I am so glad to see that a reform panel is working on the issue of redistricting. My preference for reform is this one:
One recommendation would be to model the process after Iowa, which turns redistricting over to an independent body and a computer programmed to be blind to party and incumbency. Iowa doesn’t use the number of Democrats or Republicans who live in an area in redistricting. As a result, its districts are much cleaner, compact, contiguous and politically competitive.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, so just take a look at the congressional districts in Illinois and compare them to Iowa:
I rest my case.
I bet the Chicgo area detail is equally screwy. District 17 is my favorite. I would love to hear somebody justify that shape.
idonotknowme: I agree. District 17 is outrageous. There is no reasonable justification for it.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=IL&district=4
My choice for a bad district drawing
I couldn’t agree more, C.J.
But I would like to point out that the 17th couldn’t get that way all by itself. I’ve blogged about this before. It takes two (or three, or four) to tango. The 14th, 18th, and 19th all contribute to the way the 17th looks.
I love it when people insinuate, like idiotnotknowme did, that it’s all a Democratic Party issue.
I live in Henry County, btw, and it’s “perfectly” divided, if you’re a party member. The Southern half of the county (Kewanee, Galva) leans left, and the Northern half (Geneseo, Cambridge, eastern edge of QC suburbs, the more upscale places) lean right.
As far as Iowa’s map, it ain’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than Illinois’. I say we have county lines, let’s use them for boundaries, just like Iowa has done. How would you like to be the residents of poor Sangamon or Mason Counties, with not one, not two, but THREE different congressional districts slicing up your county.
Now, as a media guy, it can be a boon to us, for example I once had candidates from three different races advertising with me at one station, but that doesn’t make it right. It’s a joke, and C.J., you’re right, you’ve won your case.
Iowa has it right, eh? Who’d a thunk it.