GOP House majority has figured out how to get rid of Democratic seats

[Divernan]

Speaker proposes cutting 50 Pa. House members
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Associated Press

HARRISBURG -- The speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is pushing for a bill to start the lengthy process need to reduce the size of the 203-member chamber by about 25 percent.

Speaker Sam Smith on Tuesday introduced legislation that he says will make the chamber's deliberations more efficient.

The measure requires a constitutional amendment, so it must pass both chambers in two successive legislative sessions and then be approved by state voters.

The Jefferson County Republican's proposal would cut the House to 153 members, but as normal legislation it's subject to amendment so it could change. Fifty-nine co-sponsors are on board.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11088/1135552-100.stm#ixzz1I1cRA8za

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I am forced to admit this is actually quite brilliant and perfectly timed. The bill, proposing as it does, a constitutional amendment, will have to pass the House this session(2010-2011) and then again during the next House session (2012-2013), and then come up for a popular vote.

You KNOW the public will happily vote to reduce the size, hands down. The GOP House majority can pass it the first time this session, have it ready for a second vote in January, 2012, rush it onto the spring ballot for the 2012 primary election, and Bob's your uncle, have a GOP majority on the committee to redesign/gerrymander the district boundaries. It will be a blood bath. And Corbett is on record as wanting to reduce the size, as well. Then we have a GOP dominated State Supreme Court, should anyone challenge the district gerrymandering.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. There will be even more gerrymandering one way or the other.

We lost a lot more than the majority and the governorship this past election. This was the biggest reason I worried more about this election than I ever have in the past.

But I support reducing the number of representatives. I have for years. It has to be done. It would be an utter shame to have it done under the Republicans, but there have been opportunties in the past for the Democrats to take the lead on this and they dropped the ball. Year after year after year, it has been business as usual and we are paying too much for too little.

[Divernan]

2. You're right. But for naked self interest,, Dem. leadership could have done this

I worked for the Democratic caucus during the DeWeese/Veon leadership era. There was never a whisper of support for reducing the size of the legislature. You could as easily have asked them to cut off their own right hands. There were some non-leadership Dem. representatives who would have supported an action to reduce the size, but they had no power to move the idea forward, and if they had attempted to do so, they'd have lost all re-election support and been primaried out. The few, the reasonable, the ethical knew they had to pick their battles - and reducing the size was beyond the realm of possibility. Of course, back then, both parties' leadership had the same attitude toward giving up their annual pay raise. They really patted themselves on the back with their solution to public outcry by passing an automatic COLA provision for themselves, and including the members of the judiciary on the deal to preclude any successful court challenges to their greed and self-entitlement.

I expect a 50 member reduction will be allocated 30/40 Democratic seats to 20/10 Republican seats. So all the GOP has to do to get 100% support from its own House members is arrange 10 to 20 prime political appointments for its' members who will lose their districts. Easy to do with Corbett in place. They also have access to lining up lucrative corporate board appointments. Look at Ridge - he's made out like a bandit on those. Why one board seat on something like Ridge's on Home Depot pays $100,000 per year, plus stock options. More money and for far less work than serving as a House Representative. These clowns will be fighting to be among those to lose their districts.

[demodonkey]

8. Great. Concentrate the power into even fewer hands. Corporate lobbyist's dream.

The small cost savings will have little effect on the budget. Cutting seats will do little other than to make it easier for corporate control to further infiltrate those remaining in office.

If anything, we should be ADDING seats... would water down the power. Then cut out things like the WAMS (walking around money) and the massive power and control each party's Leadership has over its members in the General Assembly.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Redistricting for the state legislature is done by a bipartisan commission

[Curmudgeoness]

4. If you believe this is true, I have some land to sell you.

Don't let the area name Death Valley scare you.

When the Republicans are in charge of the House, Senate, and Governorship, there is no such thing as a bipartisan commission. You aren't paying attention.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. The Republicans were in charge of the House, Senate, and Governorship last time, and

Democrats did not get screwed on state legislative redistricting.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. You are kidding. Take a look at the maps and you will see

some of the most cluster-f*&ked districts imaginable. I know. I live in an area where they really screwed us over with a district that looks like a snake, cutting towns in half and covering more counties than I can name. This district was set up for the sole purpose of pooling Republican voters.

If you don't believe this, check out what the Repugs have in store for us:

http://www.redstate.com/freemanja1991/2010/12/08/pennsylvania-redistricting/

And here is a link to an article by the NY Times titled How to Tilt an Election Through Redistricting

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/26/weekinreview/26marsh.html

I can see you have faith in the state constitution to keep this from happening, but you have to take the blinders off. Just do a google search of Pennsylvania redistricting, and you will find hundreds of articles about how the Republicans gerrymandered after the 2000 census and how they have plans for 2010 census.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Those are congressional districts. The process for drawing STATE LEGISLATIVE seats is completely

different. The Congressional lines are drawn by the legislature. The lines for state house and state senate are drawn by a bipartisan commission, as provided by the state constitution.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. Straw man. My links were aimed at the redistricting process,

and it doesn't matter if it is state or federal level districts that are being manipulated. The Repukes are out to change the landscape on us. Keep watching. This will become more of an issue when the time to do the deed approaches.

[Divernan]

5. Freddie, have you got a link detailing the procedure?

Have you possibly confused this with Pennsylvania's requirements for Congressional redistricting following each census?

In any case, whether state districts or congressional districts, a final redistricting can be challenged before the PA. State Supreme Court, which has a Republican majority.

Awaiting your response.
Thanks.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Yes, the State Constitution:

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html

Congressional redistricting is done by the legislature, but the Legislative Reapportionment Commission does it for the State House and State Senate.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. And who pays any attention to the PA Constitution?

From the PA constitution:

"The Commonwealth shall be divided into fifty senatorial and two hundred three representative districts, which shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect one Senator, and each representative district one Representative. Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district."

Explain how there are districts that wind around like a drunken snake. It is apparently unconstitutional. I remember the court battles last time since my area was screwed up badly with towns split in two. Look at the Philly area. And who can explain District 12 and 18?


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=PA

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. You are quoting the State Constitution about state legislative districts and posting a link to

congressional districts. Do you realize that?

[Curmudgeoness]

13. I did not realize that, but you were not helpful by linking to

State Constitution without posting the section you refered to. I probably spent more time than you have trying to find what you were talking about. A little help would be appreciated if you are going to argue that redistricting in PA is so fair.