The District is a special case. It was never under local control until Nixon signed the Home Rule Act on December 24th, 1973.

I grew up in Charlottesville, and made yearly field trips to DC from fifth grade on ('68 to '75). The monuments were sparkling clean, and the whole city, as far as I saw, was kept like a rich man's private park. I was shocked when I returned in the 90s.

Most of us seem to be missing a central fact of this issue; crime pays. Homelessness pays. No, it doesn't pay the criminals, the victims, or the homeless; it pays the grifters and profiteers.

Any 'problem' you can create an NGO to address is a "Retire to the Mediterranean" ticket. Or was, until USAID got the axe.

I want my capitol back. Get the brat packs and beggars off the streets, tell the shelters to shelter the homeless they are getting paid to help, and put the helpless mental patients under a doctor's care. Our cities can be beautiful, safe, and prosperous. Put the grifters who profit by the chaos out of work.