Judge kicks Schwarzenegger’s redistricting measure off the ballot

[quaoar]

By STEVE LAWRENCE
Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A judge kicked Arnold Schwarzenegger’s redistricting measure off the special election ballot Thursday, a crushing blow for a proposition that was a centerpiece of the Republican governor’s campaign to reform state government.

The judge ruled that supporters of the proposition violated California’s constitution by using two versions of the initiative in the process of qualifying the measure for the ballot.

“The differences are not simply typographical errors,” Judge Gail Ohanesian said. “They’re not merely about the format of the measure. They are not simply technical. Instead they go to the substantive terms of the measure.”

The proposal, Proposition 77, is one of three initiatives that the Republican governor is supporting in the Nov. 8 special election. It would take the power to draw legislative and congressional districts away from the Legislature and give it to a panel of three retired judges.

[roguevalley]

1. May I say: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAAHA!

[ailsagirl]

17. roguevalley-- took the words right out of my mouth!! LOL

:rofl: :nopity: :rofl: :nopity: :rofl: :nopity:

[KingFlorez]

2. This is a slap in the face to him

I'm glad this was struck down, it was another attempt like in Georgia and Texas by Republicans to unfairly gain seats. Don't think Tom Delay wouldn't be trying to redraw California's districts if this passed.

[Carla in Ca]

3. Oh, man. This is what I have been waiting for!!!!

Now to find a way to get the rest of this special election cancelled. Or, replace the redistricting initiative with a recall!Yipee!




EDIT. I need a link, please:)

[Luminous Animal]

4. Great news!

Frees up some time to fight his other crap initiatives.

[bemildred]

5. Yippee! Ahnuld cements his record as a dishonest loser. nt

[nicknameless]

6. Yeeowza!!!

That was the one true reason that Ahnold wanted that election!
Too bad it's only July ... I hope that ruling is upheld on appeal.

[Peace Patriot]

7. Hot damn! One down! Three to go! See these threads on Schwarz

unpopularity:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1642436

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384992

Can the Bush Cartel finally be hitting some reality bumps (f.i., 60-70% disapproval of unjust war, looting and lawlessness?)

When do we get "consent of the governed"?

(Hint: paper ballots, hand counts, at the precinct level--like it used to be.)

[dolstein]

8. Arnold is actually right on this issue

although I think this is something that should be implemented nationwide. It doesn't seem right to deny Democrats in California the opportunity to gerrymander while letting Republicans in Texas and Colorado continue their shenanigans.

[Luminous Animal]

12. If the intent was to deal with the advantage of incumbancy

(and it wasn't, of course) there are other measures that are more effective. 100% publicly funded elections, instant run-off voting, a California version of the fairness doctrine, to name a few.

[dolstein]

18. Voters should choose their reps, not the other way around

None of your proposals would make a difference in a district that is overwhemling Democratic (or overwhelmingly Republican).

The reason why incumbents in Congress almost never lose these days actually has a lot less to do with the power of incumbency and a lot more to do with the fact that nearly all of the Congressional districts are heavily skewed in favor of one political party. A few states -- like Iowa -- have nonpartisan boards draw the districts, and those states tend to have more competitive races.

[Warren DeMontague]

32. Maybe, Maybe not. It's been clear that in California, at least, this is a

thinly veiled power grab. Look who is supporting it, and why- and they talk about "making elections competitive". We have a majority Democrat state; why SHOULD elections be "made" competitive? There's fucking MORE of us than there are of them!

[ProudDad]

39. Oh yeah

I'd love to leave it up to 3 unaccountable, usually repuke judges to do the redistricting... :sarcasm:

[K-W]

9. Things would get pretty ugly if his plan succeeded.

I hope California's system can bear this assualt.

[K8-EEE]

10. Woooohooo!!!

Proposed redistricting junta nipped in the bud, GREAT NEWS!

[WI_DEM]

11. aww, another setback for the gropinator

[Helga Scow Stern]

13. We'll see what guns they bring out to fight this....n/t

[Helga Scow Stern]

23. Statement from Ted Costa:

"Well, it's real sad that a little clerical error could stop a whole movement, but apparently this judge thought that. We are appealing. We'll appeal tomorrow. We think we'll get it in by tomorrow, certainly by Monday morning.and we'll see what the Court of Appeals says. If not, we'll be back. We'll get this thing done. We've been at it for twenty years. We’ll keep on it. OK?"

http://etopiamedia.net/empnn/pages/cpt-emnn/cpt-emnn390-5551212.html

[zann725]

26. Appeal all he wants. Things are "turning" around...FINALLY!

This judge will NOT reverse this...I guarantee.

California is true "Blue." Send the Gropinator somewhere else to be a Gov. Somewhere that "B" movie plots "play" better.

This is NO "Ohio," Ahhnald.

[Carla in Ca]

28. I sent Ted an email earlier. Nothing dramatic

just a little note to say that since he may have some spare time now, perhaps he could help with an Arnold recall. I asked him politely to get back to me if he is interested.:-)

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Yeah, well, my spidey sense tells me it won't be as much fun in 2006

once the Electronic Voting machines have to produce a paper trail...


right, Ted?

[senseandsensibility]

14. Poor gropy

Maybe he can call chimp and they can have a pity party. Together, their IQ"s just might make triple digits.

[MattP]

16. He isn't right

He isn't right on this issue, the way the ballot was changed was that the judges would not be approved by the Ca. house and senate just by Arnie.

[Boo Boo]

22. You're damn right he's wrong

The guy has never even faced a real election. He comes weaseling his way in through the side door, and then calls a special election to give himself the power to appoint a commission to redistrict CA. There's a slow-motion attempted coup going on in CA, and, IMO, it is being orchestrated from outside the State.

Why did Shelley resign again? Pretty fucking convenient, eh? Appoint your own SoS going into the first real election you've faced. "They" tried to pull the same shit in WA, by the way.

[senseandsensibility]

24. I know he's not right on the issue

He's not right on any issue.:shrug:

[erpowers]

15. Happy

This makes me happy and has me snapping my fingers.:toast:

[vickie]

19. This is outstanding!!!! The Gropenator is down to 34% in the most

recent (7/19) California Field poll. Couldn't happen to a 'nicer' knuckledragging, chest thumping arrogant goon! This is a body blow to him!

[senseandsensibility]

25. Do you have a link?

I'm not doubting you. I just like to know all the details.:-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Woot!

[Booster]

21. YEAH! That's the initiative he really wanted and the one he

promised the GOP he's get. Now his 8 mil special election is just a farce, just like he is. Stupid shit.

[Nikki Stone 1]

27. Why were they so STUPID as to have 2 different versions?

Not that I mind. :)

But, still, someone should have checked that out. We've had the initiative process here a long time. Someone dropped the ball.

[Warren DeMontague]

30. My guess- they figured after smearing Kevin Shelley out of the SOS job

it wouldn't matter WHAT they wrote, the Diebold Machines would "deliver" the results they wanted.

[Nikki Stone 1]

33. They had to know someone would check up on them, though

I wonder what happened. Not that I doubt their hubris.

[Warren DeMontague]

35. I heard all kinds of things about people signing for a "ballot measure

that will protect your kids against sex offenders"

and when they looked at what they were signing, if they looked; it was really the redistricting deal, stuff like that.

This is a major screw of the pooch, though, because they submitted a different proposal to the Atty. General than the one people were signing. Oooops.

Tough luck, shitheads!

[ProudDad]

40. Bait and Switch

I seem to remember the version circulated had the legislature picking some judges and gropenfuhrer picking some judges.

The final one was all gropenfuhrer?

That's a pretty f*ckin' big difference if true.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. YES!

That puts a serious dent in their CA power grab plans. It doesn't do them any good to have a Diebold-Friendly SOS who will "oversee" the redistricting results from the magic paper-trail free electronic voting machines Kevin Shelley was all set to get rid of... if the bastard isn't on the ballot to begin with.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO---HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Ted Costa can fuck off, too.

[FrenchieCat]

34. Yeah!

This Northern Californian is very happy tonight!

Muscle head sucks!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[LibertyorDeath]

36. A good day !

[Broken Acorn]

37. "Those damn activists judges"

They need to stop legislating from the bench, lol.

Cry me a f*cking river, Governor Boobengraber.

[ProudDad]

38. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeee

One down, 5 to go!

They've made it easy for us this time California:

YES on 79 and 80 -- NO ON ALL THE REST.

If we can do that, we've cooked the gropenfuhrer's goose...

(Edit) Get an absentee ballot -- it's paper... You just go to your precinct and drop it into the sealed bucket.

(Of course, there's NO guarantee that anyone's gonna count it but nobody's gonna change it)