To the untutored eye, it would appear those Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission members must have been out on a binge prior to submitting this congressional district map. In a state the size of Arizona, two proposed districts, One and Four, cut a swath through the entire length of the state encompassing several counties and slicing from the northern to southern borders, in the case of CD1 — and nearly so in CD4, missing only the southern fringe of Yuma County.
But the odd districts are, in fact, crafted to be Democrat friendly. This is actually the Obama Dream Map disguised under the ruse of “competitiveness,” although the commission never revealed their definition of the word. It’s obvious by looking at the map that Chairman Colleen Mathis has ignored compactness and engaged in classic gerrymandering. Prime examples would be the town of Maricopa being represented by a congressman from Flagstaff or the cityof Yuma being represented by someone living in Fountain Hills.
Arizona is a state with fifteen counties. The total land area is 113,508 square miles — excluding 492 square miles of inland water. Arizona extends about 340 miles East/ West. The maximum North/South extension is 395 miles.
In a perfect world, this map would be laughable. In a not so perfect one, it still is. This arrangement will now be shopped around the state for public comment.
The daily newspaper goes to great lengths to assure readers that this is a bipartisan miracle in the making, when nothing could be further from the truth. The map was approved by the three Democrat commissioners,* one of whom declared there is a “tremendous amount” of data to back up the maps. The two Republican commissioners viewed the maps differently. One cast a “no” vote and the other abstained.
Arizona’s Attorney General Tom Horne has requested court action to compel three of the five commissioners to testify in a probe of possible Open Meeting Law violations. A copy of his petition and exhibits can be viewed by clicking on the links.
*Yes, we know the chairwoman is a registered Independent, albeit one with tentacles into DemoLand. Her husband Christopher toiled on the campaign of a Democrat running for state representative.
Seeing Red AZ 
Once again, the phoney “Independent”Mathis is manipulating the commission. Mathis colluded with McNulty over the weekend to redraw districts #2 and #3.
Mathis stacked the deck before the meeting to be sure both McNulty and Herrera were on board for the vote . Vote Trading and Bid Rigging are prohibited by Open Meeting Laws.
Mathis and the 2 Dems are already being sued by the State for Vote Trading and Bid Rigging to hire Strategic Telemetry, President;s Obama’s campaign advisor, chief clients MoveOn orgers, SEIU, AFL-CIO and other mob-controlled unions. (ST had no prior mapping experience and was double the cost and then had us hire 3 sub-contractors to do their work).
Further evidence of collusion amongst the 3 Democrats (Mathis the 3rd) was that Mathis’ buddies, McNulty and Herrera, had no substantive questions and obviously knew the map. The Republican commissioners had just been given the new map.
Further, the public was not given the required 24 hours to review the new map before the hearing.
All above adds to pages of the states’ charges against the Mathis, McNulty, and Herrera who continue to laugh at us and the whole process. Just answer the darn questions!
Mathis also sided with the Dems to disallow the Republicans to have their own counsel so the Dems have 2 lawyers. Now they hired 2 criminal lawyers to defend the 3-at taxpayer expense! Plus a fifth-Mathis’ husband, who is a lawyer, runs around each meeting and is whispering in her ear. Mr. Mathis was the Democratic campaign advisor and Treasurer to a Democratic candidate in Tucson). Mr. Mathis-just tell your wife to answer the questions and save the state thousands
I’m looking at this map and wondering what these people were thinking about as they created it. Some of these districts have no continuity to them whatsoever, with other districts jutting in and tearing them to pieces. This is political contortionism at its best. No wonder there was feuding among the commissioners.
This is very concerning. How does so much power rest in the hands of so few, unelected people? Most Arizonans couldn’t name one of these people.
I’ve read the petition, some of the exhibits, and the counter suit that alleges the Attorney General has no authority in the matter. I’m very concerned.
Republican and Independent voter registrations have swelled compared to Democrat registrations. However, the consequences may just be a little too nuanced for hard-working people trying to keep their heads above water.
The next meetings:
October 5, 2011
Fiesta Resort – Galleria Ballroom
2100 S. Priest Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85282
2:00PM
October 6, 2011
Fiesta Resort – Galleria Ballroom
2100 S. Priest Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85282
9:30AM
October 7, 2011
Fiesta Resort – Galleria Ballroom
2100 S. Priest Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85282
9:30AM
***********************************************
If Democrats win in their plan to skim off congressional delegates in key states, we lose.
Question: Who among conservatives in the valley is well-versed on the issue of redistricting—someone good at addressing large groups? I want to organize a series of public meeting to educate conservative households on the issue.
Just a suggestion, Jane. How about asking former state senator and state treasurer Dean Martin? He is certainly knowledgable, articulate and conservative.
Thx, I would not have thought of him. I’ll put him on the list!
I’d ask Don (several comments up). Whoever he is has got a laser focus on the topic.
True!
We all had this gut feeling from Day One that the map was drawn even before the Commission began. All the hearings are feel good but who cares. Particularly since Pres Obama’s campaign advisor faked being a mapper (no prior experience) and Strategic Telemtry has all his clients at the meeting-MoveOnorgers, SEIU, AFL-CIO and other mob controlled unions.Yeah-non-partisan and independent! Sure! And I believe in the Tooth Fairy!
The Washington Post today gleefully headlined that the “Redistricting Draft Map in Arizona Favors Democrats” (in a conservative state).”Commission appears to have given Democrats a big break” (I’d call it corruption-Vote Trading, Bid Rigging, destroying ballots).”Democrats will win in 4/5 of the state’s nine districts”. And the gerrymandering-(1)packing Republicans into a few districts, (2) swirling districts all around the state to dilute with Native-Am or Hispanics, and (3) eliminating as many Republican incumbents as possible.
All this crazy manipulations just so Napolitano’s girl toy, Sinema, has her very own district to run for US House without any incumbents. They eliminated Schweikert from new District 9 which is now : North/central Phoenix to 7th Avenue (minorities )north to Peoria (more minorities), Tempe, West Mesa (hispanics), Chandler, and Ahwatukee.
THank the stars for AG Horne. The 3 Democrats (Includes the phony Independent) now have 4 lawyers defending them as well as Mathis’ husband lawyer running around in panic. Panic they should. Horne has already stated that if they have to thrown out one commissioner then the process may have to start again. And this time, we need a mapping company with experience and not one affiliated with Soros and company.
Competitiveness is a code word for “leftist liberal agenda”.
The words we want to see and use are “communities of interest”.
Please try to attend the redistricting meetings, we need to hear
from you. Turn in a blue comment sheet. Also fill out a yellow
“to speak” sheet. We need to have our voice on record as
opposed to some of this map.
What kind of steaming pile of doodoo is this? What a horribly drawn map? Parts of districts hundreds of miles long, differing counties, different concerns?
And the libs think “Cortes” is a sham? I suppose this is the kind of “sham” they love?
Arizona undergoes redistricting every 10 years, with the IRC commissioners charged with taking into consideration population shifts as they creates maps. But this latest partisan proposal completely undoes AZ’s congressional district lines, splitting counties and unlinking communities in the process. It disenfranchises massive numbers of voters as it shifts sitting members of Congress into new districts with Republican incumbents forced to challenge one another.
National media has seen beneath the deception although the local paper remains silent on the truth simply saying the GOP is unhappy with the new lines that were drawn solely to benefit Democrats. National political analyst Stuart Rothenberg, author of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, was blunt in his assessment, saying the proposed congressional map has “significant partisan implications,” and “really helps Democrats and screws Republicans.”
Even Politico, a purchased feed to which the AZ Republic subscribes, said the draft plan “has the potential to drastically alter the state’s congressional landscape,” and that the map has Democrats “poised for gains.” You can’t get much clearer than that.