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The Map That DeLay Drew
(figured we should at least have it linked here)
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The Map That DeLay Drew
(figured we should at least have it linked here)12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio Regum -
I don't think most people are confused about their local system. They interface with the services too often. For instance, I imagine that everybody knows who handles policing and fire in their neighborhoods. I would guess everybody knows who maintains which roads and the like.
On the other hand, you could argue that cities should be able to annex other cities more easily or whatever. For instance, you could say that transit shouldn't be regional, but rather the city should grow such that it takes in all of the areas to be serviced by a transit system. There's some problems with this view, however, considering that cities can't grow across state lines and several of our major cities are multi-state (NYC, DC, Kansas City, St. Louis, etc.).Last edited by DanS; April 18, 2006, 17:34.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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Wow, did it actually follow county lines? Can't remember ever seeing anyone pull that off before.Originally posted by KrazyHorse
The Map That DeLay Drew
(figured we should at least have it linked here)
Still doesn't Texas have an expresslane law that if 2 or more people witnessed him having drawn the map he goes straight to the head of the execution line or something?Comment
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Texas has a hell of a lot of counties, so in the rural areas it's pretty easy to do.12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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I recently moved out of a district that includes part of Austin, a community on the Rio Grande, and a 300 mile long land bridge connecting the two areas. That was designed to kick Lloyd Doggett out of the House. DeLay failed, but he did manage to oust a number of other TX Dems in a similar manner. The '92 redistricting was bad, like any partisan redistricting, but nothing like what DeLay rammed through the legislature.
The proportion of Congressional districts that were within 5% above or below the national Presidential margin in 2004 is around 20-25%. That's pretty damn pathetic considering that the Senate's numbers are much higher (close to 1/3), and legislatures don't have the luxery of making those districts any more competitive.
The Dems probably need a 5-10% popular margin this year to even get a majority in the "peoples' house."
We definitely need nonpartisan redistricting."Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way. "
-BokononComment
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Incidentally, shame on California Dems and Ohio Goopers last year for opposing nonpartisan redistricting. What a rediculous incumbent protection racket.
And shooting for majority-minority districts is stupid and self-defeating.
"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way. "
-BokononComment
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What I really want is a system of concrete rules which are indisputable; something like a mathamatical formula which politicians cannot manipulate.Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.Comment
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It would be easy enough to do. Divide up the state into smallest permissible blocks (counties for small counties, neighbourhoods in cities, etc.) then have computer build blocks out of those pieces. Set it to minimize the perimeter of each district (to encourage close geographical grouping in the district).
Of course, the pols would never go for it...12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
Stadtluft Macht Frei
Killing it is the new killing it
Ultima Ratio RegumComment
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That would be a bad system. Grouping people by interests (what is done now in most cases) makes more sense to me.
For instance, the congressional district encompassing my home town in Ohio is in the form of a half C around the city of Columbus. It looks like a gerrymandered district and it is. However, it makes sense because it's an all suburban/ex-urban district with rather homogenous interests throughout.Last edited by DanS; April 19, 2006, 13:49.I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891Comment
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