Tony Stark @TonyStark@democracy.town

Next, look closer to home at geography you know. See where they drew the line(s). Do the maps respect communities and neighborhoods, or not? For example, Cincinnati, OH is split in half. The eastern half is in a district with seven rural counties. The city and the rural areas have little in common, not like the city would have if left intact in a single voting district. The map makers deliberately diluted the city’s vote. It’s textbook gerrymandering.

These examples should get you started.

When I started looking at maps in this way, things began to pop out, for instance, a low-income area split into different districts. Address the things you see. Identifying vote dilution is a good way to begin.

Then show up at redistricting meetings, write letters to the editor, share the information with people you know, tell your legislators what you want, and vote in people locally who want non-partisan, ungerrymandered maps.

If we want a fair democracy, we have to put in the work. 2/2

#CallToAction
One of the things I think it's most important to share on social media is any way to take positive action to defend democracy.

This year, redistricting after the 2020 census is going on. As states come out with new voting district maps, it's important to contact lawmakers about the maps.

However, saying: “I want a fair map, no gerrymandering” isn't enough. As a friend said to me, “I understand the best testimony is very specific to the proposed district, but I don’t know to get that specific information.”

Here’s how. Anyone can do this, and it’s quick.

First, look at the map to see what's going on where you live. See where single counties are sliced into 2, 3, or more voting districts. The more splits, the worse the map. A specific comment could say: “5 counties are each split into 3 separate voting districts, and another is split into 4. A fair map minimizes splits." 1/2

6 Tips for Making Effective Comments at a Redistricting Hearing-
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/6-tips-making-effective-comments-redistricting-hearing

If you or I were as terrible at our job as McCarthy is at his, we'd have been fired many years ago. But he's angling for a big promotion. And as Adam Schiff said in an interview, earlier this week, if McCarthy becomes the Speaker of the House in 2022, Donald Trump will become the de facto Speaker of the House. Mull that one over for a while.

Trumpers want a Republic. They just don't want a democratically-elected Republic. Don't confuse a republic with a democratic republic. Trumpers don't.

And vote Republicans out of office at the local level, too. My area has municipal elections next week. I'm voting for Democrats across the whole ballot. Local politicians work their way up into state legislatures, and that's where gerrymandering happens. Then they work their way up into Congress. They need to be defeated before they can move on. #ElectionsMatter

Opinion | Kevin McCarthy’s vile attack on Liz Cheney shows the dangers of a GOP House:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/22/kevin-mccarthy-liz-cheney-threats-jan-6-committee/

@kranfahrer
Guten Morgen, Kranfahrer 🌇

@procnias
7 more than your average U.S. President yet most of the Republican Party, that's their guy.

@yangwm2005
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For reference, here's what she's against: - vision, dental, hearing coverage for Medicare, allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60, making permanent the +$1,000 - $1,600 per child expanded child tax credit, paid parental leave, grants for utility companies to develop alternative energies, grants to build/renovate schools, pre-K, community college, jobs/skills training, the corporate tax rate rising from 21% to 26%, and the top income tax rate for Americans making over $400,000 rising 37% to 39.6%. The top capital gains rate would also go from 20% to 25%. Americans making under $400,000 see no tax increases. These tax rates would still overall by LOWER than what we had in the 90's and what we had from 2012-2017 which were also low by historical standards.

I'd leave, too.

Sinema advisers resign, calling her an obstacle to progress-
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/577775-five-members-of-sinemas-advisory-board-resign-call-her-one-of-the-principal?rl=1

@ClintBarton
Well, they're really, really wrong.