Redistricting A’ Comin’
Early on the morning of August 18th our City Council voted to appoint an advisory committee to consider drawing a new district map for Fullerton council seats. The Council decided to keep final approval for themselves.
You may recall that the City voters adopted districts in 2016 as part of the legal settlement with minority groups. That map was cooked up behind the scenes by Jennifer Fitzgerald with the assistance of downtown bar owners whose aim appeared to be splitting up downtown into 5 parts, three of which were each connected to their main body by tenuous electoral tissue. Naturally, the one and only map went along on the ballot with the question of having districts at all. Amazingly, all the councilmembers, including Bruce Whitaker went along with the sham, gerrymandered map, whose ostensible author, Jeremy Popoff, was Fullerton’s worst scofflaw bar owner.
The process of redistricting is almost always a charade with just enough public participation to look sort of legit. This time will be no different. It’s bound to consume staff time and require the services of a friendly consultant and a subscription to web-based demographic software.
It’s hardly necessary. Fullerton naturally divides into clear-cut areas of “communities of interest” both geographically and ethnically. So here’s my suggestion for a new map. I offer it humbly to the Friends, and the deciders, free of charge.
Consolidation, compaction, clarity. Northwest, North Central, East, South Central and Southwest. Gee, that was easy.
I can’t support this until I can see the LGTBIA+ representation cross-referenced by race, nationality and non-binary gender association for each proposed district.
Almost true. So, funny.
Heh, I see what you did there. Zahra and Silva can fight it out for #5,
Would be nice to make Silva get rid of Zahra.
Anyone know what happened to Jeremy Popoff?
He and Fitzgerald pushed this shitty map on Fullerton, then they both moved out of state.
Real pillars of the community.
I’m for whichever puts the bars in my District.
Single and ready to mingle.
Obviously, The Fullerton Harpoon did not have access to the 2022 Census data when he wrote this post in August, 2021.
The Harpoon’s map would never cut muster with the current Census data. Though, it was a nice try.
Oh, I don’t know about that. It’s a good map based on population and still maintains 4 minority majority/plurality districts and gets rid of those skinny arms that reached into downtown. I think I will be humbly submitting this map.
If it only serves the public’s interest, it ain’t going nowhere.
I’m watching you, Bushala. This map better follow the rules as set forth by State and Federal Law, or we’ll see you in court!
1. Geographically contiguous.
2. Undivided Neighborhoods “communities of interest”. (Socio-economic geographical areas that should be kept together).
3. Easily Identifiable Boundaries.
4. Compact. (do not bypass one group of people to get to a more distant group of people).
PROHIBITED: “shall not favor or discriminate against a political party”.
Oh, look, a boohoo came out of the woodwork. My map meets all your criteria, and, oh, yeah, I’m not Bushala so stuff it up your jumper, dude.
Did you bitch when the last map was approved? Bet not.