Questions and Answers

1) How would this be done?

The Commonwealth of Virginia would have to pass legislation creating a District of Northern Virginia, in which the people would be authorized (perhaps after a referendum) to create a state government of their own. After that is done (including the creation of a State Constitution and the election of officers), the new state would petition the US Congress for admission.

2) Why would Richmond agree to this?

Richmond has been giving us IOUs and shortchanging us on expentiures for years now. This has created a large unfunded liability. While Richmond would stand to lose revenue, it would be able to avoid expenses which by now add up to tens of Billions of dollars. In addition, when large numbers of citizens of these counties ask for such a measure, it will be difficult for the Commonwealth to ignore them, without giving itself a very bad name.

3) What about DC Statehood? Why would Northern Virginia have any easier time getting statehood?

The problems with DC Statehood are many: first, it would be almost entirely a single-party state, and thus would upset the balance of power in Congress. Second, DC itself was created solely to be the seat of the Federal Government, so the Congress sees itself as something of a landlord to DC. Of course, there may well be other factors, which are even less noble, at work.  Northern Virginia statehood could actually benefit not only Northern Virginians, but also the residents of DC, since bringing both areas in as states at the same time should preserve the balance of power in Congress. And, as a matter of principle, if we in Northern Virginia ask for the right of self-determination and representation, we could not deny it to our neighbors.

4) Isn't this a little selfish? The rest of the state is largely rural and poor...Northern Virginia ought to support it.

Actually, Virginia can be fairly well divided into 4 zones: Northern Virginia; the Tidewater area of Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and Hampton Roads; Richmond and its environs; and everything else. While it is true that the "everything else" is largely rural, and is in many cases economically disadvantaged, the current imbalance of revenues and expenditures is so extreme that the underinvestment in Northern Virginia is stifling the economy here. If our region is the engine that pulls the train, the underinvestment here is putting on the brakes - and that isn't helping the rest of the Commonwealth, although the euphoria of their getting back more revenue than they sent in may obscure that.

More questions? Send them to our Chairman: [email protected]