The Sun Journal’s concern with the congressional disenfranchisement of Washington, D.C., voters as expressed Aug. 10 in, “A partisan deal for D.C. voters,” is warranted, but does not consider an alternative option that can be easily and quickly accomplished.

Originally, the District consisted of land ceded by the states of Maryland and Virginia. The portion from Virginia was long ago returned to that state. The remaining portion of the District could be simply transferred to the state of Maryland. I believe that a thoughtfully written article should have taken this long-debated option into account.

Reintegrating the existing District territory back into Maryland would not only enfranchise D.C. voters, it would also help resolve critical and chronic failings of the District government. Significantly, it would relieve the District of the burden of functioning like a state government.

The District does not have the tax base to adequately support a state government. Furthermore, the District’s school system is considered by many to be among the worst in the nation. Making the District school system accountable to the Maryland Department of Education may result in much desired improvements.

Since the vast majority of Maryland-elected state and federal officials are from the Democratic Party, no compromise would be needed to maintain the status quo of the power of the political parties in Congress. The elimination of the lone District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is non-voting in nature, would not affect the balance of power.

Peter Cipolloso, Oxford