Epistemographer

So, as best as I understand it, Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution reads:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers

Now, as a resident of the District of Columbia, I have no congressional representation (either in the House or Senate). Since the Constitution explicitly links representation and taxation, why am I obligated to pay Federal taxes? What happens if I decide not to?

It’s such a simple approach that it seems like it must have been tried before, but a few quick searches haven’t turned up much in the way of solid information…anyone?

Update: Okay, I spoke too soon: the Supreme Court addressed this issue in the 19th century. I’m not sure that the answer is satisfying, though…as lawyer George S. LaRoche wrote during a washingtonpost.com live chat a few years ago:

Ever since, the law has been unshakable: there is no claim under the Constitution for “taxation without representation.” But legal claims are not the only way to make “cases.” The taxation issue, however, is easy to discuss, not to mention popular, but when it comes time to do something, you’d be surprised how quickly everyone backs away from being the one to not pay taxes or even add a written protest. So to do something through the “taxation” issue, you would have to put yourself on the line, big time.

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