"Greensboro City Council redistricting trial still slated for Jan. 9 start" and background

"...On Thursday, the clerk for the U.S. Middle District Court in Greensboro scheduled a bench trial — as opposed to a jury trial — to begin at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 9.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles, who has handled the case previously, will preside.

...U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Webster ordered the legislators to provide a “privilege log” — a list of documents they want to keep private and to describe the documents and explain why they should be withheld.

Webster received that log this week.

The Plaintiff's received the log this week.

The court case revolves around a decision the General Assembly made 16 months ago.

In July 2015 the state Senate and House passed a law that drew eight new voting districts for the council. It eliminated the three at-large members — those elected by all city voters [which diminishes the value of minority voters];

A 2013 ballot initiative narrowly passed by voters 

replaced two of the single-member districts with seats elected at-large. 

Hispanic voters claim this tactic was intended to reduce representation 

of the city’s growing Hispanic population

The more at-large seats, the more rigged the elections are

“It was starting to look like very soon Latino candidates of choice 

would be a majority on the council.

Greensboro's City Council wants to do the opposite

of what's in the best interests of the City's minority population 

And that’s the point at which the mayor announces following the Shelby decision,

let’s change these seats back to at-large.”

Instead, the new council would have eight members elected from newly drawn districts. It also would have a mayor elected by all city voters who couldn’t vote on proceedings except in the case of a tie.

The new map would create a likely 50% minority on Greensboro's City Council, 

with a likely white mayor to break ties

A federal judge stopped the law from going into effect for the 2015 council election. But the city moved ahead with the lawsuit to stop the plan from taking effect for the 2017 election.

No mention of Skip Alston and friends intervention

Filing for that election begins in July."

http://www.greensboro.com/news/greensboro-city-council-redistricting-trial-still-slated-for-jan-start/article_a3c38d10-7265-502b-a1d1-192d996e0134.html

...the electoral systems being used in Ferguson 

also contribute to the African-American community’s lack of effective political power

by “locking African-Americans out of the political process” 

through use of at-large elections.

Yet the City of Greensboro is defending discriminatory at-large seats

for the benefit of entrenched incumbents

and Greensboro's ruling elite, which likes things just as they are

The suit targets the Ferguson-Florissant School District, 

where only one of seven trustees is African American 

despite the fact that African Americans make up a substantial minority in the district

and 77% of the district’s school children.

At-large City Council seats disenfrancise Greensboro's African American population 

Drawing single member districts, the plaintiffs say, 

would make it easier in the face of racially polarized voting for African Americans

to elect genuine community representatives.

...the typical remedy in these suits is the creation of single-member districts

Attorney Samuel Spagnola on "internecine race conflicts within the Democratic Party" and Greensboro's Redistricting

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-attorney-samuel-spagnola-on.html

A News and Record Reader's guide to Amazingly One Sided Opinions in the News Section

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-news-and-record-readers-guide-to.html

This past November marked the first time in history

 that elections in Fayette County, Georgia 

were determined under a district system rather than at-large voting.

Greensboro's City Council and the News and Record

want our population to believe the opposite 

The change came as a result of a lawsuit filed against the county by the NAACP

more than three years ago claiming that the at-large voting system 

violated the Voting Rights Act because it prevented minorities 

from being elected to the school board and county commission. 

U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten agreed, 

ruling in early 2014 that the at-large system must be replaced with five voting districts."

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:15-CV-559

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/in-united-states-district-court-for.html

Grand Prairie redistricting to boost Latinos’ election chances

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/grand-prairie-redistricting-to-boost.html

Did the City of Greensboro's attorneys sue the wrong North Carolina entity? And last Friday's unreported supplemental brief

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/did-city-of-greensboros-attorneys-sue.html

Greensboro's News and Record Redistricting Analysis Lie of Omission Number 1

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/greensboros-news-and-record.html

Skip And Earl Draw Their Knives

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/08/skip-and-earl-draw-their-knives.html

Tuesday, July 7, 2015; The big money D and R contributors are very interested in keeping the Greensboro's districts just like they are.

Nancy and Don Vaughan on the take from White Street methane.

We have been misled by the news and record.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-big-money-d-and-r-contributors-are.html

Sunday, July 5, 2015; From a Facebook thread on Greensboro's redistricting

Nancy, How much did you and Don make
from free White Street Landfill methane for Cone Mills
while you served on the solid waste committee?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/from-facebook-thread-on-greensboros.html

Thursday, July 2, 2015; Preliminary City of Greensboro District Statistics; Voters but not how many of whom voted in prior City Council Races and Thoughts

It was okay for Nancy Vaughan to cover for Don's White Street landfill methane income from Wilbur Ross' ITG.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/preliminary-city-of-greensboro-district.html

Sunday, June 28, 2015; Greensboro Partnership and Rentier Capitalist Propaganda in the News and Record

Maybe City Council and DGI believe that if Mayor Nancy Vaughan
can make money from Greensboro's taxpayers
funneled to her husband Don
via free methane for Wilbur Ross
while Nancy served on the Sold Waste Committee,
it was okay for Zack to unfairly use his position as City Council member
to land the top DGI job.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/greensboro-partnership-and-rentier.html

George Hartzman last night on Redistricting and the News and Record's misleading Greensboro's African American community

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/george-hartzman-last-night-on.html

Greensboro is Corrupt; An Adaptation as our press has been compromised

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/greensboro-is-corrupt-adaptation-as-our.html

Must Read; Attorney Samuel Spagnola on "internecine race conflicts within the Democratic Party" and Greensboro's Redistricting

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-attorney-samuel-spagnola-on.html

Greensboro Registered Voters by Party, Gender and Race under Greensboro's New Eight Districts

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/greensboro-registered-voters-by-party.html

New Greensboro City Council District 6 Analysis; 2011 General Elections

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-greensboro-city-council-district-6.html

From a Facebook thread on Greensboro's redistricting

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/from-facebook-thread-on-greensboros.html

New Greensboro City Council District 4 Analysis; 2013 and 2011 elections

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-greensboro-city-council-district-4.html

Samuel Spagnola on the legalities of Greensboro's redistricting

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/samuel-spagnola-on-legalities-of.html

The big money D and R contributors are very interested in keeping the Greensboro's districts just like they are.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-big-money-d-and-r-contributors-are.html

Mayor Nancy Vaughan call for illegal Greensboro City Council closed session on redistricting; Article 33C. Meetings of Public Bodies and § 143-318.11. Closed sessions.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/mayor-nancy-vaughan-call-for-illegal.html

"Greensboro [City Council] plans to sue state over council restructuring"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/greensboro-city-council-plans-to-sue.html

Joe Killian and Amanda Lehmert breaking George Hartzman's heart

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/joe-killian-and-amanda-lehmert-breaking.html

Mayor Vaughan's Lie To Greensboro Minorities And Liberals

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/mayor-vaughans-lie-to-greensboro.html

A few unanswered questions posed to Greensboro's Mayor Nancy Vaughan

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-few-unanswered-questions-posed-to.html

George Hartzman last night on Redistricting and the News and Record's misleading Greensboro's African American community

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/george-hartzman-last-night-on.html

"Greensboro council says HB 263 redistricting is partisan and racist" and comment

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/greensboro-council-says-hb-263.html

Preliminary City of Greensboro District Statistics; Voters but not how many of whom voted in prior City Council Races and Thoughts

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/preliminary-city-of-greensboro-district.html

Rhino; "City Councilmembers Oppose New District Plan; Skip Alston Supports It"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/rhino-city-councilmembers-oppose-new.html

On Redistricting Public Records "Exemptions to the North Carolina Public Records Law"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/on-redistricting-public-records.html

Thoughts On Trudy Wade's Redistricting Plan

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/so-ive-been-thinking-about-trudy-wades.html

Interesting thread at Tony Wilkin's Facebook page on SB36, Greensboro's Redistricting legislation and the Rhino Push Poll

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/interesting-thread-at-tony-wilkins.html

A Couple of Great Redistricting Threads; Tony Wilkins, Nancy Vaughan, Marikay Abuzuaiter, Sal Leone, Mick Riggs and Bellamy Small

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-couple-of-great-redistricting-threads.html

Tony Wilkins vulnerable to a well funded White Democrat in Greensboro City Council's New District 5; 2011 actual voting numbers

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/tony-wilkins-vulnerable-to-well-funded.html

Ellie P tweet a redistricting law suit news conference with "Greensboro Citizens for Fair Elections"

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/ellie-p-tweet-redistricting-law-suit.html