High-Stakes Redistricting Meeting Set For Vancouver

On Thursday, May 19th, from 6pm to 9pm, the Washington State Redistricting Commission will be holding an informational meeting and public hearing at the Hilton Vancouver. Frankly, The Columbian’s May 12th article on this does a fairly thorough job of describing both the purpose of the commission and of this meeting. After reading this article, however, I felt that there was one key aspect deserving of much more attention … the importance of citizens attending this meeting, to get involved in this process.

To illustrate “the importance of citizens attending this meeting, to get involved in this process”, let me start by asking readers from the Vancouver area how they think the Republican Governor they elected in 2008 and the Republican U.S. Senator they elected in 2010 are doing for them? Of course, my question is facetious … in spite of the fact that Clark County voters preferred the Republican candidate for Governor in 2008 and the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010; in both cases the statewide vote put the Democrat candidate in office. That’s the way it’s been for voters in Southwest Washington and that’s how it’s likely to be for some time to come. Typically, voters in the more heavily populated Seattle/Tacoma area, who tend to be more Liberal Democrats, determine the outcome of statewide elections. That may indicate some need for reform in statewide election processes but, for now, that’s the way it is. With that in mind, assuring that U.S. Congressional Districts and State Legislative Districts are laid out as fairly as possible, to result in election outcomes that are truly representative of voters in their respective communities, has added significance for voters in areas like Southwest Washington. That’s what this coming Thursday evening’s public hearing is about … laying out the way Washington’s congressional and legislative districts will look for the coming decade … and thus “the importance of citizens attending this meeting, to get involved in this process.”

As the result of growth in population since 2000, a 10th U.S. Congressional District is being added to Washington State. Of course, adding this 10th district will impact the layout changes of the current nine districts. Since Southwest Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is 15.2% above its target population, a district-size reduction is anticipated, to allow a portion of the current district to become a part of the new 10th Congressional District. Some reports state that this will make the 3rd Congressional District more of a Republican-district than the Swing-district it has been. My caution to Conservative Republican voters in Southwest Washington is to be on guard for Gerrymandering politicians using this as cover to allow them to set up the new 10th Congressional District as another sure-to-be Democrat-district. You already have zero (0) representation in the U.S. Senate. A 10th U.S. Congressional Democrat-district will only further diminish your being represented at the Federal level.

The State Legislative District in Southwest Washington that I see as meriting the closest watch during redistricting is the 49th. This district is approximately 2,500 below its target population. That means the area covered by this, currently; Democrat-district must be increased. Of course, Democrats will be OK with Gerrymandering this district to keep it as Democrat as possible. Voters in Vancouver should remain alert to this and insist that the 49th district is laid out as fairly as possible, to result in election outcomes that are truly representative of voters in that community.

Although I’ve focused here on redistricting considerations for two districts that I see as being particularly important to voters in Southwest Washington – the 3rd U.S. Congressional District and the 49th State Legislative District - the Washington State Redistricting Commission is responsible for completing their work as it applies to 10 congressional districts and 49 legislative districts. That magnifies the significance of this work and it amplifies my call for “the importance of citizens attending this meeting, to get involved in this process.”


Comments

Hopefully your process will


Submitted by Jeffery Reynolds on Mon, 2011-05-16 19:21.

0

+-Hopefully your process will be more bipartisan than Oregon's.







Oh who am I kidding. Buckle up.