"The majority of the Greensboro City Council is so upset about the possibility that they might not get elected for another term this year that they held an illegal meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5 to complain about Senate Bill 36 filed by state Sen. Trudy Wade on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in Raleigh.
The City Attorney disagreed
on the meeting being illegal at the press conference,
which John Hammer fails to mention.
Wade’s bill has all of the council, except Councilmember Tony Wilkins, so befuddled that they hardly know what to say or do.
...Different councilmembers listed different reasons for being against the bill. Most of the complaints boiled down to concern over their own reelections...
Agreed.
Reportedly, Councilmembers Jamal Fox and Mike Barber agreed with the points of opposition to the bill.
...Former long-time Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, on the other hand, actually took the time to read the bill, consider the implications and publicly came out in favor of it on Thursday night.
To imply the rest of City Council didn't read and understand the bill
is disingenuous on the part of Mr. Hammer.
Skip Alston is in Roy Carroll's pocket.
Feels like they cut a deal.
...For all but two of the last 23 years, the City Council has had three black councilmembers. Council District 1 and District 2 are minority-majority districts and have always [for the last 23 years] been represented by black councilmembers, and then there is Yvonne Johnson, who wins at large...
Why 23 years?
I see it as 4 out of 9 minority members.
Marykay's base is East Greensboro and minorities.
Marykay, Yvonne are two at large minority based members
plus two from the districts.
4 / 9 = 44%
But Johnson is going to retire some day, and I’ve asked people repeatedly what black person in Greensboro has the name recognition and political savvy to win that at-large race. There is no heir apparent. So one day when Johnson doesn’t run for reelection, the nine-member council will most likely be reduced to two black councilmembers.
The way I see it,
John and Roy want to eliminate 3 Democrat at large seats
but ran into a race issue instead of partisan politics,
so now they have to defend disenfranchisement.
In a city that is 40 percent black, two out of nine councilmembers, or 22 percent, isn’t enough.
False narrative based on who John asked.
Depending on district 7 voting patterns, it's either 2 in 7
or 3 in 7 black.
3 / 7 = 43%, if a black candidate wins District 7.
...What Alston saw in the bill, when he looked into it, is the fact that three of the seven districts will be minority-majority.
It's not a fact.
How can the results of an election be a fact?
How can anything Skip Alston says be considered a fact?
Why would John Hammer rely on Skip Alston as a reputable source?
Three out of seven is a lot better than two out of nine.
False logic.
3 of 7 may be better than 4 of 9
if an African American wins in District 7
whose voting trends were unknown,
as of 2/6/2015.
...Wade had the state Senate [Republican] legislative staff draw the map...
The fact that the mayor and four councilmembers all live in one district has made big news...
It should have.
That equals 42 percent of the city that isn’t currently represented on the council.
Based on some arbitrary lines,
but I agree that so many from the center is problematic.
That certainly sends a strong signal that the current system is not fair...
Agreed on the the City Council member location issue.
http://www.rhinotimes.com/city-councilmembers-oppose-new-district-plan--skip-alston-supports-it.html
.
.
My guess is Trudy's initial plan will be replaced with a less easily objectionable map etc...
If the legislative staff drew the map, I would not be surprised if Trudy goes 7 districts, whose winners pick the mayor.
.
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On Trudy Wade's City Council Redistricting Plan; "Skip Alston, spoke in favor."
Hartzman on Roy Carroll, John Hammer and Trudy Wade's City Council Redistricting
