Progress made and danger remaining: Dallas City Council Redistricting Meeting 08/16/11

Last night the 11 amended maps from the 8/11/11 Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission meeting were posted online.  The following chart has been created reflecting the most critical measurements from these 11 maps.  Only one map on the list below has not met the most critical population equality criteria.  That is cPlan05a.  It has a total deviation from the population target that goes above 10%, a critical flaw.  The other plan with this same critical flaw, wPlan03b, was not included in the listing due to that fatal flaw.

The following chart reflects wonderful progress.  The average district perimenter is significantly improved in every plan!  Gerrymandering will be lessened significantly in Dallas.  We have much to celebrate!

This chart also reflects challenges. The differences between the plans in the ability to provide 8 secure minority districts is significant. While they all meet minimum criteria, hopefully the Redistricting Commission will see the wisdom of going well beyond the minimum.

Click on the chart below to enlarge it.



Dallas City Council Redistricting - 11 Amended Plans for 08-16-11 Meeting



One of Many Costs Dallas Pays for Gerrymandered Districts

The schedule for the 2011/2012 Budget Town Hall Meetings is now posted on the City Web Site.  If you use this list to count the number of meetings at which each city council member is present to meet with the people of their district, you quickly see a pattern.  That pattern is documented in the spreadsheet below.  The 7 most gerrymandered districts in Dallas have twice as many budget meetings scheduled as do the 7 least gerrymandered districts: 34 meetings vs only 16 meetings. 

This is another small piece of evidence of what the unnecessary gerrymandering of minority districts on the south side of Dallas costs. It makes ongoing contact by the city council representatives with residents more time consuming and difficult due to the multiple communities covered in the unnecessarily long and spread out districts. With the 2010 census it is also clear that gerrymandering will lessen the potential for minority candidates to continue to be elected to these city council district positions. Compact districts will help strengthen the potential for minority representation to continue. We must form compact districts on all sides of Dallas, not just the north.  Wplan03a does that.  In 5 districts the Hispanic voting age percentage averages 62.39% with wPlan03a.  In 3 districts the Black voting age percentage averages 62.69% with wPlan03a.  None of the other two maps come close to these numbers. When the map with the highest numbers in these critical areas is also the most compact map, with an average district perimeter that is less than 32 miles, miles less than any other map, what does that tell you?

The information to create the above chart came from the document at this link on the City of Dallas web site.  It is the schedule for the 2011/2012 Budget Town Halls Meetings.

It was just discovered that 11 new amended maps have been posted on the Dallas City Council Redistricting Web page at http://www.dallascityhall.com/Redistricting/planReview.html.  These 11 maps represent various recommendations made by Commissioners to the original 3 maps.  There are now three versions of cPlan05, two versions of cPlan16 and 6 versions of wPlan03 that are posted.   

Letter to Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission regarding amendment process

To: yasmin.tolliver@dallascityhall.com
CC: redallas11@dallascityhall.com
Sent: 8/12/2011 1:02:08 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Map Amendment Process Recommendation

 

Dear Honorable Commissioners,

It is awfully late for this to be recommended, but after watching the agony past midnight last night, it is very possible it may only be worse next week. Others also seem to have that fear. It is obvious you are agonizing over these maps to find and create the best. The following recommendations are made seeking to help the process go more smoothly. While some of this is already being done with some recommendations, consistency will help the process significantly.

1. Every amendment to a map should have a reason behind it. It needs to be expressed in detail. If a community of interest is the reason, it should be described in detail, boundaries given, and the representatives of the community of interest who communicated their concerns named if at all possible.
2. The area to be moved should be named by street boundaries.
3. If the change creates an imbalance beyond 5% in any district then the corrections needed must be included in the recommendation before it can be voted on.
4. Changes in demographics must be known before the vote. That vote will cover the entire package of initial move and corrections to be in the one package change.
5. If the above can all be done in writing, maybe by filling in a form, the process will go much more smoothly.

This will require additional planning by each member making a recommendation. Without such advanced planning work included in each recommendation, the meetings could go on well past midnight next time. The quality of the final maps will suffer, if for no other reason than the ultimate fatigue that is only human. The huge volume of work the Commission is valiantly undertaking will be less productive without such efficiency.

It would be an honor to help any commissioner form any recommendations they may want to work on.  I am available over this weekend, or at any other time. It can all even be done by email, or I would be glad to meet with my computer and show how changes may affect a map.

The ideal situation would be if every commissioner could access each of the final maps in the online application that is available, such as the one I used for wPlan03. If I could have access to the cPlan05a and cPlan16a online, I could quickly tell anyone what their changes would do to the final map. Without that, I can still report on population & demographics in any given area for the “c” plans, and give more detailed analysis on details to wPlan03a which I am able to work on online.

It is hoped this may help.  It is an honor to be a part of this groundbreaking process. Dallas is leading the way!

Sincerely,

Bill Betzen
http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/ 

Wplan03 selected to go forward by Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission, but the evening's last public speaker said something even more important!

This evening, after several hours of discussion on the 15 plans, the 14 commissioners present voted for the three plans out of the 15 that they wanted to go forward.  When the votes were counted wPlan03 came out first with 12 of the 14 commissioners present voting for it. Second place was tied between cPlan05 and cPlan16, each receiving 7 votes.

The amendments recommended in writing for wPlan03 on 8/4/11 were voted on and approved with no objections.  They will be completed by staff so the amended maps will be ready for the Thursday meeting.  Potential additional amendments will be considered to all three plans at that time.   

The last public speaker for the evening was a lady who appeared young to me, but had to be about 40. She said she grew up in "Freedman's Town before 1980."  She had waited for four hours this evening to speak.  She proceeded to make the most priceless statements of the evening by reflecting the normal human need for a connection to our own history. 

She spoke of growing up in Freedman's Town, that area just north of Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet High School.  She explained how, from the time of the Civil War until modern times, that area was the home of the Black Community in Dallas.  She spoke of growing up there, but that the entire area "went white," and now "costs too much."  She asked that this area be taken out of District 14.   

After she spoke I followed her into the hallway to share my strong agreement with her and show her how Freedman's Town is being moved out of District 14 by wPlan03 and into District 4, a Black majority district.

I showed her the following section of the amended wPlan03 map that had been included in the 8/4/11 handout to the commissioners:

District 14 and 4 boundaries in the amended wPlan03.  Click on the above map to enlarge.

It was explained that, with wPlan03, the northern boundary of District 04 is moved north to Thomas Avenue and States Street, and to the northeast to include Freedman's Cemetery.  Freedman's Town and Cemetery will now be a City Council District that will be managed by Councilman, and former Mayor, Caraway.  After he retires, District 4 will probably be managed by another Black leader.  It will be a Black majority district!  She was very happy, and probably shocked as this was all described.

I gave her a wPlan03 map with the http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/ web address so she could see a more detailed map online. She was excited. I thanked her for coming to speak.

It was a very long meeting, but this last speaker made it all more than worth the investment. We in Dallas must embrace our history!  The statements of the last speaker are a powerful reminder of that need. We must thank her. She gave a powerful message for all of Dallas, especially our students.

I finally walked to my car after 10:15 PM.   It was the end of a very good day.

Dallas Redistricting Commission will narrow 15 plans to 5 or less on Tuesday 8/9/11

On the posted agenda for the Tuesday, 8/9/11 6 PM meeting of the Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission (room 6SE of Dallas City Hall) the following 15 plans are listed for consideration. At least 10 will be eliminated.  Click on the chart below to enlarge it.  Study the 8 demographic and compactness measurements from each of these 15 plans. 

Please print out and study this chart.  Bring it to the meeting and sign up to speak.  Copies will be available at the meeting. Let the commissioners know which plan you like the most and why. You may also email your concerns and/or opinions to the commissioners at reDallas11@dallascityhall.com .

At this meeting the Commissioners will narrow the above list down to 5 or fewer plans to continue considering. The plans are listed on the above chart in the same order they are listed on the meeting agenda (except for the amendments submitted for wPlan03.)  If you would like to look at the maps, or the more detailed measurements from each map, the link to the page where all such data is collected within the City of Dallas Redistricting web site is; http://www.dallascityhall.com/Redistricting/planReview.html .

Help Dallas prepare for the future. 

If you have any questions about this process, or the above chart, I will gladly try to answer them.  Below are the guidelines that the Commissioners established in April that have been guiding our process to this point. This is a good time to go back and read these two pages. Click on them to enlarge.
Bill Betzen

bbetzen@aol.com

Mayor Mike Rawlings at Chorizo & Menudo Meeting Saturday 8/6/11 with wPlan03 map in the back.

Dallas City Council Redistricting Process haunted by a "separate but equal" ghost

Fifty years ago “separate but equal” was a three word phrase used by respected Dallas leaders, and leaders everywhere, to justify segregated schools and communities.

We are now entering the final months of debate surrounding the 2011 Dallas City Council redistricting process. Another three word phrase, “communities of interest,” has evolved into an uneasy prominence in this political process. While it has valid valuable uses, and I have often used it, there are times it gives a chilling reminder of how “separate but equal” was used.

The Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission has been meeting regularly since February of this year. These meetings are a wonderful testament to the 15 dedicated volunteers appointed to the Commission. They are donating thousands of hours of work to improve our City. Many of those hours are well documented in the video tapes made of Commission meetings since April, and are online at http://www.dallascityhall.com/Redistricting/planReview.html .

On April 13th the redistricting guidelines were approved and made public. There are five general criteria addressed in the redistricting guidelines. The very last, and the very least, of these criteria is “communities of interest.”

It has been pointed out many times during Redistricting Commission meetings that while “communities of interest” are certainly a valid consideration, this designation is the least objective of the criteria listed in the guidelines. It is the last criteria listed in the guidelines. It is under “population equality,” “minority representation,” and “contiguity and compactness.”

Watch closely the video tapes of the Redistricting Commission meetings covering both the Commissioners discussions and testimony from the public. Notice the frequent use of the three words “communities of interest.” They are the most common criteria mentioned. It is certain that at times the difference from a “separate but equal” meaning is minimal. This most clearly happens in statements as to why a certain “community of interest” should not be included in a certain City Council District. Is the ghost of “separate but equal” present? How do we exorcise this ghost?

There are three answers:
1) Inclusiveness must overpower exclusivity.
2) Compactness, population equality, and minority representation should rule the process!
3) Never allow “communities of interest” to overpower the other, more objective, criteria.

These three steps must rule the redistricting process!

In the redistricting process in Dallas it has already been proven that the most compact districts can also provide the highest level of minority representation. Crooked district boundary lines on residential streets are not necessary! Among the 21 complete redistricting plans being considered, the most compact are generally the ones that have the highest number of minority districts, and also have the highest minority percentage averages within those districts. A list comparing such statistics is at http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2011/07/comparisons-of-21-dallas-city-council.html .

We need to be very cautious as to what redistricting process phrases may really mean in each use. Such caution will help Dallas create city council districts that will still be a source of pride for our city in 2021, 2031, and 2050.  This will happen if we create the most compact Dallas City Council Districts possible, districts that also have the greatest potential to provide city council members who will accurately reflect our city.

Please come to the Dallas City Council Redistricting meetings every Tuesday and Thursday and show your concern for the future of Dallas.  On Tuesday, 8/9/11, they will be eliminating at least 10 of the 15 plans that remain on the list for consideration. (Here is a one page chart of these 15 plans with 8 basic demographic and compactness measurements given for each plan.)

Dallas City Council Redistricting plan wPlan03: the most compact redistricting plan with the highest minority representation

The comparison of the 21 plans being considered by the Dallas City Council Redistricting Commission clearly shows that only 7 of these 21 plans have both 3 majority Black districts and 5 majority Hispanic districts.  These 7 plans are the original work of only three people. Three of the 7 plans represent commission updates to the original 4 plans.  Here is a statistical comparison of these 7 plans, with an 8th plan added.  The 8th plan was generated by 12 amendments to wPlan03 following recommendations from many separate sources, including the public and commissioners.



Click on the above chart to enlarge it.

When the plans are compared relative to compactness, only one plan stands out with both an average district perimeter below 32 miles and an average of the four indexed compactness scores that is above 1.3.  This is wPlan03.  With the recommended amendments it now has an original average perimeter of 31.96 miles and an average index score of 1.34.  The next closest of these plans by a different author, relative to compactness, has an average district perimeter that is over 10% longer, over 3 miles longer, of 36.26 miles, and a significantly lower average index score of 1.24.

Once wPlan03 is amended with the 12 changes reflected in the map below, here are the demographics produced:

Click on the above charts above or below to enlarge them.

Here are the compactness scores produced:

Here is the wPlan03 map that produces the above demographic and compactness measurements.  Click on it to enlarge it:

Dallas City Council Redistricting map from plan wPlan03 amended by recommendations given Commissioners on 8/4/11.
Click on the above map to enlarge it. 

The 12 changes in wPlan03 started with attempts to re-unify the uptown area by the movement of the northern end of District 4 south from Turtle Creek to the State/Thomas area.  This moved 8,000 people from District 4 and into District 14.  That required a ripple of no fewer than 5 additional changes to accommodate this move of 8,000 residents. One result was that the black voting age population for District 4 went up over 6 percentage points.  The western boundaries of District 9 had to be moved west to take up some of that population and the southeast corner of District 10 reached into the apartments on the northern end of District 9 to take in some of that population. The western boundary of District 4 had to be moved to take in some of District 8 to make up some of this population loss for District 4.

The other major change was to move the western boundary of District 13 to Webbs Chapel Road from Forest to Walnut Hill.  This led to changes to the southern borders of District 6 which was moved to Medical Center Drive.  Other changes were made to the District 11/12 boundary to accommodate an agreed resolution achieved by the Commissioners in that area.  Also, three sets of changes were made in District 8 to accommodate population balance with Districts 4 and 5 as well as the wishes of some residents.

Between District 1 and 3 the boundaries were moved to place Kessler Park and Stevens Park into District 1.  The western boundary of District 1 was moved to Gilpin at Davis and south, down Cockrell Hill city limits to Clarendon, then east to Westmoreland.  The northern District 1 boundary was moved to Fort Worth Avenue and I-30.  To compensate for this move the County Jail was moved our of District 1 and into District 3.  Since both the population, and the Hispanic percentage of the population, are similar in both Kessler Park area and in the County Jail, these changes did not lead to any dangers of a concern for packing.

Detailed amendments were submitted to the Commissioners on 8/4/11 to achieve these needed amendments which produce the above map.

The best news is there is no need to gerrymander to have strong minority representation on the Dallas City Council!

We must demand compact City Council Districts. These amendments to wPlan03 result in a compact set of City Council Districts that are the strongest minority representation districts created by any plan now before the Redistricting Commission. Compact districts help maximize voter turnout!  They make it less expensive to campaign for office!  They make it easier for citizens to know their representative.  It is easier for a council person to know the people they represent in a compact district.

Please tell the Commissioners you support wPlan03.  It is the plan designed and amended so as to help the Dallas City Council best reflect the makeup of the City of Dallas, while also having compact districts to improve the active involvement in our city by more residents.

The email address for the commissioners is redallas11@dallascityhall.com. You may also call them and leave a message during work hours at 214-670-5735.