League of Women Voters "Vote Today" Project

The Dallas League of Women Voters is starting a "Vote Today" project.  Anyone can purchase a $10 sign for their front yard when the polls are open only!

The sign is ONLY posted when voting is happening, early voting or on election day.  It cannot be posted with any partisan signs.  The message is simple, "Vote Today."  The URL for the online League of Women Voters Guide at http://www.vote411.org/ is on the sign and can provide information about the election and the candidates in the candidates own words.

Once you purchase your sign you are placed on an email list to be notified when elections start and stop so you can post and remove the sign.

Trinity Toll Road Plan ended due to self-driving car advances.

The Trinity Toll Road will be obsolete before it is ever completed, if that ever happens. 

Within the decade the Dallas Morning News may be having articles about the new LBJ Freeway’s multiple lanes being a waste of money due to massive overbuilding! Why?  The efficiency of self-driving cars!

For over 6 years my brothers have been using GPS driven tractors to provide a significantly more accurate distribution of seeds and fertilizer on their farms.  They save enough money to more than pay for the GPS related equipment on their self-driving tractors. 

Have you seen such tractors in operation yet Steve?  It is nothing new.  Driving a massive multi-ton vehicle covering a 140 feet wide strip of land with one pass though the field, and enough accuracy to be within a fraction of an inch of "perfect" with each pass, is normal now!

While self-driving vehicles are nothing new what is new is the rate of change and usage of such well tested self-driving technology as it expands to self-driving cars.   They will quickly become more visible to the general public over the next 5 years as new cars are purchased, many of them with components of self-driving included.

By the end of February hundreds of the new Tesla’s sold in the DFW area will receive software upgrades that will allow auto-pilot capabilities. This will be a major step on the long road already traveled toward self-driven cars, including vehicle to vehicle communications allowing them to travel close to each other at whatever the speed limit is.   Meanwhile the “driver” reads, works online, or makes phone calls.  We are not there yet, but it is now being predicted within the next decade.

Within the decade Dallas will also be discussing dedicated self-driven car lanes that can manage 500% more cars in one lane than current freeway lanes!   That is, we will have one lane each way on LBJ that could handle ALL THE TRAFFIC NOW ON LBJ!

This technology will render the newly constructed LBJ Freeway as an obsolete, over-built freeway.  

The timing of such technology is uncertain. The fact that it is coming is certain!   Simply google “self driving car” today and read only what was posted within the past week.  You will get articles like “It’s 2015, self-driving cars are more than a promise”  and “Self-driving Cars Are No Longer a Thing of the Future | TIME”  

To ignore this rapidly advancing technology makes the destruction of the last major natural resource in Dallas, the Trinity River flood plain, that much more of a crime against our own children and grandchildren!  

Dallas has the potential to become one of the great urban centers of the world if we manage these decisions well, and liberate ourselves from old technology!

The Trinity Toll Road battle in 2015 elections.

Today at 12:30 in Dallas City Hall in the Flag Room, we started a new chapter in the fight to save the Trinity River.  It will NOT be a confusing fight like the disastrous election of 2007!


Misleading signs from 2007 Dallas Trinity Toll Road Election

There will be no confusion in future elections!  Hundreds, if not thousands, will be working to make certain this vote is very clear.  Any political candidates  hesitant about ONLY supporting the final killing of any Trinity Toll Road plans, need not come forward for our votes.

End Prison Gerrymandering in Texas also!

Massachusetts Legislature Calls on U.S. Census Bureau: Support Fair Redistricting, End Prison Gerrymandering Dēmos and Prison Policy Initiative Applaud Senators Rosenberg, Chang-Diaz, and Dorcena-Forry and Representatives Moran, Carvalho, and Rushing for Leadership to Protect One Person, One Vote Principle On September 12 2014, the Massachusetts legislature sent the United States Census Bureau a resolution adopted by both chambers, calling on the Census Bureau to reform its outdated practice of enumerating incarcerated persons as "residents" of the prisons in which they are temporarily incarcerated. This practice leads state and local governments to violate the constitutional principle of one person, one vote by granting additional undue political clout to voters who live near prisons and diluting the votes cast by everyone else. As the resolution explains: "Census data results in distortions of the one-person, one-vote principle in drawing electoral districts in Massachusetts, diluting the representation of the majority of districts that do not contain prisons." Massachusetts’ resolution urges the Census Bureau to provide states with redistricting data that counts incarcerated persons at their residential address. In response to these developments, Dēmos and the Prison Policy Initiative, non-partisan public policy organizations concerned about fair electoral representation, released the following statement: "A prison is not a home," said Brenda Wright, Vice President for Legal Strategies at Dēmos. "Prison-based gerrymandering distorts democracy and fair representation in Massachusetts, and should not be tolerated in our state. Dēmos applauds the leadership of Senators Rosenberg, Chang-Diaz, and Dorcena-Forry and Representatives Moran, Carvalho, and Rushing in achieving passage of the resolution urging the Census Bureau to count incarcerated persons in their home communities, where they are considered to reside for virtually all legal purposes." Dēmos and the Prison Policy Initiative have long partnered in the goal of ending prison-based gerrymandering. "The national trend in state and local governments of rejecting prison gerrymandering sends a clear message to the Census Bureau that it’s time to update the residence rules," said Peter Wagner, Executive Director of the Prison Policy Initiative. "I’m proud of the Massachusetts Legislature’s steps to urge the Census Bureau to end prison gerrymandering nationwide 2020." During the public hearings on redistricting in Massachusetts following the 2010 Census, Dēmos and PPI were among many groups and individuals urging the Massachusetts legislature to add its voice to those of other stakeholders calling for change in how the Census Bureau enumerates incarcerated persons. The Special Joint Committee on Legislative Redistricting in Massachusetts took note of these concerns in its final report (downloads PDF), devoting about a quarter of the redistricting report to the vote dilution caused by the Census Bureau's decision to tabulate incarcerated people as residents of the prison, and suggesting this resolution as their first key recommendation. Dēmos and PPI strongly applaud the Massachusetts legislature for its leadership in adopting this recommendation and calling for permanent, nation-wide reform of how incarcerated persons are tabulated in the Census. The Massachusetts Legislature’s resolution sends a strong message that Massachusetts residents, and all U.S. voters, deserve to have a fair say in elections. It’s time for the Census Bureau to do its part. The full text of the resolution is: WHEREAS, obtaining an accurate count of the population is so vital to representative democracy that the framers of the United States Constitution addressed the issue of the census and apportionment in the opening paragraphs of the Constitution; and WHEREAS, the Massachusetts Constitution requires that federal census data be the basis for state redistricting; and WHEREAS, the Census Bureau currently has a policy of counting incarcerated people at the address of the correctional institution, even though for other legal purposes their home address remains their legal residence; and WHEREAS, this Census data results in distortions of the one-person, one-vote principle in drawing electoral districts in Massachusetts, diluting the representation of the majority of districts that do not contain prisons; WHEREAS, the simplest solution to the conflict between federal constitutional requirements of "one person, one vote" and Massachusetts constitutional requirements of using the federal census is for the Census Bureau to publish redistricting data based on the location of an incarcerated person’s residence, not prison location; and WHEREAS, the Census Bureau has already recognized the demand from states and counties for data that better reflects their actual populations, and has agreed to release data on prison populations to states in time for redistricting, enabling some states to individually adjust the population data used for redistricting; and WHEREAS, Public Law 94-171 requires the Census Bureau to work with states to provide geographically relevant data and the Census Bureau has been responsive to state’s data needs for the past 3 decades; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Massachusetts General Court hereby urges the Census Bureau, in the next Census and thereafter, to provide states with redistricting data that counts incarcerated persons at their residential address, rather than the address of the correctional institution where they are temporarily located; and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of these resolutions be transmitted forthwith by the Clerk of the Senate to the Director of Census Bureau. #### Please support our work Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!

Other PPI News: 2013-2014 was a landmark year for the Prison Policy Initiative! We just released our 2013-2014 Annual Report, which highlights new and ongoing partnerships that have allowed us to win solid victories, as well as our work on strengthening the movement for criminal justice reform. FCC Commissioners are proposing to protect families from in-state prison phone gouging Two commissioners circulate a proposal that would extend last year's historic ruling to protect more families from the predatory prison and jail telephone industry. Read more. Do you also receive the Prison Policy Initiative research clearinghouse updates or our general newsletter about our work beyond prison gerrymandering? Update your subscriptions. You are receiving this message because you signed up on our website or you met Peter Wagner at an event and asked to be included. Prison Policy Initiative PO Box 127 Northampton, Mass. 01061

Dallas County Early Voting Visibility Project

The Dallas League of Women Voters will be managing a Early Voting Visibility Project during the November 2014 elections.   This is a test.

Half of the Dallas County early voting locations were selected at random.  Over 500 large Dallas County signs with arrows will be used at intersections within 2 miles of each of these 13 locations to direct people to the early voting location.  A 'bread crumb trail' of 2,000 smaller signs with arrows pointing up will lead people from these intersections to the voting location.

The goal is to increase early voting at least 10% at these 13 locations compared to the other early voting locations.

For each location we have 40 of the large signs and 160 of the smaller signs to lead people "captured" at the intersections to the early voting location.  If you want to help put out signs the evening before early voting starts, and to then collect them the evening after early voting ends, and in effect manage one of these 13 locations, please call Bill Betzen at 214-957-9739, or email him at bbetzen@aol.com .

We want to use the new bilingual early voting signs (that I need to get a photo of to post here) so that people can vote with no lines and we can avoid lines like this on election day:

Trinity River Toll Road Funeral 6-8-14

The party above is happening 6-8-14 as described.   See http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20140603-toll-road-opponents-planning-so-called-funeral-for-trinity-parkway.ece

Here is some of the history leading to this celebration:

Looking northwest where Toll Road was planned for with Sylvan Bridge in the background.  Photo taken in 2007 when this was a very popular park. 

It will now be one again!

 

 

 

 

1963 Washington Civil Rights March & 2006 Dallas Civil Rights Mega March

This week we are celebrating the historic events of 50 years ago in Washington, D.C. on 8-28-63, when about 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial.  They heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his brilliant "I have a dream" speech.

Much of the publicity has said the 1963 march was the largest Civil Rights march in U.S. history.  That certainly was true until 2006.  However, on 4-9-2006, that record was broken in Dallas, Texas with the monumental Mega March to address immigration reform and the civil rights associated with the needs for such reform.

The Mega March gathered on Ross Avenue in Dallas, in front of and to the east of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, planning for a 1:00 PM start.   However the crowds were far beyond all planning.  Congestion was intense.  At about 12:45 PM Dallas Police directed the march to start to relieve that congestion.  I was walking up Ross from the other direction to arrive in time for the 1:00 PM start when I was met by the front of the March.  All six lanes of Ross remained filled with people walking for the next 4 hours, or longer.

Dallas 4-9-2006 Mega March start from Guadalupe Cathedral

The 1.3 miles of street from the Cathedral to Dallas City Hall remained filled with marchers till past 5 PM when the last of them walked past the Cathedral.  Meanwhile at Dallas City Hall this was the crowd in the over-congested area:

Dallas City Hall Plaza looking northeast 4-9-2006 at about 2 PM

The following photo was taken long after the two above, at about 4:00 PM looking northeast up Ross Avenue.  This continued for about another hour.

Looking northeast up Ross Avenue about 4: 00 PM on 4-9-2006

Estimates of the crowd were usually agreed at 500,000 but some went as high as 600,000.  The lowest estimates were 350,000. 

 

Does anyone know of another U.S. Civil Rights march that was larger?

 

bbetzen@aol.com 



Federal Debt, Blue and Red Patterns

How can anyone concerned about the future of our nation ignore the taxation and debt patterns for over 40 years in the US?

 

 

U.S. Federal Debt as Percentage of GDP since 1969

Some argue that Congress was the major factor in these deficit changes. 

Notice how the changes happened immediately once Reagan and Bush II began their presidential terms.  That damage was much hard to repair and improvements only happened more slowly once Clinton entered office, and hardly at all once Obama entered office due to the economic disaster we faced.

Comparing states voting for Romney with states voting for Obama

Comparing states voting for Romney with states voting for Obama
(Right-click on image and click on "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)



The above chart was made using the 9/24/12 electoral map by Karl Rove that can be found at http://rove.com/uploads/0000/0711/Romney-Obama9.24.pdf .  This map is probably the most reliable in that the states indicated are probably strongly dedicated to the candidates they are allocated for. The other data came mostly from Census Data found on the US Census site. 

1. Execution by state data came from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/number-executions-state-and-region-1976
2. Murder and Forcible Rape data came from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/law_enforcement_courts_prisons/crimes_and_crime_rates.html  using selection # 308 on that page and the Excel file at that selection.
3. Educational expenditures by state were secured from the Excel file at Item # 262 at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/education/elementary_and_secondary_education_staff_and_finances.html
4. Educational achievement by state was secured from the Excel file at item # 233 at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/education/educational_attainment.html
5. Median income for each state was secured from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/statemedian/ by going to "Annual Social and Economic Supplement" on that page and the "Income of Households by State Using 2-Year-Average Medians"
6. The information on which states still allow physical discipline in public schools came from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934191.html
7. Finally, the information on Food Stamp usage by state comes from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/social_insurance_human_services/food_programs.html

Additional ideas are welcome as to variables that should be explored in this effort. 

Bill Betzen
bbetzen@aol.com

Voting Rights Act Revived in Texas: 3 maps

The 2011 Texas Legislature redistricted three maps to shift the previous decades massive population growth into new legislative districts.  This was done for the Texas House and Senate, and for the US Congress with four new seats added to the U.S. House from Texas. The maps created were so discriminatory against minorities that they were immediately challenged and repeatedly declared discriminatory by the courts.  Most recently, on 8-28-12, a three judge Federal Court in Washington affirmed that judgement. The maps are now on the way to the Supreme Court.  Study the three reports below, one on each map. Form your own opinion.  What should the decision be?  

Anatomy Chart on Texas House Map PlanH283
(Right-click on image above & hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

The chart above is for Texas House map PlanH283 for the 150 Texas House districts. The study of this map was done with a bar chart due to the large number of 150 legislative districts. It more easily illustrates the gerrymandering pattern of discrimination, a pattern that has the same components in each map. Each map has an area that is designated as a "Maximum Win" area and a "Maximum Loss" area. In the bar chart above, the area highlighted with yellow is the Maximum Loss area.  The green area is the Maximum Win area. Notice the consistent fact that Anglo districts dominate the Maximum Win areas in every map.  Minority districts dominate the Maximum Loss areas in every map.  How can that be an accident?

Anatomy of Texas State Senate Map PlanS148r
(Right-click on above image and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)



In both the Texas State Senate map above and the Congressional map below it was easy to document the "gaps" that existed. In the Maximum Loss area there were no Anglo districts. In the Maximum Win area there were no Minority districts.

Anatomy of Texas Congressional Map for U.S. House Map PlanH283
(Right-click on above image and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

These maps are perfect examples of gerrymandering. They should find their way into the next generation of government class text books in Texas.
 

These maps are also online at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/09/texas-plan-h283.html, http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/09/texas-senate-redistricting-plan-s148r.html, and http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-congressional-redistricting-plan.html

Questions are welcomed and encouraged.

Hopefully the above information will help in spreading the word as to the debt of thanks we owe the Legislators of 2011 who designed these maps. They have created maps that will help assure everyone involved, including the judges, that the Voting Rights Act should have a long life.

Such maps must NEVER again become law and go into use. They reflect the painful history of racism that, with the current creation of these maps, obviously continues to afflict Texas. These maps should only be used in text books as examples of the gerrymandering damage that can be done to democracy if voters are not vigilant.

I've joined the League of Women Voters to work together with them in maintaining our democracy and the right to vote. (There are now over 18 men who are members in Dallas.  Everyone is welcome to join!)  It is an honor to work with them to continue their noble history of achievements on behalf of our nation, and democracy.  Join your local League of Women Voters and support democracy!

7-14-13 addendum: It appears maps very similar to those above will become the law in Texas now that the Supreme Court has kicked out critical protections in the Voting Rights Act. This is a painful and uncertain time in the history of our nation.  Will the necessary work be done?

Bill Betzen

bbetzen@aol.com

The REAL 47%!

The real "47%" are Romney supporters.
(Right click and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

The original of the above map comes from  http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/where-are-the-47-of-americans-who-pay-no-income-taxes/262499/.  It appears that Romney was speaking about his own supporters based on an electoral map from the Karl Rove web site:

 

Obama voters are more generous.

Dallas Fort Worth giving and voting patterns in 2008
(Right-click & hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)



On 9-17-12, on the front page of the Dallas Morning News Business Section, the larger map above of the DFW area was printed.  Inserted into it by zip code were the giving levels according to 2008 tax returns.  The darker green areas are thoses areas giving the highest percentage of their income to charity. This map can be found online at http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20120916-dallas-fort-worth-giving-trends-show-surprises.ece .

The smaller inserted map is of the 2008 presidential election returns for the same DFW area. This copy of those 2008 election returns comes from http://gregsopinion.com/?p=7131.  Notice the correlation between high rates of giving and voting for President Obama.

Generosity was not a quality mentioned by the other presidential candidate as he spoke of what he called "the 47%" who will "always" vote for President Obama.  He described them in his view as people "... dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them."  Generosity was not mentioned. He needs to see the above graphic.

Texas Plan H283, House Redistricting Plan declared discriminatory 8-28-12

Following is a chart made from demographic data on Plan H283, as approved by the 2011 Texas Legislature, that can be found at http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/redist.htm. 


Texas House District Plan H283 Declared Illegal 8-28-12
(Right-click on above image and click "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

The information about Anglo non-Hispanic population percentages in each of the 150 House districts created was collected as well as the Minority population percentages in each district. A count was then made as to how many Anglo districts, and then how many Minority districts, were in the 0 to 4% range, the 5% to 9% range, the 10% to 14% range, and so on up to 99%. This shows which ethnic group has the most favorable percentages for winning an election without "wasting" too many votes and which group has the worst percentages where their votes are more likely to be unable to elect a candidate of their choice. (This presumes voters are more likely to vote together as either Anglos or Minorities as a group. If that were not true, why does this redistricting plan have a very definite pattern among racial lines? What are these map makers telling us they expect to happen?)





Below is the list used to make the above chart.  It was made using the PlanH283 data linked from the right hand column on the page at http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/redist/redist.htm.

Demographic Data from House PlanH283, used to make above chart
(Right-click and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)



 On 8-28-12 when PlanH283, the above House district map, was declared discriminatory, the other two maps, one for the Senate and one for Congress, were also declared illegal due to discrimination.  Reports on those maps have also been done.  The report on Congressional Map, PlanC185, can be seen at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-congressional-redistricting-plan.html   The report on the Texas Senate Map, PlanS148r, can be seen at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/09/texas-senate-redistricting-plan-s148r.html



Texas Plan S148r, Senate Redistricting Plan, declared discriminatory 8-28-12

Anatomy of Texas Senate Redistricting Plan S148r
(Right-click on above image and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

The above anatomy demonstrates the gerrymandering patterns that led to this map and two others from Texas being declared illegal and discriminatory by Federal Courts in Washington on 8-28-12.

Making Dallas Early Voting Work, 10-22-12 to 11-2-12

Dallas Early Voting begins 10-22-12 and ends 11-2-12, before the 11-6-12 election.  This year for the first time there will be 3,500 Dallas County Election Department Early Voting signs with arrows on them to use in helping the public locate early voting locations.   The plan is to place about 10 of them at each major intersection within 2 miles of each early voting location and then have a trail of identical signs leading the way to the election location.  Just follow the arrows!  An experiment on this in 2010 led to an increase of 40% in the number of early votes cast at the location tested.

Here is a link to the Dallas County Elections site with the locations, times, and other details given for early voting.

National Voter Registration Day is 9-25-12.  The last day to register in time for this election is 10-9-12.  You can go to the National Voter Registration Day web site to find details about registration in your area, or to help in voter registration efforts for the future of our nation.

Google & political lies

The volume of lies this political season is overwhelming, especially online. They seem to almost always be made in support of Republican candidates. I wondered if the way I was set up online and in Facebook was simply directing all such anti-Republican postings toward me. Are not lies being associated with the Democrats just as frequently? Research was done to see how often the possessive form of the party name was followed by the word "lie" online. The chart below is the result. Corrections are welcomed! bbetzen@aol.com

Google study of terms related to political lies
(Right-click and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)

It appears that the art of the political lie for political gain may have been perfected during the time of Karl Rove at the turn of the century, developed through examples such as the Swift Boat exercises, and is now used with abandon.  It appears to be dominating political dialogue. Is our democracy in danger if the public cannot be educated as to how to verify facts?  Or will this method of winning votes ultimately be exposed to the general public for what it really is before we endure another decade like the last one?  Lies contributed to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, and trillions of dollars, dollars that are now part of the debt we are leaving our children.

Trust but verify! This is a brilliant phrase often used by President Reagan.  We all must follow his advice with all political statements being made in this exceptionally dangerous time.  We must not have another decade like the last one.

Texas Plan C185, Congressional Redistricting Plan, declared illegal 8-28-12

Below is an anatomy of the Texas Congressional Redistricting PlanC185 that was declared intentionally discriminatory by the courts on 8-28-12.  

Anatomy of Texas Congressional Map Plan C185 decleared discriminatory
(Right-click and hit "open link" to enlarge and/or print.)



PlanC185 was originally thrown out by local Texas courts soon after it was created and was replaced by those courts with Planc235, which is not much better. The Texas Attorney General appealed that ruling and the 8-28-12 decision was the result. See details and links to a copy of the 154 page ruling in this linked Dallas Morning News article on this decision.

As you study the above chart note that the demographic group percentages are relatively evenly distributed between the high percentage of 86% and the low percentage of 13%, except for a gap of over 12 percentage points!  That gap tells the story of gerrymandering.

It is a gap that for the Anglo percentages is between 31.7% and 44.4%.  No group would want to be in this "Maximum Loss" range. Sadly that is a range of percentages that are occupied by 15 Minority districts, but not a single Anglo district.  That same gap translates to a gap between 55.6% and 68.3% for the Minority districts with not a single Minority district with percentages in this "Maximum Win" gap.  However there are 15 Anglo districts with those percentages.  Do you think this happened by chance? By accident?

Is this really 2012?

Hopefully in the next redistricting in Texas in 2020 citizens will be able to go online and build their own Texas redistricting plans.  As the public becomes more aware of the power in redistricting they will no longer allow maps such as PlanC185 to even be considered.  Yesterday's decision was a strong step forward.  Texas also needs a replacement for PlanC235 which is the current Congressional redistricting plan we are working under.  It is almost as bad as PlanC185.  See a similar anatomy of Plan C235 at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/03/gerrymandered-texas-congressional-map.html .

Reasons for Hispanic lawsuit against Dallas City Council

It was very good news to read of the lawsuit being filed by voters against the Dallas City Council redistricting plan approved by the Council on October 5, 2011.  The map created by that redistricting plan continues a long Dallas tradition of denying equal representation to minority communities in Dallas.  With this approved map it is very hard, if not impossible, to explain how the Hispanic Community was not the primary target.  The approved map analysis by city staff clearly shows it only has 4 districts in which the voting age population (VAP) is over 50% Hispanic.  

On 9-24-11 the Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission was considering a total of 11 different maps and eight of those maps each had five districts with Hispanic voting age populations above 50%.  See the details for each of these 11 maps on a chart at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2011/09/dallas-city-council-redistricting-maps.html .  Please note that in one of those maps, wPlan03c submitted by Rawlings, the weakest of the five Hispanic majority districts was 57.6% voting age Hispanic!  On 10-5-11 the meeting began with 5 maps still in consideration, including the wPlan03c map, and only two of those 5 maps did not have 5 majority Hispanic VAP districts: http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-5-2011-final-city-council.html .

That same map also had the strongest three Black districts, stronger than any other map considered, with an average Black percentage of 63.07%.  In the Approved City Council Map this percentage was only 56.9%, and there were only 3 Black majority districts, contrary to what at least one TV reporter said this evening.  Also, the Wplan03c map was the only map with two "minority opportunity districts" increasing the potential for a Dallas City Council with 10 minority members!  No other map so strongly increased the potential for 71% (10) of the 14 council members to be minorities, just as the 71% of Dallas are minorities!

The wPlan03c map submitted by Rawlings was also the map with the most compact districts with an average destrict perimeter of only 32.64 miles.  The approved map was significantly gerrymandered leading to an average perimeter of 35.60 miles.  This means there are 41.44 more miles of boundary lines in the gerrymandered, but approved, City Council map.  More details about the wPlanc03 map are linked from the same page linked above: http://www.dallascityhall.com/redistricting/planReview.html   The WPlanc03 Rawlings map is the 8th map listed on that page.

The problems with the finally approved map were summarized in a letter to the editor posted on 10-9-11: http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2011/10/letter-to-editor.html, and in a second letter just published on 8-5-12 at http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2012/08/its-time-to-change-dallas-voting-landscape.html/ .

In any redistricting plan every resident must be counted, citizen, adult, child, non-citizen.  Everyone is counted!  That is the law.  People complain that the ability to vote should somehow be used in drawing the lines. While there are many estimates as to how many eligible voters are in each district, they are only estimates.  It is only at the voting booth that the real determination can be made. Until then the total population is the only population factor that should be used in drawing district lines.  The numbers for each district must be within a 10 percentage point range, generally no more than 5 percentage points above or below the target population of 14th the Dallas City Population.

There was a time in history when some claim gerrymandering was used in Dallas to maximize minority representation.  Those days are past, if they ever existed.  Gerrymandering was certainly used to confuse and discourage voter participation, as that is the most consistent effect.  With the approved City Council Redistricting Map it is obvious gerrymandering continues to be used in attempts to fragment the Dallas minority community, now 71% of Dallas population.  It must be stopped. The future of Dallas rests with everyone voting and being counted in compact city council districts.

Voter ID & Voting Rights Violations, Dallas County 5-29-12

The following sign was in the election packet for posting along with all the other signs for polling locations on election day, 5-29-12, in Dallas County:

Voter ID Signs in Dallas County 5-29-12

Other, black and white signs, in both Spanish and English, and in much smaller print, explained in detail that the Voter ID law was not in effect for this election.  Those signs listed all the forms of ID that were allowed. During 14 hours yesterday at my polling place I never saw anyone read those more detailed signs posted on the door.  Obviously, if the above sign had been posted, it would have been read much more frequently due to the larger size of the print, the short message, and the red color. 

Due to this high potential for the wrong message to be given, this sign was not posted at our polling location.  While literally correct, without more information it left the impression that a photo ID was required.  A formal complaint has been filed about the use of this sign.  More information is needed on this sign before it is posted again.

Trinity River Tollway for Through Traffic: but at what cost?

Do you remember the promises made during the 2007 Trinity River Tollway Vote?  Politicians said it was already approved and paid for!



Photo taken in November of 2007 outside Beckly Courthouse voting locastion when two city council members were present and encouraging voters to vote "No."
(Right click to enlarge and/or print.)

Misleading campaign signs were a factor in the election. 
Which sign would you consider to be the most accurate?

The Trinity River Toll Road issue from 2007, after almost dying a natural death in spite of the close win in the 2007 election, has now been resurrected by Dallas Mayor Rawlings. Somehow the value of the 60+% of mixmaster traffic that is non-stop traffic through Dallas is pushing the cause.

This Tuesday evening, 5-8-12, there will be a NTTA (North Texas Tollway Authority) meeting at the Dallas Convention Center accepting public testimony regarding opinions on the value of this floodway toll road. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM, but from 5 - 7 PM, for two hours before that meeting, staff from the NTTA and exhibits will be available to answer all questions.  A map with free parking information is at http://www.trinityrivercorridor.com/pdfs/trinity-meeting-050812.pdf .

I will be there asking about estimated sound generated by the tollway and the current sound levels on the Trinity River.  How will the noise levels be affected by a tollway?  Has a sound map been created indicating the areas which will have significant noise increases?  Noise levels designated as unacceptable have already been documented in some NTTA maps but only in areas where there are current parks and residences.  There is no floodway area map with indications given of the sound increases anticipated in the currently unused areas, except for an occasional canoe.

The final question is: "Does Dallas want to sacrifice the last quiet place it has near downtown for the benefit of the large majority of current mixmaster traffic that is simply through traffic?"  Do suburban residents and truckers wanting to only drive through Dallas win, or can Dallas ultimately win?

If you are concerned about this floodway toll road, and want to join the movement against it, please google the three words: trinity river petition, and sign the simple one sentence petition against the floodway toll road.  This search will take you to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-trinity-river-floodway-toll-road-in-dallas/ .  Please share this information with others you know of who may be concerned about protecting our city and the potential of our river to become a true world class park in the center of our city.

Do we need another election where choices are more clearly stated than in 2007?  Any second election demands that we have clarity in the meaning of each choice, as reflected in this modification of one sign from the 2007 election.

Please sign the petition and join with us on Tuesday at 7 PM at the Dallas Convention Center to give your opinion.  Your questions may be answered from 5-7, during the two hours just before the hearing.