BlueBroward.org

Volunteer opportunities for the FairDistrictsFlorida.org redistricting reform effort:

• Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs Contact me (david@bluebroward.org or 954-757-5827) if you can volunteer anytime during library hours. I’ve linked up with a couple of retirees who are giving generously of their time, but it would help to spread the work around.
• West Regional Courthouse in Plantation, every weekday for an hour and a half starting at 11:45. Contact Alan Ehrlich (pan1@comcast.net or 954-472-6211)
• On the beach in Ft. Lauderdale Contact David Smith (drs4614@gmail.com or 954-530-1041) if you would like to collect signatures in the sunshine.

Or contact FairDistrictsFlorida.org directly to organize something at the place and schedule that works best for you. Contact me if you need help publicizing your efforts.

One specific event where there’s a need:

FairDistrictFlorida Volunteers Needed for Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

Saturday May 30th

Dear Fellow Democrats,

The Florida State Democratic Party is having their annual fundraiser (Jefferson Jackson Dinner) on Saturday, May 30 with workshops throughout the afternoon. It is at the Fountainebleu Hotel, 4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach.

FairDistrictsFlorida.org will have a table set up inside the conference area and is looking for volunteers to staff the table, recruit volunteers to collect petition signatures over the next couple of months, and also make sure that everyone in attendance has signed the redistricting petitions. You will not be asked to make a contribution to the event.

If you can come and volunteer to man the table from 12-3 or from 3-6, please contact Betty DiMaio at bettydimaio@comcast.net or Julia Lopes at Julia@FairDistrictsFlorida.org. It’s a great way to contribute to this important cause without having to approach strangers on the street to get petitions signed!

Betty DMaio
954 938 8762

Background

If you’re not familiar with this effort, you can find out about it at http://www.FairDistrictsFlorida.org – but the short version is that this is a drive for a Constitutional amendment that would prevent the legislature from drawing crazy-quilt district lines for no purpose other than to protect incumbents.

Strictly speaking, this is a non-partisan, good government initiative. Democrats have much to gain from breaking the Republican lock on the state House and Senate in particular. On the other hand, I think it’s important to emphasize that this is about eliminating a system that protects incumbency more than it is about shifting power from one party to another. I always make a point of telling people whose party affiliation I don’t know that the current system also creates “safe” districts for Democratic incumbents who wind up running unopposed for reelection.

No one should get a free ride.

Endorsements

Almost every newspaper in the state has endorsed the FairDistrictsFlorida.org initiative as a needed reform. Here is some of what they have had to say:

“Every 10 years, the Florida Constitution requires the Legislature to work together to undermine the concept of ‘one person, one vote.’” (Daytona News Journal)

“Gerrymandering isn’t anything new, and it’s beloved by incumbents because it keeps possible challengers with their noses pressed against almost unbreakable glass.” (Tallahassee Democrat)

“David Winston, a consultant who has helped Republicans redraw boundaries nationally, is not coy about the results… ‘When I, as a mapmaker, have more of an impact on an election than the voters, the system in out of whack.’” (SP Times)

“It’s akin to choosing your hand in a poker game. If you pick a bunch of winning cards, it’s a lot less likely your opponent – if you draw one – will be dealt a hand that can beat you.” (Tallahassee Democrat)

“Legislators who represent such safe districts are less accountable to voters. They are more likely to cater to their party’s base in office than to seek bipartisan solutions to pressing problems.” (Orlando Sentinel)

“The fact is, the rules of redistricting serve the interests of politicians more than voters. That discourages broader participation in politics by potential candidates and voters alike, and also deepens cynicism among citizens.” (Tallahassee Democrat)

“The simple and overriding truth is that gerrymandering by either party is an affront to democracy and to the expectation that all men and women are equal under the law.” (Sarasota Herald Tribune)

“Make politicians earn re-election; don’t let it continue being an entitlement.” (Florida Times Union)

“Voters have good reason to see these initiatives make the ballot. A logical electoral map that keeps neighborhoods together could reinvigorate a healthy two-party system where voters pick their politicians rather than the other way around.” (Tampa Tribune)

“You are the people, so stand up and sign the petitions.” (Florida Today)