December 23, 2004
Re-redistricting in Georgia?
By Byron LaMasters
Blog for America says it's being considered as Republicans took control of the Georgia legislature in this year's elections. I'll be the first to admit the Georgia was the worst Democratic gerrymander of this decade, but what Republicans did in Pennsylvania and Michigan (not to mention Texas) was just as bad. So my message to them is to just deal with it (they still hold one seat that was drawn for a Democrat (Gingrey GA-11)), and redistrict in 2011 - that's what Democrats in Illinois will do despite the temptation of following Tom DeLay's precedent.
Posted by Byron LaMasters at December 23, 2004 05:16 AM
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I think gerrymandering is an awful process, but one that is the right of legislatures to make. I challenge you to protest the Democrats just as fiercely as you did the Republicans for doing the same in Texas.
I would also challenge you (and maybe you already have...and let me know if thats the case!) to come up with a legislative solution for redistricting that is consitutional and avoids racial or partisan gerrymandering.
I personally feel that courts have taken over the legislative duty to redistrict, but the process is obviously partisan in nature. I think the Framers of the Constitution intended districts to represent actual regional areas with common interests. The idea of common interests = political persuasion is a stretch, but so is the idea of racial districting.
I'm not arguing with you, just curious what your thoughts are...and any ideas you have.
Adam, redistricting is in most states a partisan, and frequently vicious, process.
That being said, there have been rules to this.
One of them is that it's done once every 10 years, and doing it more often because you now have the votes is a bad thing.
FWIW, I think that Dems should use the initiative petition process in red states (Repugs can try it in the blue) to make fairer districts.
The two standards that I would suggest, and it is either/or are:
* Follow municipal and county boundaries as much as possible.
* Use a computer and draw the boundaries such that the length is at a minimum.
The fact that less than 10% of congressional seats are competitive is a national disgrase.
Kristof wrote about this in the NY Times.
Matt- great ideas.
The only problems I see are major metro areas where "municipal boundaries" may be difficult to stick to. The Computer model idea would work better in those areas.
I like the Iowa system. It's quite amazing that in 2002 Iowa had more competetive congressional elections (4) than Texas and California combined (3).
Nice. Thanks Byron. I agree with you.
I think it is Iowa I like too -
Gosh politics stinks and it should not. How can we be governed by corruption.
Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota has a good article in WaPo - I accessed it through Buzzflash and I agree 100%
