"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 _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l