Here's a plum from the Wall Street Journal, via another informed Tweeter:
@TreatyOakMedia Treaty Oak Media
As GOP Eyes Turn to Texas, Perry Hits Snag http://on.wsj.com/m75igU #txlege
More tweets from Twitter, Wed 11:45am:
@sonia_smith sonia smith
(State Sen.) Dan Patrick taking another pass at abortion legislation in special session trib.it/lJSDn9 #txlege (via @EmilyAMcCann)
@ErikVidor Erik Vidor
RT @EmilyAMcCann: Dan Patrick(R) wants to root around in your uterus again. http://trib.it/lJSDn9 #txlege
@annettetorr annette torres
With so much interest in my uterus you think I'd at least have a date Friday...RT @EmilyAMcCann: http://trib.it/lJSDn9 #txlege #prochoice
@rcryland Robert Cyrus Ryland
@RepVanTaylor you forgot to add "...unless you're rich, in which case you should feel free to do less with more" #txlege #showhorse
____________________
@elisewho Elise Hu
RT @TheoTypes: Fantastic before and after interactive maps of Congressional redistricting in Texas via @stiles: http://bit.ly/mIIVng #txlege
@LegeLand Legeland
@LegeLand Legeland
#TXLege House #redistricting committee public hearing 10:45 AM or upon adjournment on Thursday, June 2, in Capitol Auditorium (room E1.004).
____________________
Note: Look closely at the first map and you can see that the proposed redistricting splits Hays County into three parts, each with its own congressional district – the 25th, 21st and new 35th. If you like multi-flavored ice-cream, you'll love this map! Travis County is chopped into four or five pieces (shish kebab anyone?) – a real testament to the extreme lengths Texas' GOP will go to skewer long time nemesis Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who heretofore has represented all of Hays County and a sizable slice of southeastern Travis County in the 25th District. The current and the new district look nothing alike.
Doggett, asked by the Austin Chronicle in a report today if he was willing to move to a more favorable district, said, "I'm ready to live in a Winnebago if that's what it takes."Governor Perry has added congressional redistricting to the special session's agenda, which was followed by a release today of the proposed maps from the chairs of the House and Senate redistricting committees.
Update: Word is a public hearing on the composition of congressional districts (SB 4/Seliger) is scheduled Friday, June 2, 9am in Hearing Room E1.016 at the Capitol.
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story
Texas Politics blog | Houston Chronicle
As expected, the biggest winners are Texas Republicans, who would be favored to pick up three additional seats in the 36-seat House delegation.
The biggest regional winners are San Antonio (which would gain a seat) and West Texas (which should have lost a seat but didn’t). Two new Hispanic-majority districts would be created in South Texas.
The biggest regional losers are the Houston area, which gains only a sliver of an East Texas-based district that meanders north and then southeast to the Louisiana line, and Austin/Travis County, which is cut into five pieces to minimize Democratic influence.
Two incumbent congressmen are big losers: Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin, whose district is shredded and now stretches to the Tarrant County line, and Republican Joe Barton, whose district is transformed into a minority opportunity district for D-FW area Hispanics.
Most of the Houston-area lawmakers are only minimally affected. The biggest change is to the district of Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, who loses his political stronghold of Victoria and instead wanders east along the Gulf Coast toward Beaumont and Port Arthur.
(Click on maps to enlarge)
38 comments:
The redistricting effort to defang Doggett is typical Republican Party scamming.
Republicans prove government will fail by making drastic budget cuts to government programs, then, surprise, we see them fail.
Or, Republican politicians, who are paid with our tax dollars to guard our tax dollars, are so bad at what they do that they screw up the government services and programs that they are responsible for. As a result, we then believe government is ineffective.
Or, we see a Republican president lie about a fake war threat, borrow billions from China to fund the war - while creating tax cuts for the rich, and then claim that government doesn't have enough money to fulfill it's obligations to run the war effectively. We then watch thousands of Americans die needlessly due to poor military equipment and intelligence.
Or, in the case of Doggett, simply change the property lines to claim an "undesireable" doesn't belong on the property, kind of like we did with the American indians.
Yeah, I can see why the Republicans hate Doggett. He may want to see government actually work.
Republican voters... Your party is selling out you, your family and everybody else to secure the positions of those who will feed the its special interest backers.
Having limited or pre-determined options to choose from perpetuates the status quo, and 90% of Americans are not happy with the status quo. Somehow, many are still very party loyal (even after all they do to you), but I'm seeing that change every day.
Most of the good, well-involved Republicans I know, including a few precinct chairmen, are shaking their heads in disbelief at these maps. But they won't stick they're necks out very far for fear of being called out as disloyal.
Even though the line-up of special interests deviates somewhat depending on which party is in power, its still government by special interests, for special interests.
Don't let yourself believe that this serves you in any way. It doesn't.
Getting rid of Lloyd Doggett would be the best thing to happen since the invention of toilet paper. Who said all the news is bad news.
Under the currently proposed Congressional redistricting map for Texas, Lloyd Doggett's district is radically changed. Remember when his district was a long sliver extending to the border with Mexico? At this point it will be a wide swath through Republican territory to the north, extending to the southern boundary of Tarrant County (Fort Worth).
Republicans who control the Texas Legislature are determined to get rid of Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin). They have also sliced up Travis County into yet more pieces, to dilute Democratic voting power in that liberal county.
First Anonymous reflects typical right wing reasoning. Anon cannot give specific substantiated facts re: why Doggett needs to go. At least Doggett is not a lemming Republican fear and family values phony.
Apparently Texas needs much more direct Republican economic pain before they realize how out of touch with real life these neoCONs are.
Looks like the Repubs are gunning for Ron Paul too.
That's party loyalty for you.
Btw, Sam (Brannon). You and I may not agree on some of the solutions to our economic problems but I sure respect your ability to see through the obvious duopoly political party scamming that so shamelessly goes on.
Knowing at least some of the history of the mealymouthed hays county democrat party, I expect there will be no concerted organized effort to rise in opposition to the death blow delivered to Doggett and hays county by the mean-spirited rethuglicans. Hays Dem party leaders and other so-called enviros have learned to live with whomever they can cut the best deal. You can thank the hatched in hell Conley-Barton tag team for that. Meanwhile the rethugs have learned how to kick real ass when they have the advantage. No pain no gain no mercy. So-long dems. In this county you have been scattered to the four winds, deservedly so.
This is great news! I have written and called and written and called Lloyd Doggett's offices regarding many issues. He has been consistent in ignoring my calls and letters. I expected that even if he disagreed, that he would send me a gentlemanly reason for his policy, but NO-, all I ever received from Doggett's office was silence and questionnaires about what was important to me. His actions showed that he did not care about Hays County and its residents. he was more loyal to Travis County than to Hays. I have little use for unresponsive representatives, no matter which party they come from. They are there to represent us, and when they ignore us, rather than give a reason, ...all we got was silence.
Hays County does not need a silent Lloyd. We need someone who will represent the views of the district and talk with us rather than impose rules and restrictions on us as Doggett has done.
These are pseudo-patriotic Texas Repugnicans,who gerrymander!
Read my dictionary: ger·ry·man·der [jer-i-man-der, ger-] – noun 1. U.S. Politics . the dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible.
I predict Lloyd Doggett will still be unbeatable, because he cares, is very wise, and is widely suported!!! even if the Repug-redistricters try to "get him" again, creating non-servicable election districts, that hurt us all.
Last history class I took, gerrymandering was against the law. Why waste hard-working tax payer money to have the courts over turn such illegal redistricting actions? Who cares about the constitution and "the rule of law"? Not these pseudo-patriots whoe actions are so unfair, to us all!
Also, in this 2011 "leg" session, the Repugnicans followed Perry's priorities, passing many bills that do not serve the citizens of Texas, especially their schools! Never mentioned were the exhorbitant profits of the petroleum industy based in Houston? Why do these Texas businesses not have to "share the wealth" within their "home state"?
These greedy,frightened white men scare me! Wake up and smell the fires burning in the hearts of Texans, who still have a heart!
Roberta Sho'Be'
Shadow Anonymous says:
"Hays County does not need a silent Lloyd. We need someone who will represent the views of the district and talk with us rather than impose rules and restrictions on us as Doggett has done."
Show us specific examples that prove you know your stuff. Don't be a typical Republican Party supplicant who simply throws out disparaging neoCON GOP talking points against opposition politicians who may just be doing his job.
I know Doggett wouldn't vote on the side of rich hypocrite neoconservative Republicans to gut Medicare for seniors.
Is that what you mean by restricting people's rights?
And Doggett would not vote to restrict family legal rights or abuse women with fascist big government mandatory sonograms.
Is that what you mean by restricting people's rights?
C'mon Anonymouses, let's compare notes. I'm just a "mealy-mouthed" liberal type looking for the truth.
"Last history class I took, gerrymandering was against the law."
This is what scum politicians do these days. They use the Lege to make what should be illegal legal. And voters from both parties look the other way.
You all deserve what you get.
What is this sanctimonious BS about the Republicans gerrymandering the districts? Both parties do it to their advantage. The Republicans were elected to a majority therefore a mandate to clean up the mess. It is their turn to correct the gerrymandering of the past Democrat regimes. Doggett has to go; he is out of step with all but a group of activist minorities that "stays" in eastern Travis County.
When the democrats stop pandering to the lazy bums that have their hand out for government funds and encouraging illegal aliens they may once again get their chance. Oh yea, you can thank your president Obama for the huge Republican victory that allowed this.
Anonymous, when you say:
"When the democrats stop pandering to the lazy bums that have their hand out for government funds.."
Are you referring to the lazy crooked corporations who buy the Republicans with their payola so they can get corporate welfare government funds to bail them out from their sleazy behavior so they can further avoid responsibility for poisoning our water and oceans, making health care costs unaffordable and killing the middle class with their overseas job outsourcing and their trashing of worker wages and benefits?
The bottom line is you and your neoCON followers are much bigger fools then me if you really think the rich special interest Republican politicians care one iota for your middle class country neck.
Time to start using your eyes and ears, because you will be joining the other side sooner rather than later.
Mark my word the Republican Party always makes things worse in the end.
"When the democrats stop pandering to the lazy bums that have their hand out for government funds."
Goober must mean Medicare for seniors, social security, Veterans benefits, the weapons manufacturers, US soldiers salaries, salaries, benefits for the right wing politicians, children in our public schools, all the doctors and medical professionals who get medicaid money, etc. etc.
Yes, all those "lazy bums".
And finally,
"Oh yea, you can thank your president Obama for the huge Republican victory that allowed this."
I agree. A black president scares the hell out of angry white bigots.
HTGCD meets in Wimberley on Thurs,
June 16. One item on the Agenda is
forming a committee to update the District rules. To see the current rules, go to www.haysgroundwater.com and under "Quick Links" on the left, click on "Regulatory." Then scroll down to "Rules" in gray print. Under that you will see the 2 categories in green print that will be updated. One category, Rule 9, deals with what is to be considered "waste."
Many of you have missed the point. This isn't about Lloyd Doggett or any other congressman. You had your chance to vote for or against Doggett in 2010 and you will have your chance to vote for your congress member in 2012.
Instead it is about the representation in congress that Hays county will soon be losing if it is drawn into thirds. Do you really think your congress member is going to care too much about a little parcel of Hays when they have numerous other counties or a major city (Austin or San Antonio) in their district? My small city of Buda (population 7,200) will be split in two in this current plan? Why on earth would you split a tiny little town? This plan is gerrymandering at its worst and Hays county will suffer greatly.
How can this be fair?
gerrymandering present participle of ger·ry·man·der (Verb)
1. Manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
2. Achieve (a result) by such manipulation: "a total freedom to gerrymander the results they want"
Katie says:
"This isn't about Lloyd Doggett or any other congressman."
Wrong, Ms. Couric. This is about Doggett and politics and nothing else.
The goobers who justify this for political reasons are gleeful now; but wait until the state falls apart under the Reps. As one writer states elsewhere, it is inevitable.
There are currently 32 Congressional districts in Texas. Because of increased population,
Texas will get 4 new Congressional districts. One thing Doggett is probably considering is running as a candidate for Congress from one of the new districts instead of from his current District 25.
The new District 35 will include part of east Travis County, and that is Democratic territory traditionally. District 35 territory, in general, is much more Democrat-friendly than the current proposal for the newly-drawn District 25.
One hitch would be that District 35 extends into San Antonio, from which a Hispanic candidate probably will run. But Doggett won before in his District 25 when it went all the way to the border with Mexico, including a large Hispanic population. Doggett is very well respected among all groups in Texas.
Regarding Barbara's last comment:
I think it is about time someone smart and progressive from the Hispanic community steps up and challenges the right wing Anglo conservative monopoly that has run roughshod over Texas since W.
The right person could organize the Hispanics state-wide and stand up to the Anglo hypocrisy towards Hispanics that has existed for decades in Texas. With the growing number of Hispanics in Tejas (soon to be the majority), and with the Anglo legislators decimating budgets for mostly Hispanic used state programs, now is the time.
I would like to possibly see the Mayor of San Antonio or his brother get into state politics to create a more balanced ethnic population polity in our state.
And hopefully the Texas hispanics will not be insipidly enamoured into voting for some right wing neoCON because he may speak some Spanish. That would be just a second language for the Hispanic citizens in Texas to continue to get screwed.
Barbara said... "Doggett is very well respected among all groups in Texas."
HA! He sure as Hell isn't respected by the majority in Hays County. Remember the last election where he lost big in Hays County to Donna Campbell who cleaned his clock, only for him to be saved again by the inhabitants of the eastern part of Austin and Travis County.
Rocky, I, too, would like to see more able Hispanics in Texas politics. It IS rumored that the brother of the current San Antonio mayor may run for the new Congresssional District 35.
I would hate to see us lose Lloyd Doggett, though. He's been in Congress quite a while and has enough seniority that he's on some important committees there. But mainly I respect him; I think he's an honorable man, and one who is for the average guy rather than for the fat cat.
Whoa! Under the most recent plan
revealed for Congressional districts in Texas (Plan 130,Sen. Seliger, Amarillo), Wimberley would be divided between two separate districts. Areas north of FM 2325 and west of RR 12 would be in District 25 (D-Doggett). Areas south of FM 2325 would be in District 21, as would areas east of RR 12 and south of (roughly) Lone Man Mountain Road.
Where is Jason Isaac on protesting this division? We need to email him and Sen. Kel Seliger and Rep.
Burt Solomons (Senate and House
chairs of redistricting committees) that we do not want Wimberley in two different Congressional districts.
The Republican majority in the TX Lege are trying to railroad the Congressional bill through as fast as they can, and so you need to speak up fast.
More precisely, here are the most recently proposed Congressional districts for Hays County and the precincts each would include:
District 21 - Precincts 225,230, 315,331,333,335,447,448
District 25 - Precincts 337,440,441,442,443,444,449
District 35 (New District)- Precincts 127,228,229,234.
You can find which precinct you live in from your voter registration card.
Well, the scene changes quickly. It now seems that the Solomons-Seliger joint PlanC125 is the most
recent Congressional plan, and it
has all of Wimberley in one district.
But Doggett's proposed district still goes all the way to Tarrant County.
Barbara said..."Wimberley would be divided between two separate districts.
Areas north of FM 2325 and west of RR 12 would be in District 25 (D-Doggett).
Areas south of FM 2325 would be in District 21, as would areas east of RR 12 and south of (roughly) Lone Man Mountain Road."
Barbara, what is wrong with dividing Wimberley in to two districts? I just don't see your point. I think you do not live in Wimberley, am I wrong? Granted, Wimberley has a unique demographic, but is it geographic within the city.
For me, it would mean that my district would be different from most of the undesirable parts of the City of Wimberley. Don't ask.
Frankly I see this as a fun thing, you know, seeing Doggett and his ultra liberal followers sweat.
To Anonymous, 8:15 PM:
I do not live within the city limits of Wimberley, but my mailing address is Wimberley.
As for why I'd rather not see Wimberley and environs in two different Congressional districts, it's because Wimberley will already
be a tiny fraction of the population making up District 25, and if Wimberley is split into two
districts, each of those parts will have even less influence in each of the two districts they are
assigned to.
Kind of like Austin rankles at being divided into 3, and now 5, Congressional districts -- with each district being linked with a suburb or even with part of another county. The wishes of
the majority (liberal)of that city
are diluted by being lumped in a pot with more conservative suburbs and rural areas.
But, it now looks again as if all of Wimberley will be in the same Congressional district. Tune in
tomorrow, because the Congressional map can change many times. It's not even out of House or Senate committees yet.
The Solomons-Seliger Plan C125 for Congressional redistricting has now passed the Senate Redistricting Committee and been sent on to the full Senate.
The Plan is still in the House Redistricting Committee.
Last Anonymous of June 3, 8:15 PM
says:
"Frankly I see this as a fun thing, you know, seeing Doggett and his ultra liberal followers sweat."
To call those of us who want to keep Doggett "ultra liberals" because we don't want another incompetent neoCON Republican to replace him just goes to show how out of touch conservative Hays County voters are.
We just got rid of a conservative pro-business Democrat and replaced him with a big government social fascist and these people still think Republicans are working for their interests. Incredible!
Conservative voters have become neoCONs and they don't even know it. As the last Anonymous exemplifies, all they want to do is label people and bore everyone to death. No solutions, no thinking, no analysis, no balance, and most strange of all, no diversity.
If they want a corporate fascist state, they will get it - if they keep shooting themselves in the foot by voting 100% for these neoCON politicians. Wake up, Bubba, your guns are next.
Btw, Barbara, I agree re: Doggett. But the Anglo Republican politicians in the soon to be Hispanic majority Texas districts are headed for obsolescence (except in the suburbs, where they will still be able to play golf with each other at gated "restricted" clubs.)
Texas really needs smart compassionate Hispanics in political leadership positions as quickly as possible.
To Rocky, June 4, 1:03 AM:
I agree with your last paragraph about Texas' need for smart compassionate Hispanics in politics. In fact I have said to my daughter and to some friends that the only hope for Texas to rise from #44-#50 in all measures which count is for the voting Hispanic population in Texas to continue growing.
I hate to sink to stereotyping, but it seems to me that too many of the white Anglo Republicans who are drawn to politics are interested primarily in whatever is good for "bidness." Education, health (incl. mental health, in which Texas ranks last), and assistance programs ("welfare") are at the bottom of their lists. I feel that Hispanic politicians are more concerned about issues which affect every Texan -- even "the least of us."
Oops, I should have said "Anglo
Republicans" instead of "white
Anglo Republicans" above. "White
Anglo" is redundant, of course!
It appears that Rocky and Barbara have shown their "true colors". Their last few posts have been nothing short of Pro-Hispanic Anti-White racism. I always thought that liberals were against racism in any form. I now see that racism against Whites is okay by the words in their posts. What a shame, I have lost a great deal of respect for both of them in this regard. They should be ashamed of disparaging people because of their skin color. Does that sound vaguely familiar to either one of you?
I find the Hispanic (actually Mexican) people to be friendly and intelligent but no more or no less than Whites, or any other race for that matter. Both races exhibit good and bad qualities as individuals, but to favor one as a Legislator over the other because of skin color is simply unmitigated racial prejudice.
I was raised in the South as a racist, primarily against the Black race and have, over the years worked hard to correct and to atone for my youthful thoughts and indiscretions. I think that qualifies me to judge who is and who isn't a racist. Now I find that those that I thought were fair minded are no different than I was when I was young. Can it be that we are all racists and just in denial at different levels?
I don't think there is enough room in just one Congressional district for (Guess Who's)ego.
After a handful of long winded posts on this subject the only point he makes is "Whitey Republican is BAD, but Hispanic Liberal is GOOD".
Someone calling others racist for pointing out racism fools no one, except other racists.
How can one ever to point out racism if no one talks about it? It is a phony catch-22 that conservatives use these days to try and make people feel guilty for bringing up the topic of racism in today's politics. It is a nonsensical argument and I won't fall for it.
Anonymous, what do you call it if you see that the primarily Anglo Republicans who now run this state want to either intentionally or out of habit slash services and education budgets that directly affect Hispanics and Afro-Americans the most. The statistics I show above in another comment don't lie.
Two years ago when 50% of the parents of WISD wouldn't let their kids watch Obama's national speech to school children about working and studying hard, I believe that was based on a large degree of racism disquised as Tea Party politics.
Why do I think that? Because instead of celebrating a national historical milestone of electing a black president, correcting the shameful history of a nation built on the backs and lives of black slaves, the WiSD parents should have been proud of having finally gotten past that big ugly wart on our nation's past.
Tell me, what do you think their agenda was by not allowing their kids to watch the program? To protect their kids from becoming communists? By not allowing their kids to watch Obama's historical speech, they acted like white people with some sort of agenda.
These parents would never have done that with Clinton or Bush, and Clinton was just as liberal (or not) as Obama. Please, Anonymous, what is your rationalization for why he got the mass negative response he did?
Another right wing example of unconscious racism was the idiot who yelled out "You lie" during one of Obama's speeches with Congress. He wouldn't have done that to Clinton, Bush or McCain.
The facts are NO President has ever gotten the degree of disrespect from opposition politicians and the right wing public that Obama has. Just a sign of the times? I don't think so.
Btw, do you walk out of the room when you hear someone at your church or at a family get together make an racist joke? Do you confront the joke teller about his or her racist sociopathy? And please don't tell me you NEVER hear such jokes. What do you tell your friends or acquintances who still cherish the Confederate flag, an ominous symbol of our slavery past? Do you call a spade a spade?
Your honesty about your background is heartfelt. I believe you are not racist. But the people you support politically very well may be - using legislation to control minorities who have historically voted for the Democratic party. If you want to believe that's not at least partially racist, or racially motivated, you can live your life in denial and seclusion from reality.
In the end, Hispanics and African-Americans combined represent over 50% of the population of Texas. If you were a Hispanic or black person with no job and only a high school degree, would you want some rich white guy who has a law degree with a country club membership representing your economic, cultural and political interests?
I, Sir, prefer a negative truth rather than no truth at all. Get real, Dude.
As of June 5, 2 p.m., the Congressional redistricting of Texas stands like this:
1) the plan which has passed the Senate Redistricting Committee (Plan C136) would divide the Wimberley area into two districts
(21 and 25); and,
2) the House Redistricting Committee has not yet passed a bill from committee.
The Lege isn't through with abortion yet. Here are two bills which have been filed in the 1st special session, but not yet assigned to committees:
SB 21 (Patrick) - Relating to distributing or prescribing abortion-inducing drugs
HB 53 (Callegari) - Relating to the offense of coercing a person to have or seek an abortion, and informed and voluntary consent for an abortion.
Looks like the Congressional redistricting will keep Wimberley and Woodcreek in the same District 25. In fact, about the western half of Hays County will be in District 25. The district stretches from western Hays County to the southern border of Tarrant County (Fort Worth). If Lloyd Doggett does run for the new District 35, I wonder who will run as the Dem candidate for Congress in District 25? Wonder if Kirk Watson, currently Texas State Senator from Austin, would be interested in the job?
As for Doggett, if he were elected to District 35, he'd have much less territory to look after than in the newly-drawn District 25.
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