Redistricting? - Political Forum

CHUQ · 12-17-2006, 05:20 AM

NINE TIMES California voters have been asked to reform the way the state draws its legislative and congressional districts, and nine times they have said no. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems convinced that the 10th time will be the charm.

It's a tough sell, to be sure. Voters don't seem to realize that there's a connection between how a district is drawn and who gets elected in it. Politicians get it — and they use their power to redraw political lines to choose their voters and keep their seats

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...nion-rightrail

Apretty good article and the redistricting controversy.

Scribbler1 · 12-17-2006, 11:54 AM

Gerrymandering has been around since the 1800s and probably will be for another hundred years. If the idiot sheep can get it through their thick skulls that even when THEY benefit it is still an unfair method of controlling the government then maybe it will stop. However, the government that BENEFITS from gerrymandering is unlikely to ever DO anything about it as long as they gain from the practice.

I would like to see election districts patterned after cell phone systems. All districts should be of similar size and shape.

SamInTheSouth · 12-17-2006, 04:57 PM

They should just draw a grid across the board and make minor adjustments for population and be done with it. Pennsylvania is heavily gerrymandered. The way some of our districts are shaped is just plain ridiculous.

CHUQ · 12-18-2006, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheBurgh

They should just draw a grid across the board and make minor adjustments for population and be done with it. Pennsylvania is heavily gerrymandered. The way some of our districts are shaped is just plain ridiculous.

I believe all states have this weird shaping of districts to provide the power base. I mean my state redistricts everytime someone does not like his odds in an election. Mainly it is used to water down the black vote.

Troianii · 12-18-2006, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scribbler1

Gerrymandering has been around since the 1800s and probably will be for another hundred years. If the idiot sheep can get it through their thick skulls that even when THEY benefit it is still an unfair method of controlling the government then maybe it will stop. However, the government that BENEFITS from gerrymandering is unlikely to ever DO anything about it as long as they gain from the practice.

I would like to see election districts patterned after cell phone systems. All districts should be of similar size and shape.

I'm a little bit unfamiliar with the concept to me, but it seems to me like if it's been done once then it's probably unfair, right? Well then doing it again wouldn't be fair, but keeping it the same wouldn't be either.