UPDATE<\/b>: I should point out that those who serve as an elected, staff, appointee on the local level are able to serve on the commission. Those who have served, or their immediate family has served, on a statewide and congressional level are eligible in it has been 10 years prior to sending in the application. But, if you are on a county central committee, yeah, you still aren’t eligible.<\/i><\/p>\n
A while back I wrote about the redistricting commission<\/a>. The application process is now open at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n As I said then, many of us political junkies will be excluded. If you are on a central committee, have worked for a politician, or are directly related to somebody who has worked for a politician, you are excluded. That’s what makes the push to get progressives on the commission all the more important, and all the more challenging.<\/p>\n We’ll need to look to people who aren’t normally joiners, not on any state or local committees, but who are willing to give up a lot of time to help progressives get elected. We need to ensure that progressives are well-represented and that the committee isn’t wholly occupied by those who would simply do their best to push everybody to the squishy middle.<\/p>\n There are 5 seats for Democrats and Republicans, and 4 for others. We need to get some really solid progressives in those five Democratic seats, 5 people who are willing to go toe to toe with whomever Republicans get up there. They need to recognize the value of not only more Democrats, but also of better Democrats.<\/p>\n But those 4 other seats are where the game is really won or lost. We need as many as possible of those seats filled by progressives. Whether they are Greens, P&F, or a DTS, we simply need to know that they have an eye on creating a map that works for Californians. A map that reflects the diversity of the state and produces results that reflect the political reality of the state: conservatives and the right-wing Republicans are on the run. We shouldn’t give any gifts via a map.<\/p>\n You can check the application and eligibility requirements at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UPDATE<\/b>: I should point out that those who serve as an elected, staff, appointee on the local level are able to serve on the commission. Those who have served, or their immediate family has served, on a statewide and congressional level are eligible in it has been 10 years prior to sending in the application. But, if you are on a county central committee, yeah, you still aren’t eligible.<\/i><\/p>\n A while back I wrote about the redistricting commission<\/a>. The application process is now open at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n As I said then, many of us political junkies will be excluded. If you are on a central committee, have worked for a politician, or are directly related to somebody who has worked for a politician, you are excluded. That’s what makes the push to get progressives on the commission all the more important, and all the more challenging.<\/p>\n We’ll need to look to people who aren’t normally joiners, not on any state or local committees, but who are willing to give up a lot of time to help progressives get elected. We need to ensure that progressives are well-represented and that the committee isn’t wholly occupied by those who would simply do their best to push everybody to the squishy middle.<\/p>\n There are 5 seats for Democrats and Republicans, and 4 for others. We need to get some really solid progressives in those five Democratic seats, 5 people who are willing to go toe to toe with whomever Republicans get up there. They need to recognize the value of not only more Democrats, but also of better Democrats.<\/p>\n But those 4 other seats are where the game is really won or lost. We need as many as possible of those seats filled by progressives. Whether they are Greens, P&F, or a DTS, we simply need to know that they have an eye on creating a map that works for Californians. A map that reflects the diversity of the state and produces results that reflect the political reality of the state: conservatives and the right-wing Republicans are on the run. We shouldn’t give any gifts via a map.<\/p>\n