Op-Ed: Fair and independent redistricting? Los Angeles County does it already, in a way. There are many examples of other cities and towns in California that do it, too. And for good reason. To the extent that the people and their representatives choose to have their representatives reside in a district that is more likely to be representative of their district, as opposed to their opponents, as in the cases of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Santa Ana, and Pasadena, California has always done. A state representative, for example, in Los Angeles has often represented areas with fewer than 10,000 people and has represented an area that historically has had a population of less than 90 000. In L.A., there are now districts with more than half their representative’s district composed of 10,000 plus people. The state, however, does not have the ability (that is, the Constitution) to force a change in the way that congressional representatives are seated. The voters of California have the ability to do it. L.A. County’s redistricting process has been open, transparent, and fair. Many of the voters in Los Angeles, though, do not have the voting experience that enables them to judge the accuracy and fairness of the process. And in Los Angeles, they can not vote to make the process more fair.
In short, Los Angeles County has worked well for decades with the use of safe seats to ensure that the people they have elected represent the people living in their district. Many other California cities and towns, however, have not been able to do this without creating, and, because of their size, a massive majority in their districts, and, as a result, a great deal of confusion and frustration. It’s difficult to imagine what would happen if you took Los Angeles County’s current redistricting practice, and made it the only procedure used throughout the state in a way that had no effect on minority voters. Would their representation be fair? Would anyone believe it when the people they have elected represent more than their own districts, and, in some cases, more than their opponents?
My point is that if the people are
