Texas' new, gerrymandered congressional district map

[UdoKier]

In case you didn't see it, this is what Delays' thugs did to the state and prompted the flight of Texas democratic lawmakers to New Mexico.




Notice how the 15th and 25th districts snake down HUNDREDS of miles from the urban, progressive Austin area, down to the rural, mostly Mexican Rio Grande Valley, creating districts that are overwhelmingly democratic, and ensuring that democrats can never win in the surrounding areas.

The law says that congressional districts should be drawn to encompass areas that have something in common geographically, socially and politically.

I just don't see it here.

But that's Bush's AmeriKKKa for ya...

[sui generis]

1. what do you expect from the Party of Corruption

the only thing these guys stand for is lining their own pockets, and there are no means too foul to not justify their ends.

[bryant69]

2. It's most states, actually

It's shocking how few congressional districts are actually contestable.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Career Prole]

3. I live in the 19th...cute, ain't it?

They reshaped it to drop a bunch of rural counties and add Lubbock, which resulted in Democrat Charlie Stenholm losing his long-held seat to Lubbock repuke Randy Neigebauer or Nougatbooger or whatever his name is. :grr:

[flamin lib]

4. My district is the same. Urban Arlington is included in a district

that reaches almost a hundred miles south into rural Texas around Corsicana. My Rep is Joe Barton, a little Nazi.

Had dinner at a corporate sponsored event and he came over to our table to schmooze. Someone asked him what he does in the House and he responded "beat Democrats". I casually commented that I thought it might have something to do with governing or representing his constituents and he got flustered and left the table.

[brystheguy]

7. That was an awesome comeback.

Way to take a smug remark and make him look foolish in front of others. When will they realize that they are to represent people?

[Career Prole]

5. Ah yes, and bugman DeLay's corrupt money paid for the

gerrymandering campaign. If he's indicted will those who benefited have to give up their seats?
Oh, hell no!

[Jane Austin]

6. I'm in Distric 10 . . .

Which used to be entirely Austin. Now Austin is chopped up and District 10 stretches from within Austin all the way to suburban Houston, a huge swath of real estate which completely dilutes Austin's influence.

We have a right-wing Republican rep now, Mike McCaul. :(

Can you imagine making a media buy for one of the districts? You'd have to purchase air time in quite a few different cities.

[LiberallyInclined]

8. they do it because they can.

who's gonna stop them?

[theboss]

9. It was bound to happen eventually

And the districts aren't as ridiculously drawn as some states.

However, the scandal was that DeLay made it happen about ten years too quickly.

[eallen]

10. Democrats could speak more forcefully on this if party supported PR....

There is no fair way to have single-member, winner-take-all districts. Proportional representation in the election of federal representatives would eliminate gerrymandering, would provide for more representative government, and would revitalize local interest in politics. The problem is that it also would create the potential for third parties to carry minority caucuses in the House. In the past, the Democratic Party wanted more to preserve the two-party lock brought about by geographic apportionment than it cared about democratic reform. Better to squabble over gerrymandering with the GOP than have to deal in the House with a few Greens, Socialists, and Libertarians. Or so seemed to go the thinking.

I'd be tickled pink to see this party support PR. Until it does, it has little room for bickering that gerrymandering this time didn't go the way it wanted. That does not absolve DeLay for breaking Texas election law, using corporate money laundered through DC! I'm just pointing out that there is a certain amount of hypocrisy in complaining about gerrymandering, while supporting the voting system that mandates it.