IT IS APALLING TO learn that people such as Alan Green are actually considering the possibility of annexing a significant portion of Northern Virginia for the District (“Diamond Mine,”4/28). Alexandria and the surrounding areas are part of the Commonwealth of Virginia and should stay that way. As Green mentioned, Alexandria became a part of the Old Dominion in 1846, and for good reason: to escape the imminent financial ruin being caused by the District of Columbia. Now that Arlington and Alexandria have overcome their faltering economy, some unthinking residents of the District wish to exploit them.

Old Town Alexandria is a vital part of this puzzle, and the District does not need another Georgetown. If annexed, it would seem quite possible that the “trendy neighborhood” of Old Town would quickly become an area of higher crime than before, despite the faltering efforts of the already overburdened D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. The area would also soon be overrun with such District commonalities as potholes and endless construction.

While most Alexandria residents are willing to aid the District, there are very few, if any, who want to give up all they bargained for to have to change their addresses, license plates, and area codes, along with being forced to pay higher taxes in an obviously ailing city.

Alexandria, Va.