Gerrymandering is in Los Angeles

Gerrymandering in the City of Angels: Redistricting Committee turns in politically meddled district map; Council President calls for a new Ad Hoc committee. Gerrymandering - the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts for political gain - is a problem as old as democracy itself.  Unfortunately, as the City of Los Angeles undertakes the redistricting process for its city council districts, gerrymandering has reared its ugly head once again. Every ten years, after the release of the U.S. Census, Los Angeles updates the boundaries of its city council districts, to ensure that changes to the population are reflected in the composition of these districts. While a semi-independent Redistricting Commission is responsible for designing the updated map, the process has descended into a free-for-all of political meddling and interference. The map that was approved by the Redistricting Commission reflects this political infighting, rather than a fair and honest effort to fully enfranchise all voters. Most outrageously, two Council districts, those repped by Councilmember Nithya Raman (CD4) and Councilmember Paul Krekorian (CD2), are almost entirely moved from their current locations. The map does not even state which district will belong to Councilmember Krekorian and which will belong to Councilmember Raman (they are labeled “2 or 4”).  Fortunately, Council President Nury Martinez has spoken out against this map, and has called for the City Council to create an Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee to redraw the proposed district’s boundaries.  Parallel to LA's redistricting, Los Angeles County is undergoing a similar process to redraw the boundaries of supervisorial districts. We encourage you to get involved, you can learn more about this effort here. Tell LA City Council: create a fair council district map that reflects the will of Los Angeles’ voters! Abundant Housing LA supports the creation of a fair and equitable council district map, where districts contain meaningful balances between homeowners and renters, and across income levels and ethnic groups. We also strongly oppose the efforts to move Council Districts 2 and 4 wholesale. Instead, we urge the City Council to ensure that the voters who elected Councilmember Raman remain in her district, ensuring that they continue to be represented by the councilmember that they elected. Will you send the City Council a message to support a new Ad Hoc committee and a fair district map? Email LA City Council If established, the new Ad Hoc committee has a narrow window to take action: the district map must be finalized by January 1. If the LA City Council does not act fast, it could mean the adoption of the gerrymandered map - one where Councilmember Raman’s district is pushed far into the West Valley, where none of the voters who elected her live. Moving this map forward would therefore be an anti-democratic effort to overturn the decision of Council District 4’s voters. Please send a message to LA's city council and urge them to support a new Ad Hoc committee, and a fair redistricting effort free of gerrymandering. Email LA City Council Abundant Housing LA rejects CD 11 recall NIMBYs on Westside LA are seeking to recall Councilmember Mike Bonin based on his support for "road diets," housing, and safe camping for unhoused neighbors. The individuals leading this effort have repeatedly fought housing construction in the district, but blame the Councilmember for the effects of the housing crisis. AHLA is taking a stand against NIMBYism and is taking a NO position against the recall. In addition, our allies have received reports of deceptive and aggressive tactics employed by paid signature gatherers, as well as at least one instance where the constituent's name was added onto the petition without their consent. If you or anyone you know were scammed or intimidated into signing the petition, here's how you can revoke the signature: Email clerk.elections@lacity.org, include: -The name of the petition (PETITION TO RECALL MIKE BONIN, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBER, DISTRICT 11) -Your name -Your address -A written statement stating you would like to revoke your signature from the petition Monrovia Housing and Tenant Advocates Meeting Mon 11/1 | 7:30 – 9:00 pm West Hollywood Housing Element Advocates Meeting Wed 11/3 | 6 - 7 pm Culver City For More Homes Meeting Tue 11/2 | 6 - 7 pm Pasadena Chapter Meeting Wed 11/3 | 6 - 7 pm Westside for Everyone Thurs 11/4 | 7 - 8 pm Please email jaime@abundanthousingla.org" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #228ae6;" rel="noopener">Jaime Del Rio to attend local meetings. Bring a friend to Housing 101!     Through an examination of housing history and policy in Los Angeles, gain a foundational understanding of how we arrived at the Housing Crisis today and where we can go from here. Learn about AHLA’s policy approaches and how to get involved. Brush up on your housing history and hear the latest take from AHLA Education Director Luke Klipp! Saturday 11/13 | 12 - 2 PM RSVP here     Pro-housing rapid response team for LA City! What does it take to make it onto the pro-housing rapid response team? A few qualities we are looking for: Flexible schedule. Available to dial into important meetings and hearings during regular business hours. Passion for housing. Willing to learn about the significance of each action, and be the leading voice in support for housing even when nobody else is speaking up. Ears on the ground. Bring us intel about projects, policies, and action opportunities! Sign up here. The History of Gentrification in Berkeley: Part I By Darrell Owens In light of Berkeley’s historic push to eliminate exclusionary zoning predicated on the belief that more housing brings greater affordability, debates have emerged contesting the fundamental cause of gentrification in the city. I’ve compiled census data at Berkeley’s neighborhood level to see if it contained any answers about when gentrification in Berkeley started and specifically how it has impacted the Black population of Berkeley. In order to fully grasp Black Berkeley, and put into full context decisions which today are difficult to understand without it, we need to start in the year 1940, when the Census began taking municipal surveys. Continue reading Dear Editor – Upzoning Into Freshness and Diversity by Denise Clary When the condos and more apartments went up, there was a newness, a freshness to the people who moved in. And, there was diversity too. From the Brazilian and German couple, the Bosnian couple, to Indonesian and Japanese families and so many multiracial neighbors; diversity in experiences, race, and ethnicity made the neighborhood more vital. Continue reading This week in... frontline Spiking Rents Putting More People at Risk of Eviction / Planetizen housing justice San Diego is worst place in the country for Black renters, new report shows / kpbs politics Congress isn’t going to save the housing market / Vox neighborhood news Council Approves Raman/Harris-Dawson Motion to Foster Affordable Development in High-Resource Areas / Streetsblog Los Angeles policy wonk  How to Make Universal Vouchers Actually Work / Planetizen   Show your support for ending exclusionary zoning with a yard sign! And check out our brand new CafePress store with merch for everyone.  Abundant Housing LA 515 S Flower St. Floor 18 Los Angeles, CA, 90071 Too many emails? Update your email preferences here.  If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.