11 (Texas) Demos vow to not back down

[Rose Siding]

11 Demos vow to not back down
snip>
"We certainly didn't come all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for our health. This is not a vacation. It's a lot of hard work," said Sen. Frank Madla, D-San Antonio. "I don't think we're going back for a while. I think we're going to fight this until the end."

snip>

"We are rock solid. We will stay here as long as necessary to protect rules that protect minorities," Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said.

Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, agreed.

The special session, she said, "will end with us being here in New Mexico. The Texas 11 are very clear in our purpose. We haven't had to hire a public relations firm."

http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20030803-4640.shtml

A big :-) and a couple of :thumbsup:

[DemoTex]

1. Albuquerque and Ardmore: Thank you Texas legislators!

During redistricting hearings around the state, 90% of those attending were against redistricting until after the next census. In bipartisan statewide polling on the issue 70-80% or the respondents are against special sessions for the purpose of redistricting. "Gov." Tom Delay (he's not the Texas Governor? Well he sure acts like he is!) and his poodle, Little Ricky Perry, need to listen to us, the Texas people. WHOSE STATE? OUR FUCKING STATE! LEAVE IT ALONE!

PROUD TO BE A:

[aquart]

2. How do we write these guys?

I sent a note to the NM Lt. Gov when I couldn't get thru to the gov., but I'd love to email more directly.

[PDittie]

3. Here you go:

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/senmem.htm

Clicking on each Senator's name will take you to their web page, where you can e-mail them.

All of the Democrats except for Armbrister are in Albuquerque.

[aquart]

24. Armbrister is, oddly, the only one without email.

[Pastiche423]

19. Did you receive a reply

to your email? Lt Gov Johnson replied to me and stated she was passing all emails to the righteous Gov. Richardson. (righteous, my word.)

[Noordam]

4. Question for DemoTex and other Texans

I love what the Texas Dems are doing. BUTTTTT

Perry will not back down, and the day this session is over with and the 11 come back, he will just call another special session. Delay and Perry do not care what ppl want they just want their way.

Is there any way to stop the calling of these special sessions??

[MuseRider]

5. Isn't each special session

costing the state a huge amount of money? I would think that at some point Perry will have to back down.

[booksenkatz]

12. It is costing alot of money, BUT

the Repubs are just blaming the Dems for the cost, so I doubt they'll ever back down. They don't care what the people want, they only care about what's good for Republicans.

[DemoTex]

13. Estimated that each special session costs the state about $1.7 million.

.

[FubarFly]

6. The Dems are preparing a lawsuit to

challenge Dewhurst's ability to override the 2/3's rule.
If that doesn't work, they'll challenge that the redistricting violates the Voter Rights Act under the grounds that it illegally dilutes minority voting strength. There are still a couple of aces yet to be played, but not many. However, if the rethugs keep up the gestapo tactics, the Dems may ultimately have the last laugh. Maybe next time they should hole up in the Alamo just to make their position crystal clear.

Give 'em hell Texas Dems!!

:toast:

[Johnyawl]

9. OMG, that would be such a PR coup!

Fubarfly: Maybe next time they should hole up in the Alamo just to make their position crystal clear.

Imagine the Dems holed up in the Alamo, with the doors locked, while the Texas Rangers, on Perry's orders kick in the doors, and drag them out, kicking and screaming and resisting at every step. Good lord, the Texas Dems could lose the redistricting battle, and retake the legislature at the next election.

[TahitiNut]

11. The Texas Dems need to ...

... show that, of the various ways in which Texas could be redistricted, the Repugnant scheme is the most perverse. They should present a 'redisticting plan' that would maximally increase the number of Democratic districts merely as a way to show the extremism.

What would happen if state boundaries were so altered as a way of increasing Congressional biases? What about county boundaries? The very notion that District boundaries can be redefined at the whim of a partisan majority, without any other principle than mere headcount and partisan bias, is a betrayal of 'equal protection'. When the aggregate representation of "We the People" becomes so skewed as to hugely underrepresent less numerous pluralities, the very pretense of 'democracy' ceases to exist in reality.

[Eloriel]

21. Write them with your idea! Link above. n/t

.

[SilasSoule]

23. TahitiNut nails it again!!!

What would happen if state boundaries were so altered as a way of increasing Congressional biases? What about county boundaries? The very notion that District boundaries can be redefined at the whim of a partisan majority, without any other principle than mere headcount and partisan bias, is a betrayal of 'equal protection'. When the aggregate representation of "We the People" becomes so skewed as to hugely underrepresent less numerous pluralities, the very pretense of 'democracy' ceases to exist in reality.

This is about the most clear, concise description of this redestricting powergrab and it's dangerous consequences that I've read.
Thanks TahhitNut...

[PaDUer]

26. Penna did it....

people were bitching and it went right through!!!

[donco6]

25. The difference is assets.

Technically, congressional districts don't own any assets (though in this day and age, I wonder - could a vote be an asset?)

The other boundaries you mentioned would result in a shift of assets from one entity to another, which you can't do under "unlawful taking."

But it's an interesting argument.

[aquart]

30. Alamo would be perfect.

Not comfortable, but oh my word, just the thought of Republicans sending in the state troopers to bring them out of the Alamo?

Ooooooooooooh. That's mental ice cream.

[DemoTex]

10. Public opinion is the only way I know of to stop Delay/Perry/Rove.

Even the conservative Dallas Morning News editorial page has come out against the special sessions (7/30/03). Delay is so far beyond the outer edge of the envelope now that eveything he says or does vis-a-vis this issue looks like malicious meddling. Many, many Republicans are sick of and embarrassed by this wanton, obscene power grab.

You must understand that this redistricting could mean six more GOP seats in the US House of Represntatives. A tremendous political edge is to be had by the GOP if they ram this thing through. It has Karl Rove's stench all over it.

If the GOP redistricting plan does go through the Texas legislature, it will be challenged all the way to the US Supreme Court on the grounds that it violates the Voting Rights Act. GOP architects of the new Texas redistricting map claim, however, that there is no dilution of minority voting strength in the plan. They claim that voting districts that had minorities in majority were pretty much left alone. How will SCOTUS decide if the hypothetical case gets that far? Remember Florida 2000?

As Jake Berstein said in "The Hammer Drops" (The Texas Observer, July 18, 2003), "Thanks to Delay, once again Texas is a national leader in political perversion.

[sonias]

20. Here's another sample of a conservative paper's opinion

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (very conservative area)
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/073003/edi_073003010.shtml
Perry's Actions Are Disappointing
While we still believe that Mr. Perry was the better of the two major office-seekers, we are stunned by his lack of leadership and his cavalier attitude concerning redistricting.
-----------
Excellent read. Let's hope the people in Lubbock area are letting this sink in.

Sonia

[DemoTex]

22. Sonias, thanks! "Mr. Perry, acting like a spoiled 2-year-old child ..."

It just hit me with that quote from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Little Ricky Perry is auditioning for a part in the Bu$hco regime! Or maybe he wants to be Tom Delay's understudy.

[sonias]

28. Perry is a spoiled rotten child

That was the gist of my letter to the local paper here in Austin too. They never run my letters.

Sonia
------------------

Rick Perry is acting like a spoiled rotten child. Unfortunately he's doing it with our taxpayer money. Perry thinks he's free to throw our money around like it's his own personal mad money. All of this waste is at the expense of the most vulnerable of our Texas citizens. While children are being booted of CHIP and our elders are facing service cuts, Rick Perry is wasting another 1.7 million of our tax dollars because he just can't accept no for an answer. Polls of Texans are running against redistricting state wide, and he knows it.

So instead of addressing the real problems Texas is facing, Perry and his party are throwing a tantrum at our expense. Too bad our state constitution doesn't allow for a recall because I think Perry's fiscal irresponsibility during budget shortfalls is an excellent reason to kick him out of office. I call on the Governor to stop the madness and take care of our real problems like school financing not phony crisis issues like redistricting. Take this divisive issue off the table and let's get back to the real work Texans need you to do.

[TahitiNut]

7. Ghettoization of the electorate.

The Gerrymander is an honorable creature compared to this Fascist Farce.

[demnan]

8. It's good to see someone on our side fighting again!

[DemoTex]

14. MUST-READ article on this subject from Texas Observer

To illustrate the Dems’ point, Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio), the vice-chair of the redistricting committee who had been marginalized by the Republican majority, placed a tall stack of papers beside a smaller one on the podium. With a ruler he showed how those who had indicated they were against redistricting amounted to 12-inches of paper. The stack of those who supported the Republican plan stood only 1 inch tall. (Nothing pleases bored reporters and photographers more than a solid visual illustration, and Villarreal’s uneven stacks of testimony made it into most state newspapers the next day.)

"The controlling influence of this legislature is wielding the sword of redistricting for their own purposes, not for the larger purposes of this state," said Villarreal. "Not only does this stack represent where the people of Texas stand on redistricting, but polling that has taken place ... has come out to say that 80 percent of our fellow citizens are against ."

Through friendly questioning of Villarreal, Rep. Elliott Naishstat (D-Austin) wondered whether the redistricting debate would increase public apathy. The citizenry might cease to participate in the process once they understood their lack of influence. Villarreal allowed that such a result could occur. (More .. much, much more) (My emphasis in bold - DT)

http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1402

Read this article. Every word of it. Scary shit here, my friends.

On edit: I'm going to post this Texas Observer article by Jake Burnstein in Editorials & Other Articles also. Maybe it will stay up longer that way.

[Rose Siding]

15. You've got you some kickin' Dems in TX

To read about them has made me think about how hard this is for them as people. It must have been a frightening thing to contemplate, initially.

I know that TX Dems aren't the most liberal variety, but they've risked careers... probably lost friends. Can you imagine being faced with this decision. They are the establishment!

These folks are using radical tactics because they understand the stakes are so high.

I hope they are confident and proud of the choice they've made. Good Karma to 'em.

[TahitiNut]

16. It might be interesting ...

... to require that various state redistricting plans be subjected to a statewide ballot where the voters select among a slate of such proposed 'plans'. Since such district maps actually apportion representation itself, it's ethically specious (IMHO) to leave such apportionment up to any current crop of representatives. If anything should be left directly to the electorate, it's the very scheme of representation itself.

This, I believe, is at the heart of why a 'republican' structure absolutely must be alloyed with a viable 'democratic' methodology for a nation to be effectively self-governing. Any power vested in the representatives to determine the very manner of representation is de facto political corruption, IMHO.

[Jacobin]

17. Nice split infinitive in the headline

Must be the Texas media.

[sonias]

18. Important ways to support our Democrats

We all know that this fight is not just about Texas. This is about the country and the 2004 election. We if lose this fight in Texas then the '04 election could be lost as well. We need to fight right along with these brave Democrats. Get involved, take some action, write some letters and call the Governor.

Here is a combined e-mail address for the 11 in New Mexico [e-mail]. The Texas Democrats are fielding these for them. I hope all you Texas DUers also now about this site
http://savetexasreps.com/
Be sure to sign the petition that will get hand delivered to the Governor next week.

And make sure you come to the anti-redistricing rally on Saturday August 9th. There will be buses coming in from across the state. Contact your local Dem party office for bus information. Here is the link for a posting about the rally.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=1046&mesg_id=1046

I heard a rumor that Willie Nelson may be joining us and I hope that's true because he will bring in thousands of folks. Please, please let that come true.


Sonia

[samsingh]

27. more power to them

.

[Cha]

29. God for there to be as dedicated Dems in our Senate as

these Texas Dems! The Killer Ds!

THANK THE TEXAS 11!

The Texas 11 are fighting for you.
Send your thanks to the
Democratic State Senators in Albuquerque.

Email:
Click Here to Email the Texas 11: [e-mail]

[Cha]

31. I just sent them this e-mail!

My thanks to all of you for your Hard Work for Democracy in Texas from a transplanted New Yorker!

We heartily admire you out here in this Country of ours!
The Killer D's! Indeed!
Know that we are behind you All The Way!

We Cheer you on from www.democraticunderground.com .
Ain't nothing gets by us!!

zidzi
New York