[Peace-discuss] reduction in size of the Champaign County Board?

[Karen Medina]

Perhaps we should ask Carol.
Hey, Carol,
About the county board being made smaller... can you tell us your
perspective?
-karen medina

On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 12:27 PM, Jenifer Cartwright <jencart13 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> I'm still confused -- If more districts are added, can we be sure those
> won't be gerrymandered to advantage the advantaged? And if there are fewer
> reps from ea district, it again seems that the advantaged will be
> advantaged.
> On the other hand, 22 vs 27 members would be more efficient when it comes
> to making decisions and getting things done, all things being equal. But ARE
> they equal?? Bambi's pro and Carol's anti, if those are still their stands,
> makes it a no for me.
>  --Jenifer
>
> --- On *Tue, 11/2/10, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org>
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] reduction in size of the Champaign County
> Board?
> To: "Karen Medina" <kmedina67 at gmail.com>
> Cc: "Peace-discuss List" <Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 12:08 PM
>
>
> Here is the exact question which appears on the ballot:
>
>
> http://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/docs/2010/11_02_2010_Full_Specimen.pdf
>
> "Size of Champaign County Board
>
> Shall the CHAMPAIGN COUNTY BOARD SIZE BE REDUCED from 27 MEMBERS
> elected from nine multi-member districts with 3 members elected from
> each district, to 22 MEMBERS elected from eleven multi-member
> districts with 2 members elected from each district?"
>
> So, assuming that what we are voting on is the question that actually
> appears on the ballot, the argument for not diluting poor and minority
> representation would appear to support the proposal. If you increase
> the number of districts, the resulting districts will be smaller, and
> all other things being equal, poor and minority voters will be less
> diluted in their representation.
>
> I'm not familiar with the recent history that led to this proposal,
> but I can tell you that based on my experience as a County Board
> member from 1992-6, I definitely thought that the size of the County
> Board should be reduced, because my experience was that the size of
> the Board made it hard to organize other County Board members, with
> the result that most of the time the Board was a rubber stamp for the
> staff and the Board Chair.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 10:42 AM, Karen Medina <kmedina67 at gmail.com<http://mc/compose?to=kmedina67@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> > Can someone comment on the issue of the reduction in size of the
> > Champaign County Board?
> > The following is what I understand of the situation.
> >
> >> why would certain groups get no representation?
> >
> > Diluted representation. i.e. the poor and minorities would be diluted
> > by being mixed with rich white people and having fewer seats to fill.
> > Right now the poor have enough of a say that a representative can get
> > on the board. With fewer seats to fill, there is an easier chance that
> > one of the removed chairs would be the voice of the poor.
> >
> >> they're moving from 9 districts to 11, right?
> > Not necessarily. I think there are 3 proposals on the table of how
> > they would move from 27 to 17 board members.
> >
> > The current situation is 9 districts with 3 reps from each.
> >
> > In May, 2010, there were 3 proposals:
> > 17 members, 17 single-member districts
> > 18 members, from 9 multi-member districts
> > 22 members, from 11 multi-member districts
> >
> > I'm still looking for more information on this.
> > John Bambanic is for the reduction of county board members.
> > Carol Ammons is against (I think). and I think Jan Anderson was
> > against (I think).
> > But I have not talked to either of these women recently on the issue.
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Policy Director
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org<http://mc/compose?to=naiman@justforeignpolicy.org>
>
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>


-- 
karen medina
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
"In this universe, we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the
ability to ask questions." (Mary Oliver, American poet)
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