| I've sat thru three hearings on redistricting and have found them all informative as to the nature of the dynamics of our legislative politicians, if not always as forthright as to the actual issues involved.
My first experience was watching the dog and pony show put on by congressional representatives Corrine Brown (D) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R). They both made the (false) claim that minority representation would be eliminated if the two state constitutional amendments setting standards for redistricting are adopted.
Given the fact that 60% of the vote is now required for passage of an amendment I have to admit that I don't think they are going to pass when you have hacks like these spreading misinformation along with a well financed opposition campaign. The only thing that might save them is if a number of state wide candidates take them up as part of their own cause.
Meek could use them as a way to show Rubio's extremism (if he's the candidate). If Crist wins the Republican nomination he might actually give them one of his half-assed endorsements, but that might be enough. Certainly someone like Gelber needs to bring this issue into his campaign.
But, I have to admit, I'm not that optimistic.
The second hearing I went to was interesting because Sen. Mike Haridopolos got Sen. Al Lawson to explain what happened in the 1992 redistricting. That was the year the process was thrown into the courts because the House and Senate could not agree on one set of maps.
Lawson reluctantly explained (after beating around the bush for a while) that the black Democrats in the Senate at that time joined with the Republicans to get a number of majority-minority congressional districts. The black Democrats were tired of the racism of the white Democrats and their insistence on using black voters for their own congressional gerrymandering needs rather than producing clear minority districts. That was enough for the black Democrats to side with the Republicans (ala Brown and Diaz-Balart).
The last hearing featured an appearance by Ellen Freidin, Campaign Chair of Fair Districts Florida, which sponsored the amendments and paid for the collection of signatures to get them on the ballot.
 She started off very well, reading excerpts from editorials representing papers throughout the state, all of which praised the efforts to end gerrymandering.
She then said that she had listened to podcasts of the earlier hearings and thought the objections raised fell into three categories: minority representation would be reduced, the standards somehbow conflicted, and they would cause more law suits against any maps that were drawn.
On the first issue she explained that the amendments had clear language stating that the ability of minorities to elect representatives of their choice was to be a primary consideration and could not be reduced.
On the second she pointed out that several states already had similar standards and had no problem drawing districts. And on the last she said this same argument about law suits had already been used before the State Supreme Court, which resoundingly rejected it.
She also humorously (not to the legislators) made the point that law suits could be avoided by simply following the standards.
Then it was time for the legislators to start asking questions. Bill Cotterell from the local paper was there, I'll let him take up the story:
Florida's two most powerful legislators challenged the head of the FairDistricts Florida campaign Thursday to draw a legal congressional map under the terms the group's proposed constitutional amendment would require if passed.
[snip]
Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, offered to fly Freidin back to Tallahassee, give her access to House and Senate staff and provide any other data or help she needs to draw a sample congressional map.
"This is not rocket science," Freidin, a Miami lawyer, said at a joint meeting of the House and Senate committees. "This Legislature is totally capable of drawing maps with these standards."
Haridopolos and Cannon then pounced.
"We'll give you the software, a week, two weeks, if it's so easy to do," said Haridopolos. "You take the 2002 census data and draw us 25 congressional districts that meet your easy-to-reach criteria."
He added, "Theory is one thing, practice is another."
Freidin asked, "Are you suggesting that redistricting maps can be drawn simply by putting data into a computer?" She said it takes census data, voter registration numbers, performance data from past elections, public testimony by voters and "the collegial work of the legislative body" - none of which she could duplicate in an experiment.
"Will you do it or not?" asked Cannon.
"I don't have a Legislature to work with me on this," she replied. "I don't have public hearings."
Unfortunately, Ms. Freidin became very lawyerly at this point and looked weak (in the context of this ridiculously invented confrontation) in declining the offer.
What she should have said is "Just go over to FSU's geography department. I'm sure there are plenty of graduate students who would love to play with your data and software and could draw you as many maps as want."
Or if she didn't want to be flip she could say "Let me put you in touch with a few companies that specialize in redistricting mapping. I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate your request."
During one of the breaks I spoke with local attorney Mark Herron and finally got an answer to a question I had been asking: "Can a governor veto a redistricting plan?"
Mr. Herron explained that the law was funny because of the way the state constitution was written, but that a governor could not veto a legislative map, but could veto a congressional map.
This is good to know. Surely during the redistricting mapping of the districts for Suzanne Kosmas, Alan Grayson, Ron Klein (who all won in "Republican" districts) will all be gerrymandered to make their 2012 relection (assuming they win in 2010) much more difficult.
But, if Alex Sink is governor, she can stop that, even if the demagoguing is successful in defeating Amendments 5 and 6.
All the more reason to make sure she wins.
Alex Sink For Governor |
