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 Gerrymander                                                                                                       #383

 By Hank Silverberg  


Commentary

It all started back in 1812. Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry, at the request of his political party, ironically called the Democratic-Republican Party, signed a bill that redrew state legislative districts to give them an advantage in the next election. The districts were bizarre, with one of them looking very much like a salamander. Gerry didn't like the whole thing, and actually called them "highly disagreeable," but he signed the bill anyway prompting the Boston Gazette to coin the term Gerrymandering. Gerry lost his re-election bid, even though his party retained control of the state's legislature. 

(The original Gerrymander,
Library of Congress)  

Since then, gerrymandering, changing district borders to favor one party or the other has been used and abused and then frowned upon, and made illegal in some states. 

Congressional districts are drawn so that each has approximately the same number of voters, and by law are adjusted following the census every TEN YEARS.  

Virginia thought the issue was finally settled in  2020 when the General Assembly approved a bill establishing an independent bi-partisan commission to redraw congressional districts in the ten-year cycle. Everyone was happy. 

The state's congressional delegation is currently 6-5 in favor of the Democrats, and everything looked good until Donald Trump and his buddies in Texas started fiddling with salamanders again. Trump convinced Texas and North Carolina, both red states, to redistrict THIS year, five years before the new census, with lines drawn to favor the Republicans. The idea was to skew the vote so that Republicans would gain more seats in the House of Representatives and retain control of Congress. Missouri and Ohio also redistricted in favor of the GOP. 

The backlash came quickly. California put the issue on the ballot to try to swing that state's congressional districts more blue. Voters approved. Now Virginia is doing the same thing to counter Republican attempts nationally to redistrict in their favor. Early voting on the proposed changes is underway in Virginia with election day on April 21st. The redrawn map will turn the delegation into 10-1 in favor of the Democrats. 

The campaign has been ugly. The "Vote No" group has distorted the issue, bringing anti-immigration, pro-guns and opposition to higher taxes into the argument, while the Democrats have made the issue all about countering Donald Trump. Turnout so far in the early voting is outpacing the early voting for governor last year. 

And speaking of the Governor: Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who was elected last November with a 15 percent margin of victory, is now polling below 50 % in her approval rating --call it the Eldridge Gerry syndrome. Virginia Governors, by law, can't run for a second term, but Spanberger's political future may be riding on this vote. 

 We'll re-circle this issue when the results of the special election on redistricting are known later this month. The entire concept of fair representation in Congress in every state is at stake. Either way, many voters are going to be confused.  


News You May Have Missed!

The Arch!

Excessive and unnecessary. That's the best way to describe the "Triumphant Arch" that the President wants to build near Memorial Circle at the entrance to D.C. from the Memorial Bridge.  

It would be 250 feet tall to represent the nation's 

(Proposed Arch) 
 250th birthday and looks pretty much like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, though the D.C. arch would be 100 feet taller.  It would overshadow the nearby Lincoln Memorial, block the historic view of Arlington National Cemetery, and because of its height, probably force the narrowing of the already tight airspace approaching Reagan National Airport. 

There are, of course, lawsuits already filed against construction of the arch. Among them is one filed by Vietnam War veterans who argue the project violates rules that require congressional approval for anything built on the National Mall or federal parks in D.C.  There is no cost estimate. The White House says it will be paid for with a combination of public and private funds.  

CBS political Correspondent Ed O'Keefe recently asked the President who the arch was intended to honor, and the President responded, "Me!"                                                        

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/11/nx-s1-5782027/trump-triumphal-arch-plans-architecture


To The Moon!

(The Orion space capsule splashes down in the Pacific, NASA,Bill Ingalls)  
The success of the Artemis II mission has Americans once again talking about space. As it did in the late 1960's, missions to the Moon may be helping this country unite in a time of steep division. That is a good thing, though there are always people who believe, with some credibility, that the money for these missions can be better spent elsewhere. But anyone who watched the liftoff earlier this month, and the splashdown this past week, can rejoice in a successful mission and a new adventure for the human race.

The Artemis Mission wasn't perfect. Remember that faulty toilet? But man's exploration of the final frontier has resumed. 

More missions are coming. Artemis III is set for next year. It will be an Earth orbit mission that will test two lunar landers built by Space X and Blue Origin. One of the landers will be chosen for the Artemis IV mission set for early 2028. That will be a return to the Moon surface, most likely to the lunar south pole for the first time to collect rock samples and take images of the surface.  

Artemis V will head back to the Moon by late 2028 with NASA expecting to launch more missions, roughly once per year. 

Eventually, a Moon base will be constructed to provide a refueling site and a stop-off point for an eventual trip to Mars sometime in the 2030's. 

But there is a bigger challenge for NASA. Like the late 60's and early 70's, there is scepticism within the public and with Congress about the price tag.  President Trump's proposed 2027 budget would be $5.6 billion less than the 2026 amount, including a $1.1 billion cut in the International Space Station that is scheduled to be retired in 2030. The Moon launches are costing $10 billion.  

Of note: The month-and-a-half war with Iran has cost more than $29 billion and counting. 

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5817155-nasa-budget-cuts-2027/


Dumbest Quote of The Week!

This week's dumb quote comes from Vice President, JD Vance.  He went to Hungary to endorse strongman Victor Orban. At a campaign event in Budapest this past Wednesday, Vance accused the EU of interfering with the election. 

"I find it darkly ironic that people are accusing me of engaging in some kind of foreign influence. All that we're saying is that Viktor Orbán, he does a good job." 

Who is interfering? Someone please tell me the last time a vice president of the United States appeared at a campaign rally to endorse a foreign leader running for re-election??? I couldn't find any reference to any such event in the past.   


(Your suggestions and comments are welcome.)

My recent book, "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me   at:  HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)                       

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796


My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes. 


                                               

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