Proposition 93 & Redistricting Chatter

The Armed Liberal of the Winds of Change blog is against Prop. 93:

I’ve believed for some time that reform of redistricting in California is hostage to entrenched political actors, who will have to be blasted out of their gerrymandered districts with a firehose.

A reasonable redistricting proposal was defeated two years ago, in no small part because the Democratic legislative leadership swore – swore! – that they would do a better job Right Away. That better job has never shown up, and shows no signs of showing up. I’m not sure why I was so shocked at being lied to by pistol-packin Perata and Ab-Fab Nunez; even at my advanced age hope is still a powerful force. The Governator’s cave-in on this issue was shameful as well.

But given the California political leadership’s history of lies on this critical issue, the only lever we have over them is term limits, and to hand that lever away for another empty set of promises seems foolish, even by California political standards (which are pretty low).

So let’s vote this down, and see if we can lever the legislative leadership into acting on gerrymandering, in concert with reforming term limits.

Steve Tate, the Mayor of Morgan Hill, however, supports Prop. 93 and says:

When it comes to how Morgan Hill is represented in Sacramento, the deck is stacked against us. Because of redistricting, southern Santa Clara County is represented by numerous different assembly members, state senators and members of Congress. 

Thanks to the work of Common Cause and other leading reformers, we may have a chance later this year to change the way redistricting works. I join John Laird in supporting fundamental reform of redistricting. I also recognize that right now, with Proposition 93, we have an opportunity to take a first step toward reform.

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