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

Tue Nov 2 12:49:31 CDT 2010

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?

You can't be "sure," but the smaller the districts are, the harder they are
to gerrymander, so, "all other things being equal," the concern stated
indicates that one should support smaller districts.

> And if there are fewer reps from ea district, it again seems that the
> advantaged will be advantaged.
>

Why? In my experience, it's the opposite. In some of the more conservative,
Republican, rural areas, it's hard to field 3 vigorous progressive
candidates. Maybe you find one or two progressive people who are willing to
run. The other side runs as a slate. So, it's one against three or two
against three; moreover, your people go into the poll, it says "vote for
three," and some of your people vote for you and one or two of the people
you're running against, resulting in a net zero vote for you if that happens
to include the lowest vote-getter of the opposing slate. All of this makes
it hard for dissident voices to break in with 3 member districts.

> 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
>

I'm not a fan of Bambi, but the claim that he supports this proposal is no
argument.

>
> --- 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.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Peace-discuss mailing list
> > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net<http://mc/compose?to=Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net>
> > http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Policy Director
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org<http://mc/compose?to=naiman@justforeignpolicy.org>
>
> Urge Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from
> Afghanistan
> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net<http://mc/compose?to=Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net>
> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>

-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Urge Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from
Afghanistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20101102/363b3711/attachment-0001.html>