"John D. Giorgis" wrote:
>
> Here is a link to all of the Texas Redistricting Maps you could ever want:
> http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/research/redist/redist.htm
>
> I personally have to disagree with Dan's and Julia's characterizations
> of the Republicans' plan as being much worse than the judges plan -
> based on a first look of what I think is the Republican's plan.
> Essentially, the judgement of the level of gerrymandering centers
> entirely on three things - Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio as near
> as I can tell. The level of "gerrymandering" difference between the
> judges' plans and the Republicans' plans does not strike me as
> significant - merely different. The judges I am guessing tried to
> gerrymander some majority-minority districts. The Republicans tried
> to make a few more districts competitive for Republicans. I don't
> see a huge moral difference between those two (leaving aside tactics
> and timing.)
Austin, as well. Plus, there are mostly-rural districts that will be
split up and combined with suburbs, and the folks in the rural areas
aren't happy about their political power being diluted that way.
The messes in the cities, including Austin, could be enough to make a
new map illegal.
My biggest beef is that any map passed is going to be challenged in
court, and the state will waste money I paid to it to defend the map,
rather than using it on, oh, say, roads.
Most of the districts are not competitive, period -- safe one way or the
other. The notable exceptions are the 5 districts in which the voters
are voting Republican for most everything *except* returning Democrats
to Congress. If they'd just been courted to switch parties, that might
have taken care of it, or at least improved it from the Republicans'
point of view. That's just not going to work now -- I don't think any
Texas Democrat in Congress wants to have anything to do with the
Republicans due to the whole redistricting thing. Pity. Could have
maybe gotten what almost everyone wanted with a minimum of time and
money spent, and *good* feelings all around.
Oh, and the Dems in NM are saying that they're not protesting the
redistricing issue per se now, but the fact that the Texas Senate is
breaking with a traditional rule *only* on the redistricting issue, and
if that's dropped, they'll be back to Austin in a jiffy. (The local
news anchors were a *little* skeptical....)
My wishlist on a redistricting map, in order (yes, I'm focusing on local
issues mostly):
1) Doesn't go to court
2) Doesn't split Travis County any more than necessary due to
population considerations
3) Has Williamson County all in one district
Julia
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