Big doings in Gaylord on Monday! Can you help us make sure that Michigan elections don’t unfairly favor Republicans for another 10 years?
Here’s the deal: the 16 brave people toiling to redraw our congressional and state legislature maps–the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRD)–is wrapping up its mission. It’s supposed to kill the current gerrymander that way over-represents Republicans, and draw districts that reflect actual vote totals.
But many of the proposed new maps, like the old ones, still plainly favor Republicans, even though the state plainly has more Democrats.
What to do? Make a comment to MICRC!
The best way to do that is to show up in Gaylord and tell them: Our maps must reflect partisan fairness–i.e., if one party’s candidates get more votes, then that party should get more seats. So you must do better.
If Up North Dems get 75 folks to say that in Gaylord Monday, it will make a big impression. Some of us are going, and we’d love to have you join us! The weather won’t be great, but there is all that fall color….
Join us! You don’t have to give a highly detailed, sound-like-an-expert speech. In fact, you only get 90 seconds. All you need to do is tell them partisan fairness is paramount, necessary, gotta happen, no if’s or but’s….
We’ll be at HQ Monday morning, warmed up and ready to roll. We can either car pool or caravan, but we need to roll outa there by 9:30, latest, to get to the Treetop before the doors open at noon. It’s first-come, first served on speaking, so, as early birds, we could be done by early afternoon, time for a quick lunch somewhere, and then — back home.
And what if you just don’t have the juice for cruising Gaylord?
We feel you. And we urge you to instead submit a written comment, with our message, at MICRC’s web site. Again, keep it short. You don’t need to sound like an expert–just a citizen who wants to make sure when they vote, it matters, because they’re not in some intentionally jammed-up district that favors the other guy.
Commented before? Please, do it again! We must make some serious noise if we’d rather not be doomed to another 10 years of unfair districts, which really harms Michigan and our party.
We’ll be lookin’ for you at HQ by 9:30. If you play your cards right, you might even get a ride in an all-electric vehicle! Just make sure your vaccinated and ready to wear a mask at the hearing.
And thanks for whatever you’re doing to make things better!