The 2010 Fair Districts Amendment was supposed to take politics out of the reapportionment process in the State of Florida. But instead according to the Center for Public Integrity, emails demonstrate that leading partisan officials worked with legislators to manipulate the process.
The 2012 reapportionment gave Democrats a fair and highly accessible map in the State House but a very blatant partisan gerrymander, not unlike 2002 to contend with in the State Senate. The Congressional map essentially conceded two new districts to the Democrats but then attempted a cynical gerrymander where Republican incumbents (minus Allen West) resided.
The full report can be found here.
So, what can we do about it?
How about the Democrats that made deals with the Rs as well? Do you have those emails? Oh yeah the Democrats didn’t want to support the bill that would mandate staff to testify regarding those deals. Corrupt corrupt…..they are just lobbyist for their own pockets.
Surprise, surprise……..it’s called “the majority protects it’s self”!
Yes just like in the case of Crist and Sargeant. In a state that has more military serving than most states…if the Democrats put this asshole as their candidate they will cost themselves most voters including the rationale majority
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The Harry Sergeant story: Cash. Crist. The Pentagon
Harry Sargeant III had a $10 million problem.
With his company mired in a costly three-year contract dispute with the Pentagon, the Boca Raton businessman and Republican fundraiser dispatched a well-known lobbyist to a senator’s office to plead his case. Then Sargeant dispatched his lawyers to sue the federal government — and eventually clinched a $3.2 million settlement.
The episode offers a telling glimpse into the power wielded by a political and business heavyweight who does his heaviest lifting behind the scenes.
Harry Sargeant may be the most influential South Florida figure no one has ever heard of — no one, that is, outside the corridors of power.
He owns a waterfront mansion in Delray Beach, shares his corporate jet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist — his college buddy — and maintains business interests ranging from an international asphalt company to $1 billion in Pentagon contracts to ship fuel to the military in Iraq.
And he donates money, lots of it — between himself, family and companies, almost $2 million to committees and candidates from Florida to California, The Miami Herald found, with most given in the past two years and most, but not all, to Republican causes.
GOP presidential nominee John McCain tapped Sargeant as co-finance chairman in Florida, and in March, Sargeant hosted a fundraiser for McCain at his $8 million Intracoastal Waterway home.
”They announced the figure at the end, and it was so big I couldn’t believe it. I think it was a million dollars,” recalled Miami developer Stanley Tate, who attended.
More here
by Marc Caputo
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/09/the-harry-serge.html#storylink=cpy
Kartik – THANK YOU for writing about this. What is amazing to me is the the FDP has NOT been focusing on this at all! This is criminal and we now have proof of what we always knew what went on during the redistricting process.
This is another example of how the FDP has absolutely no connection to the legislature. Where were they last year during the elections debates? Why wasn’t the Dem’s efforts to ammend the bill highlighted by the FDP to the rest of the state and the country? Why is this issue now being swept under the carpet?
Yet another reason why people in this state have no idea that the Republicans have been in charge of the legislature that they so very much oppose. Bc the FDP has failed to highlight this, we all suffer during elections.
100% agree. Missed opportunities characterize both redistricting and this past election cycle.