Really good article discussing how gerrymandering was exposed and to some degree how it affected PA voters. It is a little geeky, but good stuff in there.


THE GEEKS WHO PUT A STOP TO PENNSYLVANIA'S PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING
https://www.wired.com/story/pennsylvania-partisan-gerrymandering-experts/

Will be interesting to watch this unfold as the Republicans stand to lose a decent number of seats.

Still not the worst Jerry related thing in Pennsylvania history.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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You can't spell Gerrymandering without 'Gerry' and 'Man'.

Wish they would outlaw gerrymandering in Illinois.

Gerrymandering is 100% allowed when it's done by people you politically agree with

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

What I found interesting about the article is one could technically apply the same approach to just about any municipality/state and determine if a problem exists. I don't know what organization would go to court in this city/state and have a chance of winning. If they did win, let's talk about getting the case through the appeals process. Just don't see it happening.

Chicago's ward map is something else

Yeah the other article I read on this today said the people appealing (Republicans) are doing so because the state supreme court should not be involved at all. Basically, my read was this is a blue print to revamp districts via the courts which usually does not happen.

Anyway, at first glance the maps appear to be more normal than the usually gerrymandered crazy ass line drawing all over the place. Supposedly, the court used a Stanford law professor to come up with it.

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Elections have consequences.

As a member of Illinios' 4th district I don't know what anyone is talking about. However with Gutierrez retiring I can now vote for CHUY! CHUY CHUY!

Shout out to Stickney!

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Freedom is our Strength.

This article is more about determining gerrymandering exists, and it impacts voters ability to have a say in government. Your points regarding WHO should generate the map is valid, but not part of this article. In this instance, the folks statistically showed that any change to the existing map would negatively impact Republican outcomes. It was perfectly drawn for the betterment of one party. That should not happen. At this point, it doesn't matter who creates any kind of map for PA. It will be more balanced than what is in place.

What is sad is who should create the map? If you allow pols to do it, you end up with a similar outcome. It is not a judges job either. What non partisan group would be put in place to create the boundaries?

Didn't stop MY GUY Bruce

That was a fascinating article. The notion of "wasted" votes was one I knew nothing about.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Richie Daley showed him the way.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Are you in that photo, RR?

9th District represent!

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I can sadly say that I probably have the most in common politically with Rauner than the others in that picture . And not in the pic as I'd never step foot one in that fraud of a church.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Love to know what goes into determining each border.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/IL#map

And kirkwood is correct. Chicago wards are probably worse.

You can't gerrymander a state-wide election unless you're talking about re-adjusting state borders.

In and around Chicago, it's race. It's why Gutierrez' district looks the way it does, and why he's retiring. See Lipinski's as well.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Picture the scene: Who is sitting in the room with the marking pens? How do they haggle over 1 stretch of road that has a few each hispanics, Poles, gen Y'ers. What kind of horse trading goes on between district members? Or does Madigan just sit in a room with his most recent Census data and a cold drink and mark it up himself?

When we moved out here we were in the same district as Moline/Rock Island. Had been that way for years but in 2003 we were districted into Dennis Hastert's district which was stretched way out here. 2011 it was time for a redistrict again and now we are Kinzinger's 16th which probably makes more sense in that is a mostly rural district minus a few "cities" but now it is so homogeneous that he runs with zero opposition every two years unless he does something to "liberal" and then the Rino complaints start up. That's what I hate about gerrymandering, it leads to "safe" elections for the party which caters to the edges of the party.

My guess would be yes to all of the above. For a short while I was "in" a regular democratic ward organization, the boss pretty much handed things down respecting the chain of command. I was left with the impression that the central committee decided and everyone else was just to accept it without criticism. Or question.

As for the city wards, In the 47 years living in the same house, my parents have been in three or four different wards, thrice being in a different ward than the neighbors across (the non-arterial) street.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I've heard a lot of rumors about that and none of them have to do with changing demographics.

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Freedom is our Strength.

Is it just me, and not that there is anything wrong with this, does Gutierrez seem to have a little Dennis Hastert in him?

That everyone talks about the rumors, but no one comes out and details them yet is puzzling.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Definitely not. Looie loves the ladies. He used to think he was the world's biggest ladies man when he would come into Quencher's.

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Freedom is our Strength.