Posted on 08/23/2025 11:02:00 AM PDT by Mark
Editorial
Gerrymandering is an idea that should be terminated
the independent redistricting movement here, has vowed to fight Newsom with the same vigor that his character as a Thank goodness for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not only did he utter one of the top lines in movie history—“I’ll be back”—but he’s also bringing muscle to the fight against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s scheme to take Ventura County and the rest of the state back to the days when shady politicians decided who spoke for us in Sacramento and Washington.
Newsom’s “Election Rigging Response Act” is a constitutional amendment that, if passed by California voters, would temporarily override the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Since 2008, that body has drawn state district lines. In 2010, it was handed responsibility for congressional districts.
The commission has worked fine ever since and there’s no indication that any Californian, save for Democrat Newsom, has an appetite to scrap the independent process.
The governor wants to temporarily suspend the commission and have the legislature redraw the state to favor his party, an ugly ploy from the past to counter what is a lawful redistricting attempt in Texas favoring Republicans. And he’s trying to ram his plan through as quickly as possible.
Newsom getting his way could have serious consequences for Ventura County, which shares the 26th Congressional District with a small portion of Los Angeles County.
Drawn by the independent commission, the district reflects the shared interests of residents from the coastal cities of Oxnard and Ventura to the inland areas of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, providing a cohesive voice for the region in Washington.
Under Newsom’s proposed scheme, Ventura County could be split into multiple new districts, meaning people in different parts of the county who share concerns about water, agriculture, infrastructure and other local issues, would suddenly find themselves represented by different members of Congress.
A collective voice would be weakened. Schwarzenegger, California’s most recent Republican governor and driver of cyborg assassin, first introduced in 1984 in “The Terminator,” fought. And he’s got a powerful sidekick in Charles Munger Jr., a fellow Republican who spent nearly $13 million on the campaign to pass independent redistricting and is ready to spend again to defend it.
These two care about California. Term limited Newsom cares only about his next job, which he hopes will be as president.
At the Reagan Library Republican Primary Debate in 2023, Newsom wagged his finger at the Acorn when asked about the state’s standing outside California.
“The future happens here first,” he responded emphatically, words that could apply to today, given Newsom’s desire to see other states take his lead on redistricting.
But California has seen the future that Newsom is turning to our ugly past to resurrect. If it’s not terminated immediately, we’ll have only ourselves to blame.
and reinstated the nanosecond that the 'Rats stand to gain more than they lose.
Never lose sight of the FACT that the last 4 letters of American and Republican is ICAN. While, the last 4 letters of democrats is RATS.
Pure coincidence? I think not.
Not a chance, he’d fail as governor if he could run.
The problem is that the system would have to be grossly changed to eliminate Gerrymandering. When you choose lines to make sure the quantity of constituents live in a district, it means someone needs to decide where the line is. And that means someone’s bias is going to be part of it.
You can’t just draw rectangular grids, for obvious reasons.
I suppose one way to do it is to make the districts as close to a circle in shape as possible.
Yeah let’s end it now that Republicans are finally fighting back.
“Thank goodness for Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
NOPE!
If the number of representatives in congress were doubled the issue would largely go away.
Right now we have 219 in the House. If we wanted to be accurate — no gerrymandering, we should have around 230.
Why is that?
This is a great video on how gerrymandering can be so evil (it’s also very entertaining):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwBslntC3xg
“Yeah, right.”
That ‘independent’ commission in California has done such a good job for Republican voters.
Have you ever noticed that something Democrats have used for years somehow has to be ended once Republicans do it?
tell the Illinois democrats to undo their gerrymander
tell the New York democrats to undo their gerrymander
they hold seats in congress they would not hold if not for their gerrymanders
and so it is in many other states too
If the number of representatives in congress were doubled the issue would largely go away.
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Campaign donations from interest groups would just be spread out more.
Instead of 435 whores you’ll get 870 whores, and double the dysfunction & stupidity in the House.
They only care about it now because the changes being made of late are to the Republicans favor.
(((NOW))) we’re not supposed to play that game but when the Dems had the upper hand and were doing it, “all OK.”
“Why is that?”
It would be easier to create a district representing various groups.
Yeah. My assumption was that it would probably dilute the impact of gerrymandering. I get it.
But California has seen the future that Newsom is turning to our ugly past to resurrect. If it’s not terminated immediately, we’ll have only ourselves to blame.
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Only Newsom, the California Legislature, and the democrat voters who will pass this are to blame.
California voters that oppose it and vote against it, deserve no blame.
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