The Political Perils of California's Redistricting Process

[Cleita]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/mapping-the-future/14-angry-men-means-53-concerne.html

The Washington Post
The political perils of California's redistricting process
By Aaron Blake

Predicting how a state will draw its new congressional districts is often a fool's errand. (Hmm, what does that make The Fix?)

But nowhere is that the case more than in California.

That's because the drawing and approval of the state's 53 districts this year is in the hands of 14 people. They are mostly amateurs, not political pros and they're not supposed to have any regard for incumbents, which means they could do just about anything.

If you're a member of Congress from California, that's a very scary proposition.

"When you go from a system that allows incumbents to draw districts that favor themselves to one that disallows considering incumbents at all, you're bound to have some incumbents paired together and some open districts," said Tom Bonier of the National Committee for an Effective Congress, which advises Democrats on the redistricting process.

Added GOP consultant Dave Gilliard: "There's a good chance that the vast majority of the congressional districts in California are not going to resemble what we have right now." more at link

This is a scary process to me. In the last gerrymander I found myself taken from my Democratic Congresswoman, Lois Capp's, district to the most awful Republican Rep. in Congress, Bill Thomas's district and now Kevin McCarthy's district and also the most red district in the state of California. I have a hope of getting back into Congresswoman Capp's district again.

Personally, I really wish redistricting was done by population only, not party affiliation. I wonder if there is any way we ordinary citizens can influence this process. Anyone we can write to express our opinion on it?

[mitchtv]

1. how about

a modification of zip codes to define a district? some will get split of course

[Cleita]

2. That could be a starting point for them, but

whom do we write to suggest it?