There will be a hearing of the Guilford County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, July 28 at 5:30 PM. The topic will be redistricting.
The specific purpose is to receive public comments on the gerrymandered maps offered by Chairman Skip Alston and county staff, all of which are designed to favor Democrats and incumbents; and also the alternative maps offered by the Guilford County Republican Party and Keith Brown, respectively.
Skip Alston has a 7-4 Democratic majority on the Board of County Commissioners; and it appears that he is determined to keep it that way. He has proposed bizarre, irregular district lines to maintain his majority. Previous Democratic gerrymandering and manipulations during 1991 and 2001 laid the groundwork for his current majority.
Recall how local liberal Democratic activists made a huge, ugly scene in the Greensboro City Council chambers when Republicans on that body attempted to redistrict. This happened even though their side had been the beneficiary of prolonged, repeated instances of gerrymandering over a period of decades. But the media was on their side; and their tactics were effective.
Republicans and conservatives need to show up in large numbers at the hearing Thursday evening. I hope to be there. We need to have as many people as possible speak in opposition. And unfortunately, we need to make some noise, because that is what the media will cover.
Skip is in control of this process, and the moves he makes could potentially be effective for a period of ten years. We need to be sure that his efforts are exposed, and that he does not have an easy time stacking the process in favor of his own party.
Let's put up a fight on Thursday night. We need to make the argument for compact, sensible districts drawn with regular shapes and boundaries. We must argue for competitive districts.
We need to point out that the process of redistricting is not intended to ease reelection for incumbents. These districts belong to the people, not to Democratic incumbents.
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For a period of approximately 2 1/2 weeks, I will be taking a break from this blog. I might make an occasional post; and likely will also be commenting on other sites.
We need plenty of people there . I will present my map and we will see where it goes from there.
Posted by: Triadwatch | July 23, 2011 at 08:09 PM
Keith, I agree. I hope there is a good turnout from Republicans and conservatives who need to speak out. Thanks for all your hard work on this issue.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 23, 2011 at 08:29 PM
I dont disagree Joe. But will you call the Cons "animals" or a "menagerie" if they behave as such?
Posted by: Mick | July 25, 2011 at 09:24 PM
No, I will call them "mimics".
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 25, 2011 at 09:29 PM
update on todays redistricting meeting in that there is now more maps to look at. Linda Shaw met with the state republican party to come up with a map that is completely and utterly ridiculous. Then the democratic party has a map out but did not get to see it but hopefully will get a copy up soon when they send me a copy.
Then the kicker from today is that kirk perkins with a suggestion from chairman alston thought for a moment to NOT televise the meeting but with shaw , cashion and davis who blew both ways on the idea thought otherwise and are going to televise the meeting.
It would have been non transparent if they didn't televise the meeting and took the better avenue and will televise. The only issue i am having is that this is a different type of meeting and trying to explain my map and the differences between the others will not happen in the 3 minutes they are giving us. That is too little time i think.
Hope to see you on thursday.
Posted by: triadwatch | July 25, 2011 at 09:49 PM
Thanks, Keith, for the update. The additional maps will add to the confusion. I hope Linda Shaw's map is not self-serving. It is hard to see a good result coming from this process with incumbent commissioners in the driver's seat, looking out for their own interests. But Republicans and conservatives need to engage on this issue if they are to have any chance to avoid getting steamrollered for the third consecutive decade.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 25, 2011 at 10:01 PM
wait till we start talking about referendum. I will have plenty to say about this.
Posted by: triadwatch | July 25, 2011 at 10:22 PM
Keith, Alston and Perkins are now claiming there was no deal when they met with Phil Berger. This claim is made after the meeting was reported to have produced a "compromise". Of course, the stance taken by Alston and Perkins theoretically frees them to do the referendum. Both are shameless partisans. I wonder what the others present at the Berger meeting recall with respect to what was agreed upon.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 25, 2011 at 10:37 PM
Joe,
Somehow I dont think it will be a real problem. But I guess we shall see.
Posted by: Mick | July 26, 2011 at 07:46 AM
While I enjoy this blog and the coverage of good topics, what could be more important than the mismanagement of three-quarters of a billion of tax payer dollars by Guilford County Schools and unqualified COO Andy LaRowe. There is a new blogger in Greensboro only because everyone else - particularly the lame-stream media - fails to give this issue the proper attention. http://gcsuncovered.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Guilford Coutny Taxpayer | July 27, 2011 at 12:49 AM
Thanks, Taxpayer. We will keep an eye on your blog. This could be very important work you are doing.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 27, 2011 at 06:36 AM
Binker over at the N&R has a news item on the redrawing of Guilford County Commissioners districts by the NC Senate. Appears the Senate has redrawn what was previously already thought to be a done issue to be voted on either today or tomorrow. Appears the Skipster's oversight and management of this issue has been set aside. Mentions Don Vaughn as being surprised who thought it was already a done deal. I love politics.
Posted by: Harold | July 27, 2011 at 01:57 PM
: )
Alas tomorrow (evening) never comes....
Posted by: axelskater | July 27, 2011 at 02:29 PM
Here's what Mark Binker at the N&R had to report:
"Just when you thought it was safe to come back to the General Assembly...
Early Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Judiciary II Committee brought up H 719, which as become an bill dealing with election laws in four places around the state, including Guilford County.
You may recall that earlier this year there was a big spat over redrawing Guilford County commissioner districts. Ultimately, there was a deal to reduce the number of commissioners but allow the Guilford County Board of Commissioners to redraw its own district.
Apparently, that deal is now null.
The new bill would both draw new maps for Guilford County (click here to see the map) and prohibit the commissioners from redrawing their lines until 2017, which means it wouldn't take effect until the 2018 election. (Click here for today's breaking story.)
I asked Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, an Eden Republican who ordered the rewrite, why the General Assembly was dealing with commissioner districts again.
"I kept getting calls from folks in Guilford County about how the map drawing process was proceeding," Berger said. He said that he had gotten complaints from commissioners and average citizens that the commissioners were not drawing fair maps.
We'll have more on this in tomorrow's paper. The full Senate is expected to vote tonight on the bill. Click below to listen to Phil Berger explain his thinking."
Appears some Guilfordians were putting the heat on Berger to revisit the issue. Binker provides the new map of the Senate version.
Posted by: Harold | July 27, 2011 at 02:51 PM
I might have read wrong about the map Binker provides. Looks as if it's the old one.
Posted by: Harold | July 27, 2011 at 02:53 PM
Harold, this is fascinating info. Thanks.
Axel, it does not appear to me that the effort has progressed enough to justify cancelling the hearing tomorrow night. Or has it?
Posted by: Joe Guarino | July 27, 2011 at 04:03 PM
No, it is a different map. The bill passed the Senate and is expected to pass the House tomorrow. Some winners, some losers as is always the case. District 2 is a meat grinder.
Posted by: Spag | July 27, 2011 at 06:21 PM
Anything has got to be better than the Skip & Company Map. I was upset that Skip & Company thumbed their noses at the effort that John & Phil had made to redistrict Guilford County. He talked of a referendum to keep the districts at eleven. The threat now is with passing DOJ but I think that is a worthwhile fight.
Posted by: KeepYourHandOutOfMyPocket | July 28, 2011 at 10:51 AM