Dems - We want Competative Districts NOT

Does anyone remember the ballot initiatives that the Dems put on the ballot in Ohio… what… just last year? They were defeated 70 - 30. Oh the whines were heard about non-competitive, one party rule. So in a brilliant move to show the real hypocrisy of the Dems, Republicans propose a similar item in the Ohio House. Lets see just how sincere the “DemJacks” really are. The Columbus Dispatched reveals that a bipartisan, seven member committee would be put in charge.

Approving a map would require votes from five of the seven members, four of whom would be appointed by GOP and Democratic legislative leaders. Those four must unanimously select the other three members.

“You don???t want the map to create partisan advantage,” said Speaker Jon A. Husted, R-Kettering. “If you have a bipartisan group of people, and they need a super-majority, you have a map that should represent balance and fairness.”

The plan is getting good reviews from the League of Women Voters of Ohio. But Democrats, many of whom supported a similar redistricting proposal that voters overwhelmingly defeated six months ago, are giving it a chilly reception.

But Dems weren’t out of the picture. At first it appeared to have support of Dems to make this an excellent compromise or so the Plain Dealer reported.

The House redistricting plan represents a compromise between backers of Issue 4 - an idea with similar intent soundly defeated by voters last November - and Republicans who fought to defeat that measure.

“It’s simpler and it’s a good compromise,” Ed Jerse said of the new proposal. Jerse was one of the principals behind Issue 4, backed mainly by Democrats, who agreed to work with DeWine on the House proposal.

Jerse admits that Issue 4 was too heavily focused on making competitiveness a criterion for setting boundaries, a flaw that could have joined communities with divergent interests into the same district.

Of course the take in that article was that Republicans were running because they feared losing big time in the 06 election cycle.

Now could be a good time for Republicans to try to change the system, since Democrats have their first decent chance in years to take control of the Apportionment Board. And Democrats might have a newfound interest in keeping it the same.

Well, there was never really any interest in competitive districts on the Dems part. At least the leadership’s part as they pulled the votes for it.

House Democrats refused yesterday to approve a GOP plan that could have dramatically altered Ohio???s politically gerrymandered districts by putting the mapping process in the hands of a bipartisan, independent panel.

Because they are in the minority at the Statehouse, it was a rare opportunity for Democrats to control the outcome of a vote on a bill. And then the Democrats rejected their own similar plan, prompting Republicans to accuse Democrats of putting politics ahead of good government.

“If you believe that one-party control of state government is wrong, as I???ve heard people comment about many times, you cannot vote ???no??? and preserve the very system that created it,” Speaker Jon A. Husted, R-Kettering, said during a rare floor speech. “If you do, you lose the right to complain about it.”

Dems don’t want competitive districts. They complain and complain about one party control of who draws the maps. Then they are handed an opportunity to make a difference and they reveal their true colors. They never intended to have competative maps and never will. The wording of the problematic issues that were on the ballot were worded so as to fail… and to fail big! Great leadership and exactly what the entire state of Ohio can expect if anyone is dumb enough to put them into power.

Already they are spinning their own refusal to pass their own ideas.

But Democrats argued that the Republican plan is flawed, placing too little emphasis on creating competitive districts. They also said that forcing federal districts to be wholly contained inside of Ohio???s largest urban counties would pack Democratic votes into too few districts, leaving Republicans with an overall advantage.

Even with supra majority needed on a bipartisan committee they are afraid. So what is their real motive? Their arguments won’t stand under fire and they refuse to do anything but leave it the same as before.

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