..:.:: the indie roots weblog ::.:..

Via BoingBoing, we read that, compared to overpriced marquis cities like New York, Boston and San Fran, the District is “the big outlier”, “where an ever expanding federal government and its satellites continue to draw in ever more educated workers.”

That’s all this Wall Street Journal article says about DC, but it rightly points to several points of interest for us: a) that the US’s marquis cities are acknowledged as overpriced for the culture they offer, cultural experiences available elsewhere for less; b) that Washington, DC is seen as an outlier, and not a b-list city like Las Vegas, Austin or Charlotte; and c) that the ever-expanding federal government is indeed drawing people to this city.

Perhaps being an “outlier” of nationwide metropolitan trends is a good thing, and appropriate for the nation’s capital. The exact quote, “The big outlier here, as in many things, is Washington, DC,” acknowledges that DC is usually the exception to the rule. The culture here will always be incomparable because of the nature of this place. But the distinction in the context of the article belies the fact that the city is underrated, acceptably priced, and full of the culture of the nation’s marquis cities.

As noted on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7371762

Editorialized in The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/23/AR2007012301730.html

Hypocrified in The Washington Times:
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20070212-111912-7139r.htm

Covered on civilrights.org:
http://www.civilrights.org/press_room/buzz_clips/civilrightsorg-stories/dc-voting-rights-advocates.html

Viewpointed by The Hoya:
http://www.thehoya.com/viewpoint/020907/view5.cfm

Resolved by the DNC:
http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/02/in_support_of_t.php

Called constitutionally bull by a territory bureaucrat (as noted by the DCist):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/09/AR2007020901777_pf.html

And fussed over by a Post blogger:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2007/01/a_step_backward_for_dc_voting.html

hoooaah… obviously more to come…

Dig it:

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_74/ath/16842-1.html

Who in the audience doesn’t have a paid subscription to the magazine of Capitol Hill? Anyone at all? Just in case, here’s a link to a pdf of the article.

Here’s a virtual mobius strip: our blog coverage of DC Vote’s eBulletin coverage of us. Mmmm, the circle remains unbroken.

http://www.dcvote.org/library/bulletin.cfm?bulletinID=38#tvspfeevwa