Sacramento has called a special election in California, due Tuesday November 4th, to do away with existing Congressional districts for the next three elections. The existing districts, drawn by an independent redistricting commission, would be replaced by districts drawn by Sacramento. We invite people to check the proposition’s proposed new districts to see what they would look like, if this passes.
We think this Proposition is a horrible idea. But why take a position on such a partisan proposition regarding national politics? Our PAC had an extensive debate on this issue, with a well spoken minority that wanted us to stay out of it. Taking a position on this without taking a partisan stand is threading a very small needle.
Our issue is, ff California scraps its redistricting commission, and resorts to districts drawn by Sacramento, then Sacramento will now be in charge of our Congressional delegation. It carves up cities (including Culver City) into other districts, and slams separate cities together.
Gerrymandered districts will make it impossible for locals to control their Congressmen. It means more edicts coming down on our city from Sacramento, like forced upzoning, attacks on our police department, etc. It’s a real issue for us, one we saw when the entire county machine attacked our 2020 ballot measure. And it hits at the national level too.
We’re not going to get into the “he said, she said” argument of how Texas did it first. Because there’s no point getting dragged into it. It’s a prisoner’s dilemma where we have no winning situation. Democrat partisans should understand, if every state were to gerrymander like California will under Prop 50, Democrats will stand to lose another 15 seats or so nationally.
And a country where all states gerrymander to a “winner take all” congressional delegation, means a country where the ruling state party has absolute control. Locals will not be able to field competitive candidates. They will have no say on critical issues.
That’s why we are urging a NO vote on Prop 50. It’s a Faustian bargain, where locals lose no matter what.