What the heck is up with this?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Your making the assumption the white councilmen don't vote what's best for the entire town and not just for whites.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Your making the assumption the white councilmen don't vote what's best for the entire town and not just for whites.

No...I'm not. I'm just offering my understanding of the case.

The judge made the decision that it was a violation of the Voting Rights Act, based on a pattern over time that the at-large process has not provided for a "fair" opportunity for minority representation on the town council...ever....in a town that is nearly half minority (it would not be an issue if the minority population was very small).

Added
And, I still prefer district elections (or a combination of mostly district and one/two at large) over all at-large elections at the local level. IMO, they are more representative, not just of race, but neighborhood issues, fair distribution/allocation of resources, etc.

[glatt]

We're going through a version of this right now. Our county board members are elected at large for the entire county. The county is made up of roughly 75% Democrats and 25% Republicans. So the county board slots have always been filed by Democrats. It's basically a one party system here in Arlington.

There's a movement now to switch over to a district election system, pushed by the Republicans so they can get some representation on the board.

Originally Posted by glatt

We're going through a version of this right now. Our county board members are elected at large for the entire county. The county is made up of roughly 75% Democrats and 25% Republicans. So the county board slots have always been filed by Democrats. It's basically a one party system here in Arlington.

There's a movement now to switch over to a district election system, pushed by the Republicans so they can get some representation on the board.

DC had a similar issue with the city being 85% Democrat.

We have districts and at-large, with two at-large elected every two years; the catch being they cant be from the same party, so a Republican always gets one at-large seat on the Council.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's stupid, people should be able to elect who they want.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That's stupid, people should be able to elect who they want.

As it relates to political affiliation, I agree with you...and it is not covered by the Voting Rights Act.

As to race, it falls under civil rights and IMO, the Voting Rights Act has played a significant role in enabling minorities to achieve elected political office....and that is what this case is all about.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Enabling minorities to achieve elected political office? Big fucking deal. That's like giving losers an extra 500 points on their SAT scores.

So now what are they going to do once they're in office, take care of their own, or do what's right for the whole community? If they're going to do what's right for the whole community, what difference does it make who wins?

Politicians should be elected for their record, or promises in the beginning, then bounced if they fuck up... no matter what color or party. This sounds like one of those fucking esteem boosting programs.