CENSUS Briefing & Redistricting 2011

Census Data & Redistricting Briefing

Dear Community Leaders,

As you know, redistricting - the process of re-drawing state senate, assembly, and congressional election districts - is currently underway. Soon, the Citizens Redistricting Commission will be traveling the state to hear from YOU about where the lines should be drawn. To prepare for this unique opportunity to ensure our voices are heard in government for years to come, the Greenlining Institute will be hosting a statewide teleconference briefing on the 2010 Census Data & California Redistricting.

Teleconference Briefing:
Census Data & California Redistricting

Monday, March 28th @ 3pm

DIAL: 1 (605) 475-4000. Participant Access Code: 653498#

RSVP to receive conference call documents: micheller@greenlining.org

What we will cover:

• Brief overview of Census 2010 population and demographic data for California
• Implications of Census data on redistricting plans in 2011
• Update on Citizens Redistricting Commission outreach / public hearing plan
• Limited Q & A (as time permits)
  

Who should attend:

• Community leaders from grassroots, non-profit, small business, faith, and labor communities
• Interested Californians who would like to learn more about this important process
• Policy advocates and policy-makers
• Interested ethnic and local media
  

We hope you will join us!

Michelle Romero
Claiming Our Democracy Fellow
The Greenlining Institute
1918 University Avenue, 2nd Fl
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 926-4016 (direct)

Visit us online at www.greenlining.org/initiatives/redistricting

CAJON Neighborhood & The Redistricting Report

Having trouble viewing this email? Read it online.

Monday, March 21, 2011   "...Who Cares?"   Last week saw the final pieces being set at the California Citizen's Commission with the hiring of their line drawer and legal counsel.  At the same time organizations around the state continue to build their own redistricting advocacy groups around the state and city redraws.  Many seem hopeful or anxious, but one Pennsylvania Congressman sums up another viewpoint when he eloquently stated for the Wall Street Journal, "Who Cares?"  State California's redistricting panel can't escape partisan pressure Los Angeles Times Frustrated by blatant gerrymandering and politicians protecting incumbents above all else, voters took the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts away from state lawmakers and handed it to a new independent body. But as the new Citizens Redistricting Commission hires key staff, it is becoming clear that partisans will not give up power without a fight. Redistricting panel picks legal consultant despite partisan split Sacramento Bee California's independent redistricting commission chose a legal firm Friday to advise it on minority voting rights, but only after a partisan deadlock ended with one of two finalists withdrawing.  The winner was Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, an international law firm that made headlines last year for successfully challenging California's ballot measure banning gay marriage. Bay Area redistricting expert wins state contract to draw new political boundaries Contra Costa Times An Oakland firm co-owned by UC Berkeley Statewide Database Center director Karin Mac Donald was chosen to redraw California's political districts under the direction of the new, voter-created independent redistricting commission.  With three of the four present Republican members dissenting, the commission disqualified the only other bidder, the Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California, late Saturday on the grounds that it failed to fully disclose 10 years' worth of donors. End to gerrymandering will benefit San Joaquin The Stockton Record The last time around, in 2001, redistricting around San Joaquin County was such a travesty Hiram Johnson, California's great reformer, is still spinning 360s in his grave.The county and the city of Stockton were sliced up like vegetables in a Slapchop. We paid for it in reduced political clout.  Now, redistricting - the redrawing of state political district maps after each census - is coming around again. This time San Joaquin's prospects look very good. Taking politics out of drawing political districts The Desert Sun No longer will they resemble Rorschach inkblots carved out to keep the majority party in power and toss some safe district crumbs to the minority party. Combined with the new top-two primary system in which the top two vote-getters face off in the general election, we could have politically competitive districts in which moderates have a chance of getting elected. From the Tiwtterverse: @MattRexroad: Tony Krvaric (Karen MacDonald) is impartial as I am an astronaut. Best redistricting comment of the day. @stevenmaviglio: Rose Institute is to redistricting as the Tobacco Institute is to smoking. Biased and unbelieveable. #wedrawthelines @KQED_CapNotes: #CAGOP chair Nehring: "Republicans & Democrats must take a radically different approach" in CA after Prop14 & Redistricting. #crp @cmarinucci: GOP frmr chair Sean Steele says when Calif redistricting lines are redrawn Aug 26,"2/3 of Democrats won't be representing their own districts" National GOP plays it safe on redistricting Politico House Republican leaders won't acknowledge it publicly, but the outline of the GOP's national strategy for drawing new congressional maps is taking shape. The operating principle: Don't get greedy. AND MORE: Open Mic on this issue: is this a smart strategy for Republicans or are they potentially leaving seats on the table? And California's 53 House seats will be drawn by an independent commission. Will Democrats or Republicans have an advantage, or is too early to tell?  Frost/Norquist Murphy answer. The top 10 states to watch in redistricting Washington Post Regular Fix readers know about our "Mapping the Future" series, which goes through each state and how the map might be drawn.But if you don't have time to read about every state, which are the ones you should pay the most attention to — and why?  [Editor: California is #4] There Comes a Time When People Just Have to Set Boundaries Wall Street Journal Just in time for the once-a-decade process of redrawing U.S. House lines, a set of computer programs for hobbyists has arrived that bring redistricting to the basement. "Isn't technology wonderful?" said Democratic Congressman Mike Doyle after looking at an email of his hypothetical district. "Some guy from California drew a map. In Pittsburgh, there are two words for that: Who cares?" Local Sacramento's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Join the City Redistricting Process There's never been an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender city council member in Sacramento. The L-G-B-T community is hoping to change that with a city redistricting committee.

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E-mail feedback to paul@redistrictingpartners.com.
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The Redistricting Report

Thursday, March 17, 2011 State Democrat Sanchez faces GOP redistricting gains Orange County Register Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, will see her congressional district expand – and likely dilute Democrats' considerable advantage there – in the upcoming redistricting. Jail inmate census data challenged San Mateo Daily Journal The Census bureau counts the incarcerated where they are confined and credits that number to the county in which they were counted regardless of where the inmate might actually reside. Because some San Francisco inmates are housed in San Mateo County, this county received credit for people who do not live here. That policy, however, leads to prison-based gerrymandering and should be stopped, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Editorial: Don't fear shifting demographics OCRegister The Register quoted Steven Ochoa, the national redistricting coordinator for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He said, "We are a multicultural society; we have a great mix of human beings in this state. ... From the Twitterverse: @ RobStutzman: RT @MattRexroad: Is taking bets. Will take Lungren and give 5. Redistricting will give Lungren a better seat. @AllenJWilson: I have given up on my political crystal ball, which is stored and collecting dust. When Redistricting happens, it happens! @Johnnydontlike: Redistricting isn't gonna be good to Loretta Sanchez http://is.gd/zyQq5t  If she loses, I hope she still sends me a Christmas card Local Gay Community forms Redistricting Group Sacramento Press The LGBT population wants to be considered a "community of interest," which is one of the elements the City Council will use to redesign its districts, Herber said.  Steve Hansen, a member of the city's advisory redistricting committee who is also active in the gay community's redistricting effort, said the LGBT vote is now split between three City Council districts in the city's urban core. Because three council districts represent the area, the gay community's vote is weakened, he said. Monterey County Redistricting could split Salinas The Californian Salinas' political landscape could be divided further once Monterey County's redistricting process is complete, a consultant told the Board of Supervisors today.  The process was made a little trickier when Gobalet discovered an error in the 2000 Census that put prison inmates, college students who live in dorms and others housed in institutions in the wrong communities. For example, the Census counted prisoners in Soledad as residing in Marina and Salinas, inflating those cities populations while lowering Soledad's. In moving those populations back to their proper cities for the 2000 numbers, Gobalet said that she found that Salinas and Marina grew over the past decade, rather than shrink as previously reported.

I-215 Widening Project Traffic Alert: March 13 - March 17

Hello,

We would like to inform you about an Interstate 215 Widening Project traffic alert for March 13 – March 17, 2011.

 

http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/215/215-construction/215CommuterAlert_03-11-11.pdf

 

Please let us know if you have problems opening the PDF. If you know anyone who would like to receive the traffic alerts, please send their email contact information to us.

In addition, we are currently meeting with service organizations and community groups giving in-person presentations on the I-215 expansion. If you belong to an organization that would benefit from learning more about the expansion, please contact Carrie Gilbreth at (909) 886-8188.

Thanks,

Jane Dreher
Public Information Officer
San Bernardino Associated Governments

Follow us on Twitter @215NEWS

 

I-215 News: Traffic Advisory for March 6-10

Hello,

We would like to inform you about an Interstate 215 traffic advisory taking place March 6-10.

http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/215/215-construction/215CommuterAlert_03-04-11.pdf

Please let us know if you have problems opening the PDF. If you know anyone who would like to receive the traffic advisories, please send their email contact information to us.

In addition, we are currently meeting with service organizations and community groups within the project area giving in-person presentations on the I-215 expansion. If you belong to an organization that would benefit from learning more about the expansion, please contact Carrie Gilbreth at (909) 886-8188.

Thanks,

Jane Dreher
Public Information Officer
San Bernardino Associated Governments

Follow us on http://www.twitter.com/215NEWS

Fwd: I-215 Widening Project February 2011 Newsletter

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: 215News <215news@westboundcommunications.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Subject: I-215 Widening Project February 2011 Newsletter
To:

Hello,

Your February edition of "Cruisin' through Construction" is here! Please use the following link to open the email update of the Interstate 215 Widening Project in San Bernardino. 
http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/215/215-cruisin/02-11_cruising.pdf

 

Please let us know if you have problems opening the pdf or if you have suggestions for upcoming editions.  If you know anyone who would like to receive this bulletin each month, please send the email contact information to us.

Thanks,

Jane Dreher
Public Information Officer
San Bernardino Associated Governments

Follow us on Twitter @215NEWS

 

--
Dena Peters
Dena's Tools & Tips
"doing business in a virtually!"
http://www.denastoolsandtips.com