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Redrawing California

Once every ten years there is a census that counts the population in our country.  Because our government is representative and we have a House of Representatives based in part on the population numbers we have to also take a look at the districts that are represented.   In many states districts are drawn by state legislators in committees.  This is the way it was done in California for years. the last time in 2001 behind closed doors when everyone’s attention was on the tragedies of 9/11.

This made for very interestingly shaped districts not only for Congress but for our state Assembly and Senate districts.  Let’s just say the areas that they lumped together and the narrow slices and swaths of neighborhoods were gerrymandering at its best!

(I guess that is a nice way to say it).

The voters of California were pissed.  They voted to create a citizen commission to redraw the lines from the 2010 census.  And now the initial plan has been revealed. And boy is it stirring things up!

Click here to see some of the revised maps. Some incumbents will have to move to keep their seats.  Some incumbents that previously were in different districts now will have to square off against each other.  Add term limits into the picture for the State Assembly and Senate and you have a mix of political musical chairs that will go on for several years!

For the professional politician the citizen drawn districts are a nightmare.

But it remains to be seen whether this is good for California or not.  These maps of the new districts are drafts.

There is still some road to go!  Here are two of the maps for the Westside of Los Angeles.

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