Prop 77 - Addresses the wrong problem - proposes wrong solution

[Coastie for Truth]

PROPOSITION 77 - REDISTRICTING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

* Amends process for redistricting California’s Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts.
* Requires panel of three retired judges, selected by legislative leaders, to adopt new redistricting plan if measure passes and after each national census.
* Panel must consider legislative, public comments/hold public hearings.
* Redistricting plan effective when adopted by panel and filed with Secretary of State; governs next statewide primary/general elections even if voters reject plan.
* If voters reject redistricting plan, process repeats, but officials elected under rejected plan serve full terms.
* Allows 45 days to seek judicial review of adopted redistricting plan.

Proposition addresses the wrong problem, asks the wrong question, and leads to the wrong answer.

The problem is not how we apportion the legislature.

The problem is an insidious synergy of reapportionment, term limits, and district size. And this robs us of our Constitutionally protected right to "One Man - One Vote" (Baker v. Carr).

The real problem is the massive size of our districts. They are 2/3's the size of Congressional Districts - making Assembly members invisible. I know my Congress person - Zoe Lofgren. I have never met my Assembly Member.

We have 450,000 people per District.

Let's look at other states--

150,000 people per Assembly member - Florida, Texas.

130,000 people per Assembly member - New York

100,000 people per Assembly member - New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois.

60,000 people per Assembly member - Pennsylvania

Do we actually have a better, more effective legislature - and legislative process -- with 450,000 people per District, recall, referendum, and initiative.

I have lived in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, and California -- and our process is screwed up.

And Proposition is not the solution.

The solution is to make the Districts small enough so that you actually know your Assembly member when you meet at Safeway or Denny's. (Just like NY, MI, PA).

[davidinalameda]

1. I don't want to meet my assembly member at Denny's

yuck

Safeway I can deal with

:bounce:

I agree--we need to make the Assembly more voter friendly and we need to increase representation

[Coastie for Truth]

2. My assemblyman (Pennsylvania) used to "hold court"

at a local "generic" deli (European Fusion, Asian Fusion, Middle Eastern Fusion) that was right in the middle of a pedestrian traffic heavy block.

Also - he had three college in the District - and used to give seminars at each of them.

Plus he was a regular at PTA's, Kiwanis, Eagles, Lions, etc., and every Church, Temple, and Mosque fund raiser.

(Plus he still showed up at his power bases - the ACLU and the Progressive Club).

My New York Assembly man was good. And our NY senator put in our family room shelving (he was an expensive "finish carpenter").

[cascadiance]

3. Another problem is the mix of the legislative panel that selects judges

The proposal is that it is an evenly split panel of Democrats and Republicans to make it "bipartisan". However, it really should reflect the population mix of registered voters, and how voters have voted in state-wide elections. If we look at elections, typically a Green Party rep will get around 15% of the votes too. If we have a 20 person panel, then arguably one of that panel should be a Green Party rep instead of a Republican, who's overrepresented if they are getting half of the reps on this panel, given that there are more registered Dems than Republicans. How to count independents represents a problem. Perhaps if you can find a reasonable way to track how they vote, then you could give their representation to the parties proportionately to how they vote.

But just giving Dems 10 votes and Republicans 10 votes on a 20 person panel is unfair to the majority party, who would be under represented in such a panel. That I'm sure is more of why the Rethugs want this sort of proposition passing. It *sounds* fair, but it really isn't!

[Coastie for Truth]

4. That's why I say

Small Districts - corresponding to a "neighborhood" (60,000 as in PA to 150,000 as in TX, FL or 130,000 as in NY -- but not our mega districts).