Your First Look at the 10 (!) Amended Redistricting Proposals Submitted by Council

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Sep. 21 2011 at 1:05 PM

One of two maps submitted by Mayor Mike. All 10 are available here.

In the end, it would be quicker to name the council members who didn't submit amendments to the Redistricting Commission by Monday's 3 p.m. deadline: Sheffie Kadane, Angela Hunt, Jerry Allen and Sandy Greyson. Everyone else had something to say, including Mayor Mike, who actually turned in two amendments -- one to Bill Betzen's cPlan03, which wasn't the plan submitted to the mayor by the commission, and another to the so-called "unity map" drawn up by Domingo Garcia, Billy Ratcliff and Brooks Love. Several other council members worked in teams: Dwaine Caraway, Tennell Atkins and Carolyn Davis submitted several do-overs, while Delia Jasso, Scott Griggs, Monica Alonzo, Linda Koop and Ann Margolin turned in their cPlan16d fine-tunings.

We're going to spend what's sure to be a very thrilling lunch break studying the new maps, which were just posted to the Redistricting Commission's website in advance of Saturday's 3 p.m. special meeting of the council at City Hall to discuss the maps before they're shipped off to the Justice Department.

Update: One thing I note upon a cursory review: Caraway, Atkins and Davis have a plan to add back that fourth majority-African-American district. Right now, the "unity plan" has but three.

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BCulbreath

Black people seeking a better quality of life, and public school do the same as White's move to Suburbs.In Southern Dallas we lost population to Southern Suburbs ,and Hispanics picked up population all over Dallas,greater numbers in South those numbers added a fourth seat winnable by a Hispanic. census count everyone regardless to citizenship status.here they may have 500 people of Hispanic origin, only 150 registered to vote. New ID requirement and now all voter reg. checked by Austin , non legal residents most likely will not get to vote as in the pass.That's one reason Rick Perry changed voter reg. rule from local election department issuing card to it being processed in Austin.Slick Rick was making way for this very election.

PlanoDave

Betty, seriously, if you type this in MS Word first, it will suggest corrections for the glaring grammatical errors which plague all of your posts.

Please.

Jason

Dave - You just gave me the lulz. I know everyone likes to pick on Betty, but if you can make it through what she's writing she actually has some pretty good insight into local and state politics.

Hannibal Lecter

According to the last census, blacks make up 24.6% of the Dallas population. 14 x .246 = 3.44, so 3 districts would seem to be the most representative.

Oak Cliff Res

First off Blacks are 25.02%. Second, that simple math formula does not even make since because Whites are actually 28.82% and by you formula that means they "should" only have 4 seats, but what do you know? They actually have 6... Its not just about overall population, its about concentrations of ethnic population and clearly Blacks have 4 seats currently and clearly can retain them...

PlanoDave

Whites don't need a map to "give" them seats. All the gerrymandering is done to keep the council from being 14 white dudes (or ladies).

Oak Cliff Res

I see three disticntly looking maps with 4 black districts when Domingo Garcia and Donna Halstead said that they couldn't be drawn...

Omar Jimenez

Okay, my turn: Okay, after looking at theses maps, theres one I would say, 1st, Thank Goodness that the Mayor is thinking about Bill Betzen's Map, Number 2- Hill's Map, Gerrymandering for 5 and 8, pretty much almost the same. Of Course!!!Number 3- Why would Arcadia Park be with 6? Number 4- Very Interesting from my Council Member where A. He puts the 4, 5, 7, 8 and same Districts the same, B. Still puts Kleberg in 8, I wonder why, but one thing I like is that he puts the Bill Betzen's District 9 in Far East Dallas. Please don't tell me on Saturday there will be people speaking for that map where Atkins, Caraway, and Davis keeps Southern Dallas Gerrymandered.

Cliff Dweller

Arcadia Park has far more in common with West Dallas than it does with North Oak Cliff. Lumped in with the rest of Dist 3, as they are now, they are overlooked and forgotten.

On the other hand, if the Kessler/Stevens neighborhoods were joined with North Oak Cliff in a natural grouping, Arcadia Park might make sense in the new Dist. 3. Where that line gets drawn depends on which incumbent you're protecting.

Oak Cliff Res

Do you think Pleasant Grove will be a Hispanic District if it had Kleberg Rylie in it?

Omar Jimenez

Yes, and yes! Look at the numbers!

Oak Cliff Res

Sorry. I was thinking something else as I wrote this. What I was getting at is if you put Kleberg into Pleasant Grove then PG will still not have representation, because Kleberg will out vote them just like they cant out vote any of the three districts that run through it right now. Just like Diana Flores from Kleberg keeps winning. You being from KR probably wouln't mind it but it would defeat the whole purpose of creating a PG District, hence why no one from PG has advocated for KR to be included. How about you ask Jessie Diaz what he thinks about it...

Bpl7

That top right part of the district 3 is b.s. that's the first thing that needs to be fixed

Tom L (No, Not That L)

You know, the Unity Plan would have had four majority-African-American districts if only they had been able to pay the Unitility bills.

Omar Jimenez

Right, if they do that, the only way it can happen is by gerrymandering.

Oak Cliff Res

side note the unity plans third partner was Billy Ratcliff not Hollis Brashear.

Robert Wilonsky

Absolutely right. My bad. Thanks. It has been corrected.

MattL1

Can someone please remind me as to what the obsession is with breaking up the urban core of the city? I'm sure there's a legitimate reason and everything...

Omar Jimenez

You can do that, but it's all gotta be about numbers.

MattL1

I've seen plans that do it pretty well, with your precious "numbers" working out and everything. Or maybe I was hallucinating. All those shapes and colors on the maps are quite trippy.