2010 Census and Redistricting
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-12-21/2010-census-and-redistricting
Later today the U.S. Census Bureau will release the first official results from the 2010 census. The report will include the nation’s total resident population and congressional apportionment totals for each state. Ten states are forecasted to lose congressional seats. Eight may pick up at least one additional seat. In state capitals across the country, Republicans have considerably more power, and this clout may well come in handy when new congressional district lines are drawn. Political analysts join us to talk about the U.S census data and how the overall political landscape may be shifting. Please join us.
Guests
William Frey
visiting fellow, The Brookings Institution and research professor, population studies, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Amy Walter
political director, ABC News.
Kimball Brace
Election Data Systems
Stuart Rothenberg
editor and publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report.
Comments
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hurray: Texas will be picking up three more Congressional Districts.
Census takers in Texas were some of the most hard-working, tenacious volunteers you could imagine, many of them liberals. And many knew, of course, that their efforts to leave no stone unturned could add four seats to our Congressional delegation and (given the disorganization of the state Democratic party) hand increasing power to Republicans. In fact, the midterms produced a "super majority" of Republicans in the state legislature and the legislature does the redistricting. Worst of all, two Dems running for state office switched to the Republican party once their elections were certified.
Texas' huge gain at national level will add a lot of color but not a lot of good sense to Congress! What saddens and frustrates liberals like myself who moved here from the northeast is the general disarray within the Democratic party in Texas. Although Dems have made significant gains in the very red county where I live, they are up against the ancient, corrupt power structure within the state party. It's clear to this voter that Democrats really need a much, much better party "machine" at both national and state levels.
Until there's redistricting reform, among other things, we're pretending at a representative democracy.
Ohio, poster child for electile dysfunction. Coingate '05, Ney/Abramoff '06, and the infamous '04 election when 1 of 4 registered voters showed up to find they weren't on the rolls, thanks in no small part to Kenneth Blackwell's corrupt stewardship (it's not just one party - but one has been more entrenched and effective for 10 years). Voters were offered a website to participate in redistricting. There was no statement it would matter at all of course, and it also vanished. I think our institutions need a kick in the \\\\\\\\ some changes and I'm sure there are organizations working toward fairer procedures. Maybe the population dip isn't just the economy and warmer weather elsewhere...
Or perhaps on a smaller scale we see what the New Black Panther Party is doing at voting booths in some large cities to antagonize voters.
Wonder if illegal will ever be given the right to vote? In some areas of the country illegals are given fake voter registration cards and do not need to show other forms of ID.