Monday, April 8, 2013

Loosing our Freedom:   Part 4

The Gerrymandering of Florida Political Districts or
"How collusion and payouts..... can dictate a state political map"


Here in Florida, the elections are over and things are well, if not back to “normal”, ---- they are at least “ Normal Florida Politics” as “usual”.

From the Washington Free Beacon:

“The top state and national party leaders, including Florida congressmen Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ted Deutsch, and Alcee Hastings, signed off on the gerrymandered maps, according to the emails released during court discovery in Romo v. Scott, a legal challenge to redistricting maps that the GOP-controlled state legislature approved in 2012.”

Might I add that anything entered into with Alcee Hastings is bound to have a tincture or more of “vice” and “dirty”.

So emails were discovered that somehow connect the DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz colluding with Mike Haridopolos and the Teamsters ---- what a threesome to the “gerrymandering” of maps that among other things:

Democratic consultant Brad Wieneke described the gerrymander in one email chain on Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, which Slate has called the 23rd one of “the most gerrymandered congressional districts” in the country and which Wasserman Schultz represents in Congress.

1)“They want to scoop as many Jews out of Tamarac and Sunrise as they can,” Wieneke wrote.

Redistricting maps produced by Democratic consulting firm NCEC Services were shared with attorneys at Perkins Coie, general counsel for the DNC, the emails show.

Those maps were then vetted by Smith, the DCCC, and Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Hastings, and Deutsch.


(My question here is: Where they supposed to be the “vetting” team?)

2)“Will speak with DWS tomorrow morning to clear it with her,” Charles Kelly, the DCCC’s southern regional political director, wrote in a March 2012 email. “Will make necessary calls tomorrow AM and DWS sign-off and we should be good!”

The maps were drawn up by party strategists to maximize Democratic performance in the state while hewing to recently passed amendments in Florida that prohibit gerrymandering.

3)“The attached includes statistics for a congressional map that creates twelve 50 percent + Democratic districts while limiting the number of times counties are split between multiple districts,” says a January 2012 email from NCEC Services’ Eric Hawkins to Florida Democratic Party executive director Scott Arcenaux.

4)“The plan is an attempt to strike a balance between a clean map and one that is far more favorable to Democrats. A more Democratic map is possible but will require more splitting of counties and towns.”

Democrats also attempted to fundraise off the maps. Florida Democratic Party chairman Smith solicited six-figure donations from allied groups, asking them to support the party’s lawsuit against the state GOP’s redistricting map.

5)“At stake is the potential balance of power in the third most populous state,” Smith wrote in his email to the Teamsters. “If we remain successful we will pick up 2-5 state Senate seats and 3-6 congressional seats.”

6)“The problem is we need the funds to compete with the Republicans enormous advantage in funding this litigation,” Smith continued. “I have asked the Teamsters for $100,000 to help the FDP win a map that creates the fair districts that Floridians favor.

I guess this is what was meant in a very cryptic email I received at work from the Haidopolus clan.....some months ago after a strange afternoon meal.....

 

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