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2008
Prop. 11 Will Take Politics Out Of
Redistricting
Marin Independent Journal
August 17, 2008
Reforming Redistricting: Let Independent
Citizens Draw The Lines
Capitol Weekly
August 14, 2008
Democrats Need Not Fear Prop. 11 On
Redistricting
California Progress Report.com
August 14, 2008
Democrats Break Ranks On Prop. 11
San Francisco Chronicle
August 13, 2008
Proposition 11: Fake Redistricting Reform
California Progress Report.com
August 12, 2008
Dan Walters:
California's House Delegation Could Shrink
Sacramento Bee
August 11, 2008
Proposition 11 Has 2 Giant Loop-Holes In
It---And More!
Fox & Hounds Daily.com
August 11th, 2008
Opinion: Would Prop. 11 help minorities?
Los Angeles Times
July 27, 2008
Editorial: Redistricting Threatens
Incumbents
North County Times, Escondido
July 24, 2008
Cavala: California Voters’ Initial
‘Take’ On Redistricting Scheme Presages Its Defeat
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
July 22, 2008
Pelosi Reveals Herself And Makes Case For
Redistricting, Unintentionally
NewAmerica.net
July 18, 2008
Opinion: Proposition 11 Levels The
Redistricting Playing Field
San Jose Mercury
July 16, 2008
House Dems Oppose Calif. Redistricting
Measure
San Francisco Chronicle
July 16, 2008
Cavala: Could Redistricting ‘Reform’
Make California Competitive For John McCain? (No)
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
July 16, 2008
SEIU May Come Out In Favor of Voters’
First
RoseReport.org
July 11, 2008
Nunez Gets $600,000 From Dems’
Redistricting Fund
CapitolWeekly.net
July 10, 2008
Big Money Needed To Redraw Districts
The Sun, San Bernadino and the Inland Empire
July 9, 2008
Commentary: The Initiative Road To Terminal
Government Gridlock
Sacramento Bee
July 8, 2008
Remap Proposal Worries Civil Rights Groups
Contra Costa Times, Sacramento Bureau
July 8, 2008
Our View: Perata Won't Fool Us Again
Merced Sun-Star
July 7, 2008
Daniel Weintraub: Voters Beware -
Politicians Will Lie To Kill Proposition 11
Sacramento Bee
July 2, 2008
Gerrymandering The Vote: How A “Dirty
Dozen” States Suppress As Many As 9 Million Voters
Democratic Leadership Council
June 2008
Editorial: Perata's Power Play
San Francisco Chronicle
June 30, 2008
Democrats Fear Redistricting Measure Would
Curb Their Power In State
San Francisco Chronicle
June 27, 2008
Election-Map Initiative Helps Voters, State
Progress
Sacramento Bee
June 27, 2008
Politics And California Redistricting
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 27, 2008
Millions On Line In Ballot Drives
Sacramento Bee
June 24, 2008
Democratic Leaders Accused Of Pressuring
Supporters Of Redistricting Measure
Contra Costa Times Sacramento Bureau
June 21, 2008
California Is Branded Among A 'Dirty
Dozen' On Gerrymandering
Los Angeles Times
June 19, 2008
Redistricting In California: Control or
Democracy?
CaliorniaProgressReport.com
June 19, 2008
Changing Method Of Redistricting Makes
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
June 18, 2008
Government Reformer Down On Redistricting
Initiative
PolitickerCA.com
June 18, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Makes California
Ballot
San Jose Mercury News
June 17, 2008
Democratic Party Takes Stands On Ballot
Measures
CaliforninaMajorityReport.com
June 17, 2008
Cavala: Republicans Kill Reform Bill That
Hurts GOP Chances While Democrats Support 'Reform' That Hurts Their Chances
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 9, 2008
Speaking With The New Speaker
Los Angeles Times
June 2, 2008
Two Plans Created To Reform Districts
Modesto Bee
May 19, 2008
New Speaker Should Focus On Public
Interest
Los Angeles Daily News
May 13, 2008
Why Schwarzenegger's Redistricting Plan
Won't Work
California Majority Report.com
May 13, 2008
Tony Quinn: Redistricting Reform OK, But
It's Only A Start
Sacramento Bee
May 11, 2008
Governor May Face Donor Fatigue
Contra Costa Times
May 11, 2008
California Redistricting Plan Faces Hurdles
Capitol Weekly
May 7, 2008
Dan Walters: Competing Proposals For Remap
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
Initiative On Redistricting Closer To
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Nunez Pushes Ethics Plan As Rival Petitions
Are Filed
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
To Get Leadership Reform, We First Need
Redistricting
Los Angeles Daily News
May 1, 2008
Good Intentions Could Harm Redistricting
Ballot Measure
Los Angeles Times
April 28, 2008
Redistricting On Track To Qualify,
Consultant Says
New America Foundation.com
April 23, 2008
Why Are GOP Contributors Putting Big Money
Into Redistricting Reform?
California Progress Report.com
April 19, 2008
Gov's
Giving To Remap Measure Tops $1 million
Sacramento Bee Capital Alert
April 21, 2008
‘Due
Process’ Democrats Have Their Heads Buried in the California Sand
California Progress Report.com
April 20, 2008
Opinion: Seeing The Light
Los Angeles Daily News
April 19, 2008
California
Voters FIRST Presents A Balanced And Bipartisan Effort For Redistricting
Reform
California Progress Report.com
April 17, 2008
Schwarzenegger's
Redistricting Plan Comes Under Fire
Contra Costa Times
April 17, 2008
Group Says Plan Will Put A Stop To
Gerrymandering
The Simi Valley Acron
April 4, 2008
The Need For Redistricting Reform From
This California Democrat’s Perspective
California Progress Report.com
April 4, 2008
Labor Says No To
Schwarzenegger/Republican/Common Cause Redistricting Measure
The California Majority Report.com
April 02, 2008
Revenge In Attack On Legislative
Redistricting?
California Progress Report.com
March 31, 2008
Weintraub: Governor Gets Another Shot At
Redistricting Reform
Sacramento Bee
March 30, 2008
Editorial: Can't Legislature Do Better Than
Bills On Dogs, Donkeys?
The Fresno Bee
March 30, 2008
Walters: Voters Irate At Budget Posturing
Sacramento Bee
March 28, 2008
New Foundation To Campaign For More Efficient
California Government
Sacramento Bee
March 27, 2008
Editorial: California Voters Should Support
Redistricting Ballot Measure
Fresno Bee
March 24, 2008
Editorial: Redraw the Map
Los Angeles Daily News
March 22, 2008
Walters: Court Ruling Offers Hope to
Dysfunctional California Politics
Sacramento Bee
March 19, 2008
Supreme Court to Hear Major Redistricting
Case
The Thicket at State Legislatures (ncsl.com)
March 18, 2008
Editorial: Let Citizens Redraw the Map
The Torrance Daily Breeze
March 17, 2008
Walters: Redistrict Reformers Miss Mark
Sacramento Bee
March 10, 2008
Let Citizens
Redraw Map
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
March 9, 2008
Governor Proposes Redistricting Ballot
Measure
North County Times
March 8, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Has Strong
Republican Backing
San Jose Mercury News
March 6, 2008
Governor Gathers Signatures to Qualify
Redistricting Measure
San Jose Mercury News
March 4, 2008
Manipulative Lawmakers Playing To The Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 14, 2008
State Voters Need To Do What Lawmakers
Won't
Los Angeles Daily News
February 14, 2008
Editorial: What We Need In Sacramento,
Redistricting, Not Retaliation
San Jose Mercury News
February 14, 2008
Redistricting Reform, Not Longer Terms, Is
The Answer
California Republic.org
February 12, 2008
The Buzz: A Hardball Tactic Could Ricochet
Sacramento Bee
February 11, 2008
Wake Up, Sacramento Media! Wake Up! Wake
Up! Wake Up!
San Diego Union Tribune
February 8, 2008
Editorial: Passive Aggressive Lawmakers
Just Play to the Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 8, 2008
Nunez Takes Blame For Prop. 93 Loss
Los Angeles Daily News
February 7, 2008
Weingand: Voters Got A Whiff and Said 'No'
Sacramento Bee
February 7, 2008
Lawmakers Believe In Term Limits But
Oppose The Measure
North County Times
February 4, 2008
Good For Us
Los Angeles Times
February 4, 2008
Commentary: A Conversation with Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Sacramento Bee
January 20, 2008
Walters: Two Party Structure Under Fire
Sacramento Bee
January 18, 2008
Walters: Governor's Brownian Flip-Flops
Sacramento Bee
January 16, 2008
Editorial: Corruption of a Good Idea
San Francisco Chronicle
January 15, 2008
Governor Supports Term Limit Measure
Sacramento Bee
January 15, 2008
A Deceptive Prop. 93
San Francisco Chronicle
January 10, 2008
Use Prop. 93 To Say 'No"
dailybreeze.com
January 3, 2008
more
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Democratic Leaders Accused Of Pressuring
Supporters Of Redistricting Measure
By Steven Harmon
Contra Costa Times Sacramento Bureau
June 21, 2008
SACRAMENTO — State Democratic Party officials are being accused of
a campaign of intimidation against fellow Democrats who support the
ballot initiative that would give power to draw political boundaries
to an independent commission.
There has been an "attempt to bring everybody into
line" now that the state party has come out against the
redistricting measure, said Kathay Feng, the measure's main author
and director of California Common Cause. The initiative qualified
for the November ballot last week.
"There's tremendous pressure on any person who's intimated
they'll come out in support of the measure, to back away from
that," Feng said. "And there's been a tremendous amount of
lobbying, going after people who've already taken a position to try
and silence them."
She cited the case of John Smith, a Southern California regional
director for the state party who had been vocal in his support of
the measure until the party's executive board voted overwhelmingly
last week to oppose it. Smith's voice, among others, Feng said, has
been important in convincing voters that the ballot measure is not a
Republican power grab, as Democratic party leaders have charged.
"He was approached before and after the vote and encouraged
to fall in line with the (the party)," Feng said. "He
feels very uncomfortable about speaking up about it now. In the last
few days, he's been noticeably reluctant to assert his position. I
can't say what's been said, but for him to feel he has to slink
around about what he feels passionately about is unfortunate."
Smith was denied a bid for a seat on the Democratic National
Committee at the executive board meeting. He declined to comment for
this story.
Democratic leaders said there has been no attempt to silence or
pressure redistricting supporters.
"Smith was campaigning on behalf of the Republican
redistricting measure, so certainly he didn't have good
support," said Bob Mulholland, the campaign advisor to the
state Democratic party. "That's a phony allegation. I sent him
one email saying 'let's move forward.' And I doubt if anybody from
the party has contacted him since."
Mulholland said Feng was mistaking basic political communication
with bullying tactics.
"Is someone saying the Democratic Party shouldn't let its
views be known to others?" Mulholland asked. "I'm
surprised that Common Cause thinks the Democratic Party should
suppress its free speech. When a person doesn't have merits to their
argument, they start making a lot of outlandish allegations. That's
a disappointment to me."
The flare-up between traditional political allies — the
Democratic Party and Common Cause have a long history on the same
side of battles — comes as the opposition campaign is trying to
organize its own operations.
The pro-redistricting campaign, California Voters First, has been
running since the beginning of the year, spending millions to put
the issue on the November ballot. Most of its contributors are
Republicans, including the New Majority, a Republican organization
devoted to electing Republican legislators, which has contributed
more than $500,000.
The campaign insists it has Democratic support, pointing to Steve
Westly, the former state controller and gubernatorial candidate,
serving as is its co-chairman, and former Gov. Gray Davis. But
Westly, a wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur, has yet to contribute
money, and other wealthy Democratic donors, like Angelo Tsakopolous,
have contributed small sums.
Supporters are expecting other big-name Democrats to buck the
state party, including state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, whose spokesman
confirmed he is likely support the measure. The spokesman, Tom
Dressler, added that Lockyer has not felt pressure from party
leaders to back off the support.
"He would never support a redistricting system that results
in a power grab by anybody, or that disfavors or favors any
particular demographic group," Dressler said. "He's
interested in finally erecting a reapportionment system that's
independent and that reflects California's population."
No organized opposition has emerged, but the Democratic party's
official position on redistricting appears to have planted the seeds
of a campaign.
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, wrote supporters
this week indicating he was ready to fire up a campaign to defeat
the initiative. In the letter, Perata said:
"The latest Republican attempt to take control over
redistricting away from Democrats has now qualified for the November
ballot. Proponents know this represents their last best chance to
prevent us from protecting and expanding our majorities in the
Legislature in the decade to come."
He added the California Voters First campaign is "highly
motivated — and they've already given their proposal the patina of
good-government reform," and invited activists to join him at
his first meeting Friday at the Capitol to discuss campaign strategy
and organization.
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