I hope this Michigan referendum passes and is implemented; it could very well serve as a model for other states to do the same. Whether you prefer (D)s or (R)s or something else entirely, an end to gerrymandering will benefit us all.
				
			Did you miss "5 who affiliate with neither party"?
No they are 5 who will be a party of 1 each up against parties who are 4 of each who will backroom deal to make sure the 1's never get the chance to replace one of the 4's.
I hope this Michigan referendum passes and is implemented; it could very well serve as a model for other states to do the same. Whether you prefer (D)s or (R)s or something else entirely, an end to gerrymandering will benefit us all.
Still doesn't say who gets to decide as far as its weighted application process. If you want to end gerrymandering you have to take the demographics completely out of it. It needs to be done based on population numbers alone and some agreed upon metric as far as the geography. Anything else, is gerrymandering by another name.
I'm assuming you mean the VRA and I agree. By definition the VRA and majority minority districts are gerrymandered. If the goal is to eliminate politicians and their bias from the process (and that's a worthy goal) and have algorithms do it, how can it do-exist with VRA laws?
Sure thing, bucko. Guess we'll just have to leave things as they are because it's just too hard.
You don't have to leave things as they are, but so far you have not shown how this isn't California's same rigged system.
I'm assuming you mean the VRA and I agree. By definition the VRA and majority minority districts are gerrymandered. If the goal is to eliminate politicians and their bias from the process (and that's a worthy goal) and have algorithms do it, how can it do-exist with VRA laws?
The good news ..
President Trump won Michigan by the narrowest of margins in last November’s election – receiving just over 10,000 more votes than Democrat Hillary Clinton out of 4.8 million votes cast. But his fellow Republicans swept the state’s congressional districts, capturing nine of 14 seats statewide.
Gerrymandering in Michigan and across the nation are known and are being challenged in courts and by rising citizen's groups.
Trump won Michigan by a thin margin .. with Michigan being one of the worst gerrymandered states in America.
That change is coming.
Who gets to appoint your independent commission? California's is loaded down with democrats--democrats who gerrymander the state
Strange how you say nothing about Michigan having 2 of the 23 black gerrymandered majority minority districts.
I'd like to see it done completely dispassionately with computer programs and grids, rather than the sloppy shit we have now.
Edited to add:
From the link:
"All applicants who fit the criteria and who are not disqualified will go into a general pool from which 200 finalists will be randomly selected- 50% from open public applications and 50% from randomly mailed invitations. Each application will be weighted (using widely accepted statistical weighting methods) to ensure that this pool of 200 applicants mirrors the geographic and demographic makeup of the state as closely as possible. The final Commission of 13 Michigan voters will be randomly selected from the pool - 4 Republicans*, 4 Democrats*, and 5 who affiliate with neither party."
Still doesn't say who gets to decide as far as its weighted application process. If you want to end gerrymandering you have to take the demographics completely out of it. It needs to be done based on population numbers alone and some agreed upon metric as far as the geography. Anything else, is gerrymandering by another name.
I'd like to see it done completely dispassionately with computer programs and grids, rather than the sloppy shit we have now.
Edited to add:
From the link:
"All applicants who fit the criteria and who are not disqualified will go into a general pool from which 200 finalists will be randomly selected- 50% from open public applications and 50% from randomly mailed invitations. Each application will be weighted (using widely accepted statistical weighting methods) to ensure that this pool of 200 applicants mirrors the geographic and demographic makeup of the state as closely as possible. The final Commission of 13 Michigan voters will be randomly selected from the pool - 4 Republicans*, 4 Democrats*, and 5 who affiliate with neither party."
Calfornia passed a referendum establishing a citizen's redistricting commission, which takes the matter out of the hands of the legislature, and is at least an attempt to make re-districting reasonably fair and non-partisan.
So, while California is trying to improve democracy, Michigan Republicans (and Republicans elsewhere) are trying to subvert democracy.
That's fine but your ballot initiative doesn't get you there. 4 democrats and 4 republicans still maintains the current party duopoly.