Anti-gerrymandering amendment makes it to the ballot!

[Dog Walker]

This just in from FairDistricts:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2010


Redistricting amendments on the ballot: Florida voters earn historic chance to vote to stop politicians from rigging districts

After November passage voters will choose elected officials â€" not the other way around

Tallahassee, FL â€" Today, Floridians took a giant step towards ending the incumbent and political party protection plan that masquerades as legislative and Congressional redistricting.  The non-partisan group FairDistrictsFlorida.org gathered more than 1,650,000 petitions signed by Florida Republicans, Democrats and Independents from the Panhandle to the Keys.  As a result, today the Secretary of State certified Constitutional Amendment 5 for the November 2, 2010 ballot, and is expected to soon certify its partner, Amendment 6.  Florida voters now have a powerful opportunity to stop legislators from rigging and manipulating district boundaries in order to stifle competition while perpetuating their own political power.

“These critical reforms will finally end the legalized conflict of interest that allows legislators to design their districts and those of Congress for their own political purposes,” said Bob Milligan, who was elected State Comptroller during the Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush administrations.

Under our present system, there are no rules that limit legislators from drawing districts to favor themselves or their parties.  Districts in Florida are bizarrely shaped, often meandering for hundreds of miles or from coast to coast. Communities are carved up so that voters living in the same neighborhood are often represented by different members of Congress or state representatives.

As a result, incumbent legislators almost never lose their re-election bids.  Only three (out of 140 up for election each cycle) were defeated in the last six years.  How could this happen?  Because legislators draw up their own districts for one purpose:  to ensure that they stay in office!

Former Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham said, “Florida’s legislators are choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. There are presently no rules to stop this self protection plan.  And when this happens, the voters don’t have a real choice! These amendments will change that.”

With voter approval in November, Amendments 5 and 6 will establish constitutional rules that will:

   * Prohibit politicians from designing districts to favor themselves or their parties;
   * Require them to make the districts compact and community based; and
   * Make it impossible for legislators to draw districts to diminish the ability of minority voters to elect representatives.

“I am so happy that the voters of Florida will finally have the opportunity to vote to put these fairness standards in the Florida constitution. These amendments provide new protections for all voters and especially minorities,” added Representative Perry Thurston of Broward County.

State Representative Darren Soto, Orange County, said, “Today’s certification bodes well for achieving fair districts in the state of Florida. I think that these new protections will be very popular with my constituents as well as all of the voters of our great state.”

For additional information and the exact language of Amendments 5 and 6, please visit www.FairDistrictsFlorida.org.

[Dan B]

Countdown till StephenDare! tells us why Gerrymandering is a wonderful thing, in 3.....2......1....

[Springfield Girl]

I'm so glad this is going to be on the ballot. Maybe we are learning from our political mistakes.

[Dog Walker]

And the people in Corrine Brown's district might have someone decent representing them.

[BridgeTroll]

So then we all agree we should do away with it??  Wahoo!! Consensus... Thats what I like to see!

[Dog Walker]

Stephen, you just like being amused by Corrine's wigs and her attempts to make a speech.

[Dog Walker]

Well in public she comes across as dumber than dirt.

[buckethead]

lol.   We all play to an audience I suppose.

well played, sir.

[Dog Walker]

Corrine Brown blows off her wig in an interview with Melissa Ross this morning on WJCT-FM!!

Slide forward to 14:00, but don't be drinking anything when you are listening.  It will make a mess to clean up.

http://www.wjct.org/mp3/weekly/fccth.mp3//

[CS Foltz]

I am sure, as dirt, Corrine had a finger in the Skyway shenanigans and can not argue about "bringing home the bacon" but there are other things that need to be addressed and it looks to me like Amendments 5 & 6 presents the chance for voters to say who the hell represents them! I have no bias one way or the other...........but it is time to change out incumbents with fresh blood and idea's before we don't have a chance to change things in the taxpayers favor!

[north miami]

And Ander Crenshaws.

And John Mica.

In Florida, gerrymandering benefits more republicans than democrats.  Its going to be interesting.

Why dont you like Corrine?  I think shes a lot of fun.  And she brings home the bacon.

Without her our city would be a lot poorer.

It was painful listening to Corrine on this morning's WJCT Melissa Ross program.

I imagine the I-95 improvements would have happened without Corrine.