Oh! Two posts on redistricting in one morning. This redistricting geek can't resist!
First, thanks to Bert for his indefatigable reports on the process - that is really public service! And to Fred for maintaining contact with the forum and enlightening us about the technology (also to Karen Collier and Rick Stafford for chiming in here). Although my own Geek site, http://members.tcq.net/david/index.htm, is really just a crude attempt to get the conversation started, I hope that somehow all the technology Fred references can be leveraged to enlighten the public. For example, I'm glad about all the whiz-bang GIS stuff that eliminates the need for hand-drawn maps (I have a few of those around here!) and the incumbent stars and voting patterns, etc. But is there any way that the technology can either get into citizens' hands, or at least be illustrated for those of us who are interested? I mean, I'm one knucklehead with an Excel spreadsheet, a Paint program, a JPEG map of the city, and a web-authoring program, and I've put up nearly a dozen maps for everyone to see. With **paid** staff and hi-tech equipment, can't the Redistricting folks at least create their own website of rough drafts, voting patterns, communities-of-interest, incumbent stars, etc. I know there's a lot of discussion on the commission that isn't graphing...but anything that is drawn or compiled should be posted on the net. My hope, I guess, is we can view the work as it evolves toward a conclusion. Bert is right; more people and media should GO to the redistricting meetings as a check on the process. But fundamentally, this is also a data exercise, and that is perfect for the web. Heck, I'll even contribute some of my unused site-hosting to space to anyone - Redistricting Commission or individuals - who want to post their maps here. Minneapolis-Issues was created in part so people could participate in democracy from their living rooms. We should be able to watch the mapping of our political future for the next decade, too. One related point: Bert advocates trying to create an Uptown district. It's a perfectly good idea - but as one who has drawn a few maps now, I'd caution against considering any individual community in isolation. If you draw an Uptown district, it may make it harder to draw a Downtown district, or a Southwest corner district, or any other district that has a similar interest. There are many more than 13 communities of interest, if you include geography, neighborhood organizations, minority percentage, income level, boundaries either natural (the Mississippi) or man-made (35W), etc. Fundamentally, this is the tough job the Redistricting folks have - balancing those interests. That's why, as a guy who would like to see wards respect neighborhood borders, I'm flexible enough to allow that neighborhoods can be split as long as they are only split once (in other words, no neighborhood is in more than 2 wards), and the splits are close to 50-50. Other compromises will be made. I do hope partisan considerations are at the bottom of the list, but we'll just have to wait and see - hopefully by watching the maps evolve on the Net!! David Brauer King Field - Ward 10 (Also, thanks to Dennis Schapiro for the clarification on School Board election cycles, and although Denny was too nice to name names, apologies to the forum for my mis-info. My ultimate point was correct - the Board has avoided the every-other-odd-year without other city elections, though I was wrong about how they did that. Again, thanks to the smart folks who came up with, and agreed to, the plan - and sorry for getting some of the details wrong!) > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of > Fredric Markus > Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 9:19 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Mpls] Minneapolis Redistricting > > I want to second list member Bert Black's comment about the need for > public awareness of and input into the redistricting process. The > Commission added a diversity/legal issues meeting on March 14 to the two _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
