Please sign to reform redistricting, and end gerrymandering
Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 11:16 am
I would like to invite everyone to sign your name in support of a ballot measure to reform congressional redistricting.
Very briefly, this proposed measure would assign congressional redistricting to the same bipartisan commission which will be responsible for statehouse redistricting. The reform to statehouse redistricting passed overwhelmingly in 2015; the Fair Districts = Fair Elections coalition proposes to make the same reform to congressional redistricting.
Impact for Lakewood
Beyond the fact that this matters to all Ohio, I feel that this is also a Lakewood issue, because our city is one of the prime examples of a community ill-served by gerrymandered districts drawn under the current system. Lakewood is currently at the far edge of a congressional district stretching out from Toledo. Sprawling districts like these dilute the representation of communities at the fringe. They also make it more difficult for anyone to challenge an incumbent, since challengers have to build awareness in multiple media markets.
Even as someone who is generally pleased with Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s work in Washington, I would like to see Lakewood rejoined to a local district, instead of being tethered to a city halfway across the state.
But to do that we need to reform the redistricting process for congress. To do that, we need to get reform on the ballot.
Please sign a petition!
Plenty of people will be circulating them, but I would be delighted to get your signature whenever is convenient. I'm going to hang out at the Root Café for a while this afternoon, between 2 and 4. (I look like this.) But also feel free to contact me, and I'll bring my petition book to you.
Thank you!
Very briefly, this proposed measure would assign congressional redistricting to the same bipartisan commission which will be responsible for statehouse redistricting. The reform to statehouse redistricting passed overwhelmingly in 2015; the Fair Districts = Fair Elections coalition proposes to make the same reform to congressional redistricting.
Impact for Lakewood
Beyond the fact that this matters to all Ohio, I feel that this is also a Lakewood issue, because our city is one of the prime examples of a community ill-served by gerrymandered districts drawn under the current system. Lakewood is currently at the far edge of a congressional district stretching out from Toledo. Sprawling districts like these dilute the representation of communities at the fringe. They also make it more difficult for anyone to challenge an incumbent, since challengers have to build awareness in multiple media markets.
Even as someone who is generally pleased with Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s work in Washington, I would like to see Lakewood rejoined to a local district, instead of being tethered to a city halfway across the state.
But to do that we need to reform the redistricting process for congress. To do that, we need to get reform on the ballot.
Please sign a petition!
Plenty of people will be circulating them, but I would be delighted to get your signature whenever is convenient. I'm going to hang out at the Root Café for a while this afternoon, between 2 and 4. (I look like this.) But also feel free to contact me, and I'll bring my petition book to you.
Thank you!