Monday, April 18, 2011

Redistricting COLBERT Report

It seems the Colbert Report will never make it through their 435 part series “Better Know a District” and will have to start from scratch post-redistricting.  However, the new series could be called “Know a Former Congressman” with Part 1 coming last week in an interview with drawn-out Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Depending on who’s estimate is correct, Colbert could come to California and tape anywhere from 8-12 shows.  Based on this ranking, The Washington Post would direct Colbert first to the home of David Dreier in San Dimas where Bill and Ted could have a better shot at Congress in 2012.

State

No good reform deed will go unpunished
George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
It finally dawned on me why Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't been able to cut a tax deal with Republicans. It's because Democratic legislative leaders no longer are allowed to draw legislative and congressional districts.

Input sought for Valley redistricting
Modesto Bee
For the first time in California, a committee made up of 14 residents will redraw the state's district lines instead of politicians, and they're coming to Merced for input.

Let's hope redistricting commission thinks outside the box
Bakersfield Californian
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission was in town Thursday. That's the panel voters created to replace elected politicians in the task of fairly redrawing state legislative districts and federal congressional boundaries. The Commission's tag line is "Fair Representation - Democracy at Work."

Commission seeks help in drawing new state political boundaries
Hanford Sentinel
California's 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission will come to Hanford today looking for comment from Valley residents on who they want - and don't want - to be politically aligned with as the commission wades into the task of redrawing boundaries for state congressional, Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization districts.

Redistricting: people prevailing over politics
Santa Clarita Valley Signal
In an effort to make government more accountable, the voters passed two cooperating reform measures: Proposition 11 and Proposition 20 that removed redistricting from the purview of the state Legislature, and established an independent citizens commission to draw the new political boundaries for the coming decade.

From the Twitterverse

@jasonkinney: Dear @CapitolAlert, was Beth Gaines LITERALLY measuring the office drapes during your interview? #Prop11TakeMeAway

@stevenmaviglio: Shameless self promo alert . Quoted in LATimes Skelton column: If it weren't for #redistrictingca we'd have a #cabudget http://lat.ms/e7NOvZ

@dphoward Former (losing) candidate complains it is too hard (and expensive) to campaign in districts in multiple counties.

@dphoward Stockton advocates out in force. And consistent. 5 speakers so far. All saying ditto from different perspectives.

National

Dennis Kucinich's Improbable Success
Daily Show
John Oliver tries to understand how a liberal vegan ventriloquist has found success in a blue-collar district of Ohio.

The most likely redistricting victims
Washington Post
We’re through the first big week of congressional redistricting, and everything has more or less gone according to plan. In Indiana and Louisiana, Republicans did their best to push Reps. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Jeff Landry (R-La.) out, while a commission in Iowa did what commissions do and overhauled the map to a significant degree. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) is targeted for elimination on a proposed map in Missouri, and in Arkansas and Oklahoma, there were few changes for a pair of small delegations that were unlikely to change anyways.

Hispanic numbers growing in cities
AP
Hispanics now outnumber African-Americans for the first time in most U.S. metropolitan areas, shifting the political and racial dynamics in cities once dominated by whites and blacks.

Local

Asians, Latinos sue over San Mateo County voting
San Francisco Chronicle
A group of Asian Americans and Latinos filed a voting-rights lawsuit Thursday against San Mateo County, the only county in California that elects supervisors in at-large balloting rather than by districts.

EID opens redistricting committee to observers
El Dorado Mountain Democrat
Observers will now be allowed during redistricting advisory committee meetings at the El Dorado Irrigation District, it was announced Friday.

Board of Supervisors Considers Redistricting Recommendations
Santa Barbara Independent
With the release of the 2010 Census, Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors faces its decennial ritual of redistricting, and the launch of a concerted effort to involve its diverse constituency.