Packing it in

 

Virginia democrats to “save” democracy.

When court rulings upset democrats, they will fight to the end in order to get their way. There will no longer be a need to “pack the court” when conservatives rule constitutionally and common-sense reigns. Democrat-controlled States can just change the rules by passing unreasonable mandatory retirement ages. This is actually true. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the State’s “gerrymandering” referendum that recently passed 51-48%, overruling a previous independent redistricting, voter approved map, was unconstitutional. The democrat’s next effort to “save democracy” is to replace that entire current Supreme Court by legislating a mandatory retirement age of 54. Coincidently, the youngest justice is 54, creating an opportunity for democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger to simply appoint an entire slate of new justices that would rule favorably in any other democrat scheme to usurp the authority of the electorate.

This unabashedly malicious and unethical plot to overthrow the will of the people is simply more evidence that democrats care only about gaining and maintaining power. You see, democrats are not unlike petulant children that throw tantrums when they cannot get their way. Voters are merely pawns, to be literally used as tools to keep them in office. Democrats depend upon the drumbeat of the legacy media to amplify their lies and ignore their missteps. Subterfuge is the guiding principle of the democrat party. Keeping the uninformed believing the propaganda that they continually spew is all important. What democrats fear most is an informed electorate, that can see right through their lies.

In the marketplace of ideas, democrats fail. They support policies (transgenderism, abortion, governmental censorship, open borders, antisemitism, anti-incarceration, and on and on) that are opposed by and are detrimental to Americans. Why is it that the policies democrats support are upheld through friendly court decisions? Why is it that democrat operatives sue to prevent policies and legislation favorable to Americans but are opposed by the left? There are consequences to elections, particularly when leftist judges are appointed to the bench. It is no coincidence that those very same judges serve in venues that democrat operatives file their frivolous lawsuits. Never mind that higher courts overturn their rulings, these are roadblocks designed to delay good policies and legislation from taking effect.

Former democrats are leaving the party in droves as their eyes are finally opened to the contradiction that the democrat party has become. Their quest to “save” democracy, by supporting the no king’s movement, Black Lives Matter, condemning the “oligarchy,” and continually villainizing Trump, has shown those with eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to comprehend, that they no longer are the party of the people. That ship began to sail with the advent of Barack Obama and his strategy to widen the racial and class divide rather than working to bring all Americans together. He championed diversity, equity, and inclusion that has simply divided the population by race, creed, and color. If Americans are at each other’s throats, democrats can commit atrocities against those too busy calling out one another for perceived “injustices.” If Americans saw one another as Americans with common goals, democrats would be lost. Without a bogeyman, there is no one to blame for democrat failures.

As more of the corruption democrats have engaged in is exposed, their claim to any legitimacy is destroyed. As democrat policies are exposed to the light of day, more and more Americans reject them. The result of the mid-term elections in November will indicate whether Americans are finally paying attention. If they are, democrats will lose seat upon seat in Congress, Governorships, and State legislatures. If not, the United States may just be heading to the same conclusion as other nations that fell under their own weight. Every American that wants this great nation to continue to provide rest for the weary, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must not only make certain to cast their own ballot but should make certain to encourage any conservative they know to cast their ballots. Failure to right the ship may just doom this nation to become another in a long line of failed nations.

“Great nations which fail to meet their responsibilities to God are consigned to the dust bin of history. We grew from that small, weak republic which had as its assets spirit, optimism, faith in God and an unshakeable belief that free men and women could govern themselves wisely. We became the leader of the free world, an example for all those who cherish freedom. If we are to continue to be that example-if we are to preserve our own freedom-we must understand those who would dominate us and deal with them with determination.” — Ronald Reagan

Democrats govern foolishly and selfishly. Democrats reject the authority of God. Democrats reject common sense. Continue to elect them as leaders and they will put an end to our cherished freedoms. We must understand that they intend to dominate us from within and vote accordingly.

 

Fair Game

 To the victors…

The recent decision by the four liberal members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule that the redistricting maps drawn by the State Legislature fails on its face. The municipal “islands” that were found to be acceptable by three of the liberal justices in 2020, somehow became unacceptable to those same Justices as they effectively overruled themselves. The Wisconsin State Constitution gives authority to the Legislature to redraw the legislative maps after the United States census is completed each decade. This authority falls to the majority elected by the citizens of Wisconsin. Each member of the State Assembly and Senate is elected by the citizens of their District.

In 2001, Democrats held an 18-15 majority in the State Senate and Republicans held a 54-45 majority in the Assembly. Legislative maps were crafted by the divided legislature and signed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson. After the 2010 census, the Republicans were elected to majorities in both houses and Governor. For the first time, Republicans were given the authority to redraw legislative districts and have them approved by a Republican Governor. Of course, Democrats claimed that the Republicans gerrymandered to their advantage. The crafters of our State’s Constitution were intentional in their decision to rest the power of redrawing legislative district lines by the Legislature. The people’s mandate in electing the majority party was to be rewarded and their will accomplished when their chosen legislators are given “the keys to the car.” There is no such thing as “fair maps” that are equally divided by political affiliation, nor was it ever intended to be. Whichever party controls the redrawing, the other party cries foul! “They are creating maps that benefit themselves.” No kidding. If you want more authority, convince more people to vote for you. To the victors go the spoils.

Wisconsin State law has two criteria for redrawing legislative maps; They must be of substantially equal population and not discriminate based on race. Traditional redistricting principles, however, have been used by numerous states. Wisconsin uses three; District boundaries be as compact as practical, contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. Compactness and contiguity are self-explanatory. Political subdivisions are not defined as communities that tend to vote for one political party, as the Court implies. From the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau report on redistricting in Wisconsin 2020;

 “Respecting the unity of political subdivisions means drawing district boundaries in such a way as to avoid crossing existing political boundaries. This principle both simplifies the administration of elections and helps to clearly identify for voters the specific district in which they live. In many ways this principle goes hand in hand with the effort to preserve communities of interest. However, strictly adhering to the boundaries of political subdivisions in a redistricting plan often makes it more difficult to satisfy equal population requirements. Consequently, this principle, while by no means obsolete, was followed much more meticulously in Wisconsin, and elsewhere, before the advent of one person, one vote.

In Wisconsin, assembly districts must “be bounded by county, precinct, town or ward lines.” Additionally, county supervisory districts must generally consist of whole wards or municipalities, city aldermanic districts must consist of whole wards, and wards may not cross municipal or county lines.

Notice that political party preference is not a traditional redistricting principle. Some States use the “competitive” principle to not advantage one political party by creating “safe” districts for either party. Another principle is to not create boundaries that move incumbents into the same district, as did the map presented by Governor Evers. Neither of these traditional redistricting principles are used in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Legislature is the sole authority to redraw legislative maps and the Governor has the authority to veto any map deemed unsatisfactory. If vetoed, the Legislature needs to either override the veto or redraw maps that the Governor will approve. The Wisconsin State Supreme Court is usurping the Constitutional authority of the legislature to redraw the maps, especially if those maps were the same maps previously upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court just over a year ago. We, the people, are being denied by a body that is usurping the authority of our elected representatives. The decision by the four liberal Justices to discard the previously approved maps is a threat to democracy and irrevocably harms the citizens of this great State. The Legislature enacts laws, and the Supreme Court rules on those laws’ constitutionality. They do not have the authority to remake laws to their liking.

Gerrymandering???

Gerrymandering is defined as a process used to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party.

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. District lines are redrawn every 10 years after the United States census is completed. The federal government requires that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity. In Wisconsin, the Legislature is responsible to set the district maps. These maps have been a point of contention between Democrats and Republicans for over 50 years as each party has used the courts to protest the party in power’s redrawing of district boundary lines.

Now we hear the impassioned cries of the left: “Gerrymandering is wrong.” “Gerrymandering is not fair.” “Gerrymandering is not the will of the people.” “Gerrymandering is used by the Republicans to cram Democrats into smaller, more disbursed districts that isolated them into smaller voting blocs.” These complaints, are not just simply a false narrative, they are inherently self-serving. In Wisconsin, we do not have the benefit of an electoral college for our statewide elected offices. In Wisconsin, the voting populace chooses the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and Treasurer by popular vote. Our most populated regions can drive that narrative, as they have sufficient voting power to impose their will upon the entire state to elect those offices. Wisconsin elects its representatives in the State Assembly and Senate in a different manner. District lines are drawn to properly represent different geographic regions, by population, throughout the state. Wisconsinites living in rural districts have needs and concerns that may not be on the agenda of the more heavily urban areas. The State Assembly and Senate are elected as a check and balance to the power of the office of Governor and to represent those citizens and issues that affect those communities.

So, what would we need to do to create more fair and balanced voting districts in the State of Wisconsin cited as necessary by the left? How do we create a system that is fair and equitable and accurately represents the will of the people by equalizing the voting power of the left and the right? Almost one third of our population resides in two counties, Milwaukee and Dane, in an area less than 1/26th of the State. Continuing to organize as geographic districts is no longer plausible in order to achieve the effect advocated for by the left. Milwaukee and Madison would need to have portions of their populations carved out and placed into other districts throughout the State, to “equalize” the voting power. Even though the left declares otherwise, Democrats have not been forced by Republicans to “cram themselves into smaller geographic areas that isolated them into smaller voting blocs”. Many Democrats have simply chosen to live in predominately urban areas that have concentrated populations. The left’s “fairer” allocation of voting blocs would give urban areas the unrestrained ability to elect those with similar views and values, especially if those districts were drawn to encompass a greater population of those urban regions. The issues that are important to your geographic community may become an afterthought to those who control the vote, since they will not be personally affected by those decisions.

Historic changes to district lines are subtle to the naked eye and the basic design has changed little as each party in power has chosen to redrawn them. While there are a few districts that have boundaries that tend to favor one party over another, making district boundaries that will make it “fair” enough for the left are not physically possible. The left is not advocating for the elimination of gerrymandering, they are simply attempting to tilt the scales in their favor. In actuality, the left is attempting to impose their own form of gerrymandering. If the left gets their way and eliminates geographic districting, everyone else in the State will be marginalized and Milwaukee and Madison will be able to effectively control the narrative, enact the policies they want, and leave the rest of us behind. The system in place allows everyone to have a proper voice in how our State government is run. Don’t fall for the left’s design to create a Wisconsin in their own image.