on statehood. They voted for it. The numbers were not as high as the vote for stated here in D. C in Guam actually is trying to have a plebiscite to determine their Future. I speak actually regularly with government leaders, both in Guam and Puerto Rico. And, um, there are many parallels. There's a big difference, of course, they are exempt And from paying most federal You know, one income of the rationales taxes. that And we are not. was always We had actually for having pay a government with more its homes taxes per capita control than any area state was and security. in the aggregate, So we 200 some odd years ago longer Contribute than that. $4 billion Um, to the federal treasury. a So for group us, it's literally of taxation soldiers stormed without representation. the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, And that's the even Pennsylvania our license plate State motto militia, as the story on, goes, Of course felt independence. that they had no There's obligation really no other to provide remedy security. but stated for us, you know, we'll go ahead. Uh, there's similarities, but there's a few differences as well. I'll come back to that. That thought of other remedies. But David in San Francisco, did that. Answer your question. Well, personally, I was when I was talking about market forces of freedom. I was talking about the You know, people that are new to freedom, getting the strive and then they kind of Proving their own mind that they're worth it. And then they freak. You know that most of these territories have had some forms of local self governance since the United States came aboard. We may elect all kinds of city councils and the light. Goodness knows there's been a government such as it is. In Puerto Rico. It hasn't always been, shall we say the most effective government, but they certainly have had lots of practice. Well and where I was going to go, and I'm glad you mentioned the Marianas. I think there are a bunch of sweatshops there and they don't get equal protection because they don't even get the American minimum wage. And if I remember right, there was a congressman that was, you know, famous for, you know, seeing to it that It remained a channel sort of territory. All right, we'll go ahead. Let's get such never was focus back more of the district. But go ahead, David. You know this might sound kind of preposterous, but it might make more sense than we might imagine. Right now. We're still under attack from Russia. We're under attack from wealthy Arabia made by under attack the fight, so to say that they posed at least potential threats and some skates of cyber attacks without getting into histrionics and hyperbole. Based on whatever your premise is that we have threats in this world. Therefore what That we offer them statehood. Well, okay, Well, you're right. It does not preposterous. But baby wait, thanks for a colorful addition to the conversation tonight. I've heard. I've heard it said that. In fact, they move toward Puerto Rican statehood. Paul Strauss might move in concert with that for the lifted of Columbia, and I've even heard at one point I think there was a discussion that has a mathematical formula. Or harmony. House seats are are given to the various states. And there was a proposal at one point of whereby Utah, which is ah, pretty reliably Republican state. In most cases, we got an extra representative in the house. I'm sure you've kept up on that more than I have. Well, that was a proposal. Utah lost a seat in a apportionment fight to North Carolina. They felt that was unfair. And a congressman from Virginia Tom Davis, Who was head of the end RCC, the National Republican Congressional Committee, whose job it was to get. Republicans elected to Congress proposed that Puerto Rico be given an extra house seat. And the district's nonvoting delegate could become a full voting member of the House..