CA: Effort to limit remap is launched (Congre$$critters -D's, want exemption from redistricting)

Sac Bee ^ | 1/9/05 | Margaret Talev

[NormsRevenge]

A lobbying firm representing traditionally Democratic causes and a political consultant with ties to a Democratic congressman are seeking to qualify a handful of ballot initiatives that exempt members of Congress if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proceeds with a special election to force the redrawing of political districts years ahead of schedule.

Jim Gonzalez and Associates, the Sacramento lobbying firm that submitted the four proposed initiatives to the state attorney general's office for consideration, and John Thiella, a consultant to the firm on the initiative proposals, say they are not working on behalf of specific clients but rather floating proposals that might attract support in the event of a special election to consider midcensus redistricting.

"We've had no discussions with anyone in the Democratic Party prior to drafting these initiatives, but of course ... interest will emerge," Thiella said in a telephone interview.

The four proposals vary in terms of whether all members of any new redistricting panel would need to be retired judges; how many panelists there would be; and whether voters would need to approve new districts drawn by such a panel before they could take effect. But all the plans underscore federal protections for minority voters and urban districts, traditional Democratic bases, and make any redistricting that would take place ... apply only to state races.

--snip--

It's an idea promoted by some business leaders who believe it would result in a more ideologically moderate Legislature more interested in focusing on economic than social policy ...

--snip--

The Schwarzenegger administration has denied partisan motives, but many California Democrats don't like the idea of a midcensus redistricting because they fear the goal is to shift congressional seats to Republicans, as was the case in Texas' midcensus redistricting, orchestrated by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

[Brilliant]

California's districting ought to be declared unConstitutional anyway. It's the most gerrymandered state in the Union.

[rellimpank]

---if Ahhhhnaaaaaaaaaald can get redistricting done, he deserves a place with great governors of Calbania. (That would make two, IMHO.)

That still won't get me to support letting him be President--

[Amerigomag]

But all the plans underscore federal protections for minority voters and urban districts,

While it may be popular to tout these "federal protections" an examination of these regulations show that they basically outlaw gerrymandering to exclude "minority" groupings.

Federal protections do not encourage or condone gerrymandering to increase the representation of minorities out of proportion to their population weight.Such is the case in California.

As an example geopolitical boundaries in the LA basin have been shaped in a most torturous manners to inflate the homogeneity of a political district. This has given rise to a raft of single issue representatives loyal to their base and blind to the needs of the society as a whole.

Clouding the issue has been the repeated use of the race/culture card to defend such practices. The result has been the rise of cultural/racial separatist who have little or no experience in democratic processes. These are street anchor/ghetto babies who have decided that the taxpayer's pocket is an easy mark.

[GVnana]

seeking to qualify a handful of ballot initiatives that exempt members of Congress if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proceeds with a special election to force the redrawing of political districts years ahead of schedule.

Do I have this right? They want redistricting to apply to everyone except Congresscritters?!?!

So how, pray tell, would THAT work?

[rellimpank]

--for those with long memories, Commiefornias's redistricting is still being done (in a figurative sense, at least),by the ghost of Phillip Burton--

[HostileTerritory]

It would apply to state legislators, but not congressmen? Seems pretty straightforward to me.

[stopem]

I agree about the president part, J.D. Hayworth for President!

But CA needs redistricting and I wish him luck with that. That Blue state needs more RED!

[GVnana]

Is that....normal?

[HostileTerritory]

I think something like that happens in Pennsylvania, only in reverse. It's all out of the ordinary. In most every state, redistricting for state and federal offices is political.

[staytrue]

These are street anchor/ghetto babies who have decided that the taxpayer's pocket is an easy mark.

First, babies can not decide anything. Second, whites are still 70% of the US and nothing gets done unless at least 28% of whites (equals 20% of population) goes along with it.

And if you want to really know where the drain on the taxpayers and US treasury is, you should look at old people, most of whom are white and the giant sucking sound is medicare and social security, not afdc, food stamps etc. Social security and medicare is on the order of 900 billion dollars per year. Food stamps is about 20 billion per year.