March 22, 2012

"A panel of federal judges in Milwaukee has barred Wisconsin elections officials from using new Republican drawn redistricting maps..."

"... and ordered that two districts be redrawn because they unfairly weakened the voting power of Latinos."
The judges ruled that both Assembly Districts 8 and 9 in Milwaukee violate the Voting Rights Act, and said the state Government Accountability Board cannot implement the new maps in their current form....

The judges' memo that accompanied their decision was another harsh one for Republicans. It slammed GOP lawmakers over the secrecy surrounding the redistricting process.

35 comments:

Unknown said...

Segregation is good?

traditionalguy said...

It seems like nothing happens in Wisconsin until a preposterous show off of demagoged WWF moves has first been unleashed against the GOP guys and the latest moves rated like an Olympic Gymnast event.

I am beginning to suspect that is the only form of entertainment in Wisconsin in the cold months.
I see there are out door sports in the warm weather months.

bagoh20 said...

Just do it by longitude and latitude, counting all humans as equal, period. No matter what negatives come with that, they are less than the bullshit the current methods encourage on all sides.

BarrySanders20 said...

Almost a complete rejection of all of the overwrought claims.

The only relief granted is that the legislature has to re-draw state legislative districts 8 & 9 on the south side of Milwaukee, within the confines of those two new districts. So the Latinos and whites get re-jiggered within these two districts to make sure at least 60% of the eligible voters are Latino in one of the districts.

So instead of dominating two, but not having a sure thing in either, the Latinos will be packed into one district -- on the command of three federal judges who say that is compelled under the law and that the failure to pack them in violated the Voting Rights Act.

Oh, by the way, the court acknowledges that these will both be D districts, but care must be had to make sure the right color D is elected. You couldn't make this up if you tried.

We are not post-racial. We are tribal.

Curious George said...

Effect on recall election? Zero.

edutcher said...

Since Demos assume all Latinos (they forget Cubans) come out of the womb registered Democrat, it's about what you expect.

All the quotas are one big racket. Any real "fairness" or redress of past grievances disappeared long ago.

And the Democrat Party looks more like the Communist Party in the last 20 years or so of the Soviet Union every day.

PS Something to scare the Hell out of the Demos:

Fastest growing racial group?

Not Hispanics - Asians, according to the Census, and they come out of the womb registered Republican.

cubanbob said...

If the republicans pull it off in November they should repeal the Voting Rights Act. Enough of the group rights voting and affirmative action districts.

BarrySanders20 said...

And the court starts off waxing poetic about how good and pure and virginial Wisconsin used to be, but laments that now we are all Flukey. What a crock.

Hagar said...

Was there not a post or article just yesterday that pointed out that the most egregiously gerrymandered electoral districts in the country today are those mandated by judges to accommodate "affirmative action" for allegedly "disadvantaged" minorities?

Even if those "minorities" have to be created out of political imaginations.
"Hispanic" means of or pertaining to the Spanish language, and so takes in anyone around the globe from Spain westward across the Americas to the Philippines and on to the Atlantic again, and for this purpose probably also including the Portuguese speaking peoples along the way. How on earth can all these peoples be assumed to have anything much in common other than the language(s)?

And where do we get off describing "Hispanics" (or "Latinos") as "not white"? If you want to distinguish people in this country of largely American Indian descent as "not white," i.e. "not European, then do so, but this "Hispanic" balderdash makes no sense whatever.

Synova said...

There are enough Latinos congregated all in one place in Wisconsin to have "voting power?"

And yes, it seems segregation is good.

BarrySanders20 said...

Synov asks: "There are enough Latinos congregated all in one place in Wisconsin to have "voting power?"

Yes, if the place is as small as a state legislative district. Even at the state Senate level, there are not "enough" Latinos to command a tribal representative.

Milwaukee is very segregated. The Latinos live south of I-94 (the road that leads to Madison) because they will not mix with the blacks who tend to congregate north of I-94. The south side also has many working-class whites. It is the working class whites and Latinos on the south side that are the focus of the court fight over diving the districts.

The south side is a neat place, filled with many beautiful old churches and by far the best Mexican food in the city. It also has pockets of other ethnicities, such as Serbs and Croatians, who have moved into the area formerly occupied by Italians and Poles.

The Germans and other plain old white people just shake their heads, like the Roman guards in Life of Brian witnessing the PFJ battle the JPF.

damikesc said...

So, federal law is now Jim Crow? Intriguing.

Hopefully, this nonsense will kill the VRA completely.

Fen said...

And where do we get off describing "Hispanics" (or "Latinos") as "not white"? If you want to distinguish people in this country of largely American Indian descent as "not white," i.e. "not European, then do so, but this "Hispanic" balderdash makes no sense whatever.

That's actually a self-identifier. They only recently changed it from Hispanic to Latino.

African-American is worse, since many aren't and couldn't find Africa on a map.

And of course, every American is technically out of Africa, but..

SGT Ted said...

What is up with this modern racism? Why are they partitioning political districts based on skin color? Why are "Latinos" more important than other citizens, that they get carve outs?

Hagar said...

Who you calling "plain, old white people," Barry?

You talkin' to me?

Hagar said...

In Wisconsin, do they segregate the Krauts from the Squareheads?

I'm Full of Soup said...

The courts just did the same in Pennsylvania. Libs will use the courts to get their way.

Hagar said...

How about Limeys, Frogs, and Guineas?

Rabel said...

From the ruling:

"The parties do not dispute that
Milwaukee’s Latino community bears the socioeconomic effects of historic discrimination in employment, education, health, and other areas, and that its depressed socioeconomic status hinders its ability to participate in the electoral process on an equal basis with other members of the electorate."

Will you Wisconsinians/Wisconsinites/Cheeseheads ever take your jackboots off the throat of the brown man?

Xmas said...

I see what you did there....

TosaGuy said...

It's really cute how the commenters at the WI State Journal initially thought the Dems won because the article, as written, does little to explain the result -- no changes outside of redrawing one boundary. It instead concentrates on the pontification of the judges.

If I was a Madtown lib, I would be upset to the point of picketing the WI State Journal for getting my hopes up, only to have them crushed after someone linked to a real newspaper.

MayBee said...

There's a big fight like this going on in LA, too. Do the Hispanic areas have enough representation vs the Korean area vs the black area?
I cannot imagine what business the LA city council has before it that race should be a primary consideration.
Maybe someone should propose a race-based tax scheme.

Curious George said...

" TosaGuy said...
It's really cute how the commenters at the WI State Journal initially thought the Dems won because the article, as written, does little to explain the result -- no changes outside of redrawing one boundary. It instead concentrates on the pontification of the judges.

If I was a Madtown lib, I would be upset to the point of picketing the WI State Journal for getting my hopes up, only to have them crushed after someone linked to a real newspaper."

That explains garage's absence here, he's probably in his Prius on his way to Fish Hatchery Road.

Sigivald said...

Thought experiment: Is there any possible outcome that "weakened the voting power of Latinos" that would not be found "unfair"?

damikesc said...

The parties do not dispute that
Milwaukee’s Latino community bears the socioeconomic effects of historic discrimination in employment, education, health, and other areas


When have Hispanics been targeted?

Blacks have their history with slavery.

Asians had the whole "multiple wars in Asia" thing last century.

Hispanics have --- "Well, we don't like you coming in here illegally by the millions".

This hardly seems remotely comparable.

BarrySanders20 said...

Damisek,

The defendant in the lawsuit was the GAB, and they may have had their own reasons for not objecting to that rather dubious assertion the court found so helpful to justify the tribal relief. Other defendants might not have stipulated to such a characterization, though it was clear that the legislature was trying to pacify the Latinos by consulting with certain of their interest groups (just not Voces, who apparently were offended). They fancy themselves as the Rev. Sharpton of the Milwaukee Latinos, though whom all must pass before addressing the concerns of the tribe.

Hagar said...

Don't give them ideas, MayBee!

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

What if they MOVE after the lines are redrawn?

Curious George said...

"John M Auston said...
What if they MOVE after the lines are redrawn?"

Good point. Better use a pencil next time.

kjbe said...

Save for the GOP procedure steeped in paranoia (like asking legislators to sign agreements not to discuss a matter of public business), the process wasn't any more private or crooked than it's been in the past.

bgates said...

counting all humans as equal

That's racist.

What if they MOVE after the lines are redrawn?

Wherever there is a Hispanic, there is a Hispanic legislative district, just like wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico.

(That's not racist. It's not even imperialist.)

Synova said...

Instead of geographical districts, there is no reason why at least some aspects of our representation couldn't be voluntary associations. But you have to *register*, but you can chose who to register with, like a party, but it is limited to the total number of people for that representative. So you get to belong to the "district" you sign up for and you get to vote for your candidate from that district. So, say, Latinas can sign up for the Wise Latina district and get their representation. Libertarians could sign up for their libertarian district, and get their representation. And so on.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

OK, so put the Latinos in one district and then elect Republicans in all surrounding districts.

Racially- drawn districts benefit Republicans. By creating safe minority districts you denude the surrounding area of reliable Democratic voters. One very safe minority district can create several safe districts for the Republicans.

This was a factor in the 1994 takeover of the US House. It should be very, very illegal to segregate districts this way, but the courts have decided to do the complete opposite. By creating safe seats for minorities the districting process has actually diluted the power of minority voters.

That's what happens when you stop believing in democracy.

leslyn said...

Gawd, I love Judge Stadtmueller, don't you? He's one of the coolest judges ever. Judge Posner of the 7th Circuit is another.

I once sat in Judge Stadtmueller's courtroom and watched while he warned an out-of-state lawyer three times not to ask repetitive questions.

When the lawyer soon did it again, Stadtmueller announced, Objection!" In the following pregnant pause he then stated, "Sustained. Now move along."

Judge Stadtmueller has no problem calling people out on their bullshit.

leslyn said...

And a tidbit for all you outraged posers:

Judge Stadtmueller was appointed by Ronald Reagan. You know, the president to whose image all Republican legislators are required to genuflect every day.

Poor Ronnie. He'd be too liberal to be elected today.