Category Archives: Rose Report

Governor Kicks off Redistricting Reform Campaign

As Bill Bradley’s New West Notes noted last week: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political committee, the California Dream Team — formerly the California Recovery Team, and maybe the old name should be brought back — today instigated the signature gathering portion of a proposed redistricting reform initiative for the November ballot. Spokeswoman Julie Soderlund says the… Continue Reading

Redistricting & Prop. 93 Roundup

Steve Lawrence’s AP report as it ran in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Mercury News: “If we grant legislators what they want — longer terms — without getting redistricting reform, we will never get redistricting reform,” Poizner said. Westly, chairman for outreach with the Proposition 93 campaign, also wishes the two subjects had been… Continue Reading

Dr. Pitney: California Will Help Decide Primary Races

From Rose Institute fellow John J. Pitney Jr.’s op-ed in the San Diego Union Tribune: For the first time in decades, California will help decide the presidential nominees. Until this year, the state held its primary after each party had a prohibitive favorite. Now there are real fights on both sides. Although many other states… Continue Reading

Dr. Pitney on Clinton & Obama Strategy

From Mary Anne Ostrom’s article in the San Jose Mercury News: “When there’s bad news to deliver, you want a familiar face,” said Jack Pitney, professor of political science at Claremont McKenna College. Most voters agree that Obama, because of his racial heritage and his call for political harmony, would bring more change to Washington.… Continue Reading

A Centrist’s POV

Paul Silver of the Moderate Voice mentioned us last week: California and Arizona are both preparing to vote on redistricting plans aiming to reduce political distortions. The California version focuses on trying to keep cities and counties contiguous, rather than broken up into obscure gerrymandered shapes. Perhaps these new districts can be made more competitive… Continue Reading

Dr. Pitney on Romney Speaking Spanish

From Eunice Moscoso’s article in the Austin American-Statesman: Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani often garners applause when he says that immigrants must learn to read, write and speak English to become U.S. citizens. Fellow GOP candidate Mitt Romney, is greeted with a similar response when he advocates making English the nation’s official language. *** Romney,… Continue Reading

The Hall of Shame

Thanks to Jeff of Gerrymandering Documentary for the link to our Gerrymandering Hall of Shame.  He might also enjoy the first installment of our modern art masterpiece series. Continue Reading

Nunez to support Redistricting Measure?

As we’ve mentioned, many people have suggested that the Speaker may endorse the Voters FIRST redistricting reform measure now that the Governor has come out for Proposition 93. As Steve Maviglio said in the recent past: “[t]he Speaker has not said he is opposed to it; he said there’s problems with it.” I missed this… Continue Reading

Redistricting Roundup

From Monday’s Los Angeles Times endorsement of Proposition 93: …we were hoping for something better. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) at least implied that they would join term-limits reform with a measure they don’t like, but that is even more crucial to correcting the state’s broken… Continue Reading