I believe this issue needs its own thread and Dems need to pay attention. Gerrymandering needs to

[kelliekat44]

stop and the public needs to be told why.

Lani Guinier tried to explain how the prison-census-voter link worked and I have been explaining
this to DUers for a long time. This is precisely the reason Dr. Guinier was not able to become AG under Clinton when he was forced to back down from her appointment to appease the RW pols. (Never quite forgave him for this move). This relation between prisoners and the census is the primary reason that so many red states and red jurisdictions fight to have prisons built within their districts.

Prisoners count as residents for census purposes thereby entitling more Congressional representation for those districts BUT the prisoners are not allowed to vote. Blue districts and states have lost representation as prisons have been moved and built outside those districts. It is amazing how politically ignorant American voters are about what is going on around them. And the media does a good job of not exposing so many of these ploys. We are lucky to be no worse off than we are, America.

http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/guinier/

[daleanime]

1. K&R....

[NV Whino]

2. I was not aware of the prison issue

And its influence on gerrymandering until il I watched Oz.

Gerrymandering is the main reason we are in the mess we are today, and it has to stop.

We also have to eliminate prisons for profit, and have consistent voting laws throughout the U.S. regarding people who have served their time and returned to society.

[kelliekat44]

3. Few voters are, but the elected officials know all about it. And even the Dems don't raise hell

about this. Sometimes i think we get too caught up in the single issue that matters to us and the issues that have a direct but stealth impact on our government are never discussed.