Talking Points Memo summed up the dilemma for American democracy in the face of the Supreme Court’s dishonest, cynically partisan decision.
The chief’s opinion in Rucho v. Common Cause doesn’t withstand even basic scrutiny. The court’s majority decided that partisan gerrymandering disputes are “non-justiciable” — that is, the courts can’t intervene in them — because, essentially, courts aren’t equipped to come up with a standard to determine when gerrymanders go too far. Never mind that the lack of what the court calls a “judicially manageable standard” appears to have literally never held the justices back before on any other issue. Never mind also that, as the Brennan Center’s Tom Wolf has pointed out, five different federal courts, relying on the work of respected political scientists, have had little trouble coming up with manageable standards to strike down partisan gerrymanders in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland. To Roberts, it’s all a bunch of “sociological gobbledygook.”
It’s hard not to see Rucho as a direct relative of past Roberts court rulings that likewise crippled our democracy, like the Shelby County decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, the Citizens United decision striking down campaign finance rules, the Crawford case upholding voter ID laws, and the Husted opinion allowing purges of voter rolls.
So the Court isn’t going to protect “one person, one vote. The Court leaves in place a tactic that, according to the Cook report, has created today’s political reality: 19 out of 20 voters reside in a non-competitive Congressional District.
That’s where we are. The urgent question is: what do we do?
The easy answer–which is by no means easy to accomplish–is to elect Democrats. Everywhere. City, State and federal offices. That’s not because Democrats are angels, or unwilling to play the gerrymandering game–one of the cases before the Supreme Court was from Maryland, which had been redistricted by Democrats for Democrats. But for a number of reasons (including the fact that Republicans have been much better at partisan redistricting and by far the most numerous beneficiaries of it), Democrats have made fair redistricting an important policy commitment.
If Democrats take the Senate, the House bills Mitch McConnell refuses to hear will pass–Including the all-important H.R.1, the sweeping democracy reform bill that would expand voting access. fix our campaign finance system, and make redistricting fair and transparent. Without a Democratic Senate, however, H.R. 1 won’t pass.
What else can we do?
A local answer that is “doable” in some states is to mount a referendum. These have been very successful in states where such mechanisms are available. Indiana, unfortunately, is not one of those states.
Long-term, what we need in Indiana is an amendment to the state’s constitution. That document currently places responsibility for redistricting with the state legislature–a provision that creates an obvious conflict of interest. It places decision-making in the hands of those whose interests will be affected, allowing lawmakers to choose their voters rather than the other way around.
The problem is, efforts to amend the Indiana Constitution–ideally, to provide that redistricting will henceforth be the responsibility of a nonpartisan or bipartisan commission–must originate with that same conflicted legislature.
I invite my more creative lawyer and political friends to weigh in, but after much “mulling over” (and not an inconsiderable amount of alcohol), here’s the best advice I can come up with for our not-as-Red-as-people-think Hoosier state:
We need a “movement.” (I’m aspiring to Hong Kong sized….)
Furious Hoosiers can build on the coalition already in place under the auspices of Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. We should make lots of noise; we should endorse candidates for the General Assembly who commit to support a constitutional amendment addressing gerrymandering; and we should “call out” legislators who sabotage efforts at representative government.
I realize it won’t be easy. Common Cause has been fighting this battle for nearly 20 years, and Indiana is still the 5th most gerrymandered state in the nation. But over that time, many more people have come to understand the problem. What the forces of change have going for us now is anger–anger at the corruption of Trump and his Administration, anger at the Vichy Republicans who put party before country, and anger at a partisan Court that rewards Mitch McConnell’s willingness to cheat.
However energized the anti-gerrymandering movement, however, there is no escaping the conclusion that the first order of business is turnout in 2020.
Indiana was blue in 2008, partly because a lot of people who didn’t often vote, did. And as I have pointed out before, even Indiana’s extreme gerrymandering won’t protect the GOP super-majority if we have massive turnout.
A tsunami of votes in 2020 can “jump start” a grass-roots effort to make “one person, one vote” a reality.
If that fails, so does democratic self-government.
Happy 4th of July.
If Donald Trump isn’t the president who will precipitate that tsunami, I don’t even want to imagine what it would take. Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Sheila,
“A tsunami of votes in 2020 can “jump start” a grass-roots effort to make “one person, one vote” a reality.”
One person, one vote has already been a reality. That was the outcome of the decade long battle in Dallas in the ’80s. The landmark victory was not the result of partisan politics; it was caused by overcoming the power of the DEVIANT ELITE. That MUST come first. And Donald Trump, PERSONALLY, has set the stage for battle, right now.
See http://www.The AlarmReport.info which made one person, one vote possible in Dallas. It was not just a local battle, it was a national battle with all groups represented.
Yes. A mass demonstration Hong Kong size. I’m in. How can that be organized and who can do it?
im bombarded with WTF again. not from the subject,but from associates i talk with about the present future. most are working class, many in diverse groups also. they work, in construction,a long day,but, i can relate,and i can make small talk with them. get to a point,and discuss how important it is,to unlatch trump and mcconnel. discuss why,discuss how,and discuss thier wallet and why it doesnt change..make apoint,and most of all, send em to a site like robertriech.org. at least its fun, a seseme street for people who dont grip the change,or where it started,who,why,and where… a bag of popcorn,and a few beers,can make this change,its a starting point.. im getting feed back,im getting them to laugh about the crap. but its a laugh that says im not going to take it anymore.. with the onslaught of gimmie donations,its overwhelming to stand the politcal ads. voting is still free, the information is in your hand. direction is key… im printing up cards that have sites that do take time to explain,and i need a few more. im dealing with the working class. so keep it light. i would like to say one thing, Harris is not someone i would trust. her idea of privacy,and jailing moms for kids that dont show up for school is beyond what she rattles on stage. strong women are cool,shes not… dont trust her,look at her record… Bernie maybe down,but everyone else is getting on his train. Mr Castro,thanks,your stand on immigration,you got it, ,,if they supported corporate America in the past,they will support our demise in the future,,,thanks
Celia,
It doesn’t have to be a mass demonstration. General Smedley Butler went to Congress and stopped the attempted fascist takeover by the oligarchy, led by the Dupont and Bush families, with his testimony in the mid’30s.
The last time I checked, we still have a Congress with their ability to have hearings, open to the public, as was the case with General Butler’s testimony which put a halt to the attempted COUP in the ’30s.
How fast will the Supreme Court “walk back” their decision against the citizenship question being on the 2020 Census with Trump DEMANDING it be added? As for “…we still have a Congress with their ability to have hearings, open to the public, …”; have you been watching our Congress in recent years? All ability to have hearings, open or closed, is controlled by Senator Mitch McConnell, it began in President Obama’s administration and has resulted in the recent conservative overbalanced SCOTUS and the federal court system.
“Indiana was blue in 2008, partly because a lot of people who didn’t often vote, did. And as I have pointed out before, even Indiana’s extreme gerrymandering won’t protect the GOP super-majority if we have massive turnout.”
If we were allowed a look into the full amount of our tax dollars being used for Trump’s family and friends entertainment, which is coming from hard working but still struggling Americans, we might bring out that tsunami vote needed to rid the government of the entire current administration.
Happy July 4th!
Thank you, as always Sheila,
Personally, I’m in total agreement with you, especially in the area up upping the noise level about this and many other issues where it seems as if elected officials, particularly in the Democratic Party, are mute – virtually no real noise out of either Chamber of Congress unless they happen to be running for President. This is a “Perfect Storm” in which the Judicial Branch offers this strange ruling, the Executive Branch feels that it doesn’t have to abide by SCOTUS rulings and a Legislative Branch that is inert and thoroughly absorbed with protecting individual Member re-election prospects and doing virtually nothing as a result.
When the government is this unresponsive the people must act since what this represents is tyranny, not in the normally thought of form but where it is essentially rudderless both due to who is supposedly leading the parade but the gun shy attitude of those that are in it to supposedly speak for us. We have to act, both at the ballot box put through noisy, very public demonstrations over our discontent with this obscene emerging status quo if that’s a proper term to describe it.
For about three years I have been probably over-using the term “slow walking coup d’ etat” to describe what is happening. Now, that coup d’ etat is quickly gathering much more momentum and if we are going to reverse this “thing”, again, we the people have to act. and soon. There is no one else and what this is turning into is also closing the window in regard to the time left for us to act. We must quickly get past this being immobilized via shock and disbelief at what is happening every day that is unprecedented and puts our form of democracy at greater and greater risk and do something other than watching it roil by either on TV and the web. The time for us to just be mere spectators and grousers is over – it is time to act! and stand up for what this country is supposed to be – not what it is quickly turning into, whatever that is!!
JoAnne,
“As for “…we still have a Congress with their ability to have hearings, open to the public, …”; have you been watching our Congress in recent years? ”
We’re not all limited to the INTERNET, like you. Try not to forget that.
WHAT: Gerrymander Meander Progressive Picnic
WHEN: Wednesday July 17th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Starts at Arsenal Park (1400 E. 46th Street, Indianapolis) with hot dogs, hamburgers, and vegetarian options. Ends at Canterbury Park (5501 Carvel Ave, Indianapolis) with ice cream
RSVP: Sign up here!
Along with our coalition partners, we’re hosting a picnic and short walk across a northside Indianapolis neighborhood that has been carved up into TWO different Congressional districts and FOUR different state legislative districts. This event is designed to call attention to the need for redistricting reform — and to show our elected officials that Hoosiers are not backing down in our fight against gerrymandering.
The push for redistricting reform continues across the country and in Indiana — are you with us?
I hope to see you there,
Julia Vaughn, Policy Director
and the team at Common Cause Indiana
I will be watching with interest the Mueller testimony in two weeks. It seems the Republicans on both committees are coordinating their time to provide a consistent attack on Mueller himself and on Pete Strzok and Lisa Page. It’s doubtful they’ll ask a single question regarding the outcome of the investigation. Dems need to coordinate their time to get a full picture of the report to the public, who absolutely will not read the report. After this we will know exactly how able the Congress is to hold public hearings.
The current injustices built into our systems are everywhere. Where don’t we need a movement?
And the more congress freshman accomplishes, the stronger the resistance from both democrats and republicans alike. The status quo wants to remain, and many voters have accepted defeat in the face of their reality…”Voting doesn’t make a difference.”
@AOC has gathered a considerable following, and her endorsement has plenty of weight with young democrats/socialists. This will take time, but it’s inevitable. Fascists have won, but socialists are chipping away at those victories.
What many people need to realize that the former center of the political spectrum doesn’t exist any longer…it’s meaningless. Centrists are status quo pretenders and do nothing for our current injustices. And there are many injustices in our current systems with movements behind each one. People caught up in movements tend to vote, but we cannot afford to deal with centrist Democrats or corporate owned Democrats.
The choice is democratic socialism or fascism in late-stage capitalism. Choose wisely.
For the most part, members of Congress are more protected than ordinary citizens who protest.
The streets are a potential battleground, these are not normal times. We must first attempt to change things without violence, although that might not be possible at this point in time
Marv,
Unlike you, some of us know JoAnn personally and can attest to her brilliant efforts to keep in touch with the world. She has a large group of family and friends, she has cable TV, she always has a book at hand, she gets out and about, and yes, she has her computer that serves as a connection to news she cannot get anywhere else.
If anyone on this blog is “limited’ it is you.
Todd,
“The choice is democratic socialism or fascism in late-stage capitalism. Choose wisely.”
I disagree. There’s another choice called: STANDING UP TO DONALD TRUMP. RIGHT NOW!
Theresa,
You like the fact that she’s been attacking me for the past four years. You’re in the same boat. Try to be honest, if you can.
Theresa,
As I remember, it was only a few weeks ago your friend and ally stated on this blog that she didn’t want me to participate anymore. Remember?
For PERSONAL REASONS, you also want me off this blog. Am I right?
Marv; neither are we all limited to our own pasts, like you. Try not to forget that. If you want a real attack from me; I have read John Grisham’s book “The Chamber” more than once and you flatter yourself believing he considers you worthy of threats…veiled or otherwise. Jewish Marvin Grisham in the book is the victim throughout.
Theresa; thank you!
Peggy; like you I will be watching Mueller’s testimony with interest, especially the Republican claim that he cannot pick and choose which questions he will answer. That is a Trump administration tactic, upheld by Senator McConnell. Mr. Mueller stated prior to the release of his report that there are still open cases and on-going investigations which he legally is not allowed to respond to. My faith remains in Robert Mueller as an American deserving of our highest regard.
“As I remember, it was only a few weeks ago your friend and ally stated on this blog that she didn’t want me to participate anymore.”
Marv Kramer; with that statement you have finally gone too far, that is a blatant lie! While I disagree with your historical, self-aggrandizing responses which often miss the mark, I have never stated I do not want you to participate. I support freedom of speech even when I disagree or believe it to be redundant or useless….keep those comments coming…as will I.
With that; I am opting out of this specific conversation.
I think relying on the Supreme Court to find a principle in the Constitution that protects a civil liberty we value is fraught with shortcomings and subject to revision and repeal. This is the predicament we have with Rowe and to some extent already with Obergefell.
Nothing short of the heavy lifting for a State or Federal Constitutional amendment will suffice. Even then it is subject to erosion. To wit:
Amendment XV (1870)
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
I long for more optimism but I am persuaded every day must be a fight.
JoAnn,
If I’m so limited, why did you contact me a few years ago by E-mail, and carry on an exchange with me for almost a month?
When you can’t compete, you destroy. Am I right?
You brought up “The Chamber” by John Grisham, not me. You’re jealous, that’s all. For anyone interested about John Grisham and me, take a look at http://www.KillingtheMessenger.info and see if you come up with the same prejudicial and bias conclusion as JoAnn.
John Neal; so much of the Constitution is open to interpretation, Amendment XV is specific. But how could the founding fathers possibly believe they should include religion, political party affiliation or lack of wealth to that Amendment. They were not Prophets but lawmakers of the caliber we will never see again collaborating to protect America and Americans to the best of their ability. It is a sad loss; not even nearing the end of President Obama’s administration could we conjure up the chaotic, traumatic, Twilight Zone we are living with today.
This is a difficult July 4th to be celebrating our founding or our freedoms as we wait for Tweets to have an inkling as to what is coming…or going…next.
IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I STUDIED THIS STUFF, BUT IRRC, COURTS HAVE DECLINED TO HEAR POLITICAL QUESTION FOR DECADES, IF NOT CENTURIES, THAT PRACTICE/POLICY MAKES SOME SENSE TO ME, WOULD WE REALLY WANT THE COURTS TO PLAY THAT SORT OF ROLL? AND DO WE WANT TO PUT THAT SORT OF ECONOMIC BURDEN ON THE BODY POLITIC. OF COURSE, THAT SAME APPROACH COULD HAVE BEEN USED IN CITIZENS UNITED AND THE ROBERTS COURT REALLY DPURSUED THAT “POLIYICAL QUESTION.
JoAnn,
“Marv Kramer; with that statement you have finally gone too far, that is a blatant lie! While I disagree with your historical, self-aggrandizing responses which often miss the mark, I have never stated I do not want you to participate.”
You might be blind with anger, but the other contributors on this blog, probably even Theresa, aren’t going to go along with the above statement. You mentioned to me that you had something akin to a “Napoleonic Complex.” You’re a valued members of the blog. Try to get it under control, if you can, as I’m not going to put up with it anymore.
The next person who uses this blog to sling insults will be blocked.
Disagreements about policy are encouraged; personal attacks WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
Kudos Sheila for clamping down on the tone of the comments. Anger never gets us anywhere except to MAGA hats.
Regarding gerrymandering, as I noted in an earlier blog comment, the House has already passed a law requiring Federal elections be held for districts decided by an independent commission. HUGE pressure needs to be put on MM to bring this up for a senate vote. Yes, it might not pass, but senators will be on record on their vote and this can be used in 2020 elections.
How do we get people to run for office to challenge the Republicans in safe districts? I contemplated running for the state Senate office in the last election, but after much research it was painfully obvious that no matter how much time, effort and money I would spend on a campaign….I would still lose by a huge margin due to living in an extremely Red district.
So, I ran for the local Trustee office. The current Republican trustee had been doing quite a few nefarious things with the funds. I worked hard, campaigned door to door. Fellow Dems assisted me with my campaign. I am fairly well known in this rural ag area. The Republican chair asked a man to run at the last minute. He did absolutely no campaigning, has no background at all in managing money, and actually had no interest in the office. He won by 71%.
Folks, this is why we can’t get decent qualified people to run for office to challenge the Republicans in safe districts. The Dem party either doesn’t have enough money to help you locally or the State party won’t help you financially because they want to spend all of their money on the safe Dem district campaigns. As far as I know the Dem party doesn’t ever bring in out of state money to help people running for offices in Indiana like the Republican party does for their state candidates.
The bottom line still is we don’t have choices in Indiana, at least in the rural areas.
My hopes for today:
Everyone now anywhere near DC stays home from Trump’s parade and enjoys a traditional Fourth at someone’s home.
People who participate on this blog realize that this is a marketplace of ideas and facts which can merge into meaningful action by everyone. It’s not a competition and never was.
That from the diversity offered by the DNC for the long overdue replacement of the dictatorial regime redefining us to the rest of the world will emerge unity, not the extremism that pervasive entertainment and social media has inflicted on so many Americans. Hong Kong is showing the world who they are. We can do that here in an even more meaningful way at the polls next year.
On top of that have an enjoyable celebration today, stay safe, stay informed, stay united in what we share, dream change back to the kind of people that we were and know we can become again as well as forward into the cultural adaptation of humanity to the real world we share.
Have a happy fourth.
At times, I wonder if nonviolent, but intensely annoying action would be required. For example, the dismembered cities can send people to drive _at exactly the posted speed limit_ around I-465 on Race Day. Those of us in dismembered cities like Lafayette can fly the city flag upside down next time the Legislature rejects fair districting…and ask our councilors to do the same at city hall. And maybe the good people of Indianapolis can stare at them (nothing more!) when they are dining out in the city. (Or maybe save up some serious bribe money for the staff at St. Elmo’s to dish on the goings-on, like what happened to Romney with the 47%.)
And if there’s no progress in 2020, do remember that the NCAA comes to town on April 3-5, 2021.
Pete; my friends who live in Washington, D.C., 10 miles from the White House, are staying home and hoping for rain, lots of rain.
A point or three regarding gerrrymandering and why the Supreme Court would opt out of making a decision: the number of Representatives is based on population, if you look at district (gerrymandered) maps of this state you will see some of them cross county lines. This means the population count is not high enough to maintain the number of Representatives – Marion County is an excellent example. Republicans will lose their current number of Republicans if district boundaries are set within county lines; they will never allow this to happen. Current boundaries also include rural areas giving the same Republican Representatives their vote year after year. It would also effect their number of Electoral College members which has appointed two dangerous presidents in 16 yeas. Republican states will never end gerrymandering; it would end their control.
I will repeat myself here…and again in the future; the election in November 2019 is vital because it is step one in changing red states to blue, red states will never support any Democratic presidential candidate in November 2020.
jack smith, I would agree with your comments concerning K. Harris. She is a political chameleon, like the Clinton’s. I would also agree with Todd’s comment: “Centrists are status quo pretenders and do nothing for our current injustices.”
The platform that Bernie had in 2016 has been for the most part totally embraced by most of the Democratic presidential wannabes.
There is a humorous article in Counterpunch:
After Biden’s Sharp Decline, Investors Are Reassessing Other Blue Chips.
Investors are pondering where to put their money this week after the sudden decline in the assessed value of presidential candidate Joe Biden.
On Wall Street and in other corporate quarters where financiers were heavily invested in Biden, hopes have eroded in recent days amid reduced investor confidence.
Venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, powerful CEOs and other wealthy individuals — sensing a political emergency that may require swift and decisive action — are moving to widen financing spigots for Kamala Harris. With contingency planning, there is elevated interest in Pete Buttigieg. https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/07/03/after-bidens-sharp-decline-investors-are-reassessing-other-blue-chips/
**************************************************
The article mentions how the wealthy are now “hedging” their bets (campaign donations) with the sudden plunge in value of Corporate Joe Biden. Oh dear – Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
The 1% are out to preserve status quo. President Agent Orange is the ugly face of the 1%. What the 1% want more than anything else is to find a candidate among the Democrats who will satisfy their need to leave Steroid Capitalism alone. If President Agent Orange wins in 2020, great business as usual, if a Corporate Democrat wins – OK business as usual.
I believe that our dilemma is how with minimum chaos to get from here to there. That requires familiarity with here as well as a vision of there.
Our choice among Democrat candidates represents about all possibilities for familiarity with here and that vision of there. We are wealthy in great candidates but no two are identical. The perfect world.
Who will be OUR choice after the primary?
I have no idea but don’t see how it can possibly be anywhere near as wrong as not evicting the current interloper.
I’m going to listen carefully for quite a while yet.
If it weren’t for my limited mobility I would be in Washington today doing my best imitation of the Tank Man of TianAnMen to protest Trump’s childish and costly parade. It is past time to “take arms against of sea of troubles and by opposing, end them.” As awful as Gerrymandering is, it simply validates the reality of today’s election process. Saying such a travesty is non-justiciable is SCOTUS’s way of saying “I like it like that!” It serves my goals and I am too strongly opposed to the one-man one-vote principle to do anything about it.
Trump has populated the swamp with creatures not seen since before the last massive comet struck Earth. Traitors, self-servers, profiteers, embezzlers, schemers, war mongers, hypocrites, bigots, sycophants, fascists, liars and others with complex neuroses like his own are now fully in charge of our government. When ICE employees sue their employer for making them do things they know are illegal, we are pleasantly surprised but not hopeful.
Trump has successfully nullified what little power Congress had left. The last time I saw Jerry Nadler on TV he looked panicked. Now Trump is taking on the Supreme Court, which used to be the last word. If he succeeds in getting his citizenship question on the ballot, it’s game over and patriots will be forced to consider other options. The Hong Kong approach won’t work because Xi Jin Ping can be shamed into backing off. Trump has no shame, and if a similar demonstration were to occur here, blood would likely flow.
Many have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve what the Declaration of Independence declared were all people’s rights. We can’t, just because we are inundated by inconceivable levels of corruption, not talk about standing tall when our time arrives.
Que veut cette horde d’esclaves,
De traîtres, de rois conjurés ?…
C’est nous qu’on ose méditer
De rendre à l’antique esclavage !…
Talk is necessary, but not sufficient.
Thought you’d seen it all? Not yet. 45 is threatening to do an executive order to get around the Supreme Court ruling against his citizenship question on the census. I wonder how Roberts and his cronies are feeling about that?
Shelia, I disappointed you neglect the immediate action on the local level advocated in my recent column. Your faithful readers are thereby denied an outlet beyond blubbering.
For release July 1, 2019
Eye on the Pie
Morton J. Marcus
Now is the time to act
The Supreme Court of the United States last week decided they will not interfere in political redistricting cases. By a one vote majority, they are enabling gerrymandering.
Now that the court has not acted, this is our time to act. Every American fed up with partisan politics, can change what the court would not do – – – provide for competition in politics.
Political competition is extremely limited in Indiana. Our state is a model of gerrymandering. In six of our 25 State Senate seats up in 2018, Hoosier Democrats failed to field a candidate.
In the State House, out of 100 seats, 22 were won by Democrats ,11 by Republicans without opposition from the other party.
Every one of Indiana’s nine Congressional Representatives in 2018 won in a landslide. In political terms, winning with 55 percent of the vote is considered a landslide.
The absence of meaningful competition invites intellectual as well as economic corruption. For Hoosiers not enamored of politics in the first place, their resulting indifference to politics means they participate only when highly emotional issues are on the table.
The key to civil civic behavior is acceptance of the diversity of thought among adults. When emotions are aroused and rational thought is dismissed, anger and anxiety fuel the flames of partisanship.
Hoosiers do not live in an engaged society. Statewide, my study shows 88 percent of Hoosiers 18 and older are registered to vote. If true, we have 600,000 unregistered adults.
But those figures may be bloated because not all counties have cleaned the dead and the movers from their books. At the same time, not all persons 18 and older are eligible to vote. There is a question of citizenship, length of residency and other factors keeping people from registering. Plus, we don’t know how many eligible voters fail to register because they do not understand the process, the timing and the importance of registering.
With only 51 percent of those registered actually casting a ballot in the 2018 general elections, we count 2.2 million registered votes who did not vote. Add that to the estimate above of unregistered persons (600,000) and we come up with 2.8 million potential votes not cast in this last election.
The first step, to offset the support given to gerrymandering by the Supreme Court, is to register every eligible voter. That means putting large numbers of people on the ground to convince 55 percent of the adult population of the need to register and to vote.
The second step, is getting the signature of every candidate for local office on this year’s ballot to sign an oath that they will support independent redistricting at all levels. It’s been done before by the enemies of democratic government.
Now is the time those who understand the vital role of government to stand for the revitalization of democracy in America.
======
Mr. Marcus is an economist. Reach him at mortonjmarcus@yahoo.com. Follow his views and those of John Guy on “Who gets what?” wherever podcasts are available or at mortonjohn.libsyn.com
Although I no longer live in Indiana, I’d like to thank Morton Marcus for this post. You want to know what you can do, he’s just told you. He’s spent his life giving Hoosiers information they need to make informed decisions about their government, so we should be thanking him for his whole life’s work.
Talking Happy 4th of July, you should check out yesterdays TWMDBS(The Worlds Most Dangerous Beauty Salon). An offering by El Jefe, titled: “How Appropriate…”, and I would say, Very Appropriate!
Bravo Dr Marcus as usual!!!