Palingenetic Fascism takes the Alamo

The soul of the Republican Party is dead. The Platform from the Texas GOP conference shows they are coming after the rights and the lives of someone—maybe everyone—you know. And then they’re coming for you. This is Palingenetic Ultranationalism - aka Fascism. TrumpPutin was just a trial run. SOURCE is their platform itself. Linked at the bottom.

THEY’RE COMING FOR GAY MARRIAGE AND SPOUSAL BENEFITS:

Definition of Marriage: We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal, and moral covenant only between one biological man and one biological woman.

State Authority over Marriage: We support withholding jurisdiction from the federal courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage.

Spousal Benefits: We shall not recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status a spouse, as defined in Principle #6 of the Platform, including granting benefits by political subdivisions. 

No-Fault Divorce: We urge the Legislature to rescind unilateral no-fault divorce laws and support covenant marriage and to pass legislation extending the period of time in which a divorce may occur to six months after the date of filing for divorce. 

Nullify Unconstitutional We believe the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, overturning the Texas law prohibiting same-sex marriage in Texas, has no basis in the Constitution and should be nullified.

THEY’RE COMING FOR TRANS PEOPLE:

We recognize that gender identity disorder is a genuine and extremely rare mental health condition and that denial of an immutable gender binary not only denies those with the condition proper mental healthcare but also leads to physically and psychologically abusive “social transitioning” as well as irreversible physical mutilation. We urge the State Legislature to pass legislation that requires adherence to sex identifications on all official documents that will be based upon biological gender, as well as legislation enacting civil penalties and fiscal compensation awarded to de-transitioners who have received “gender affirming surgery” as compensation for malpractice.

THEY’RE COMING FOR WOMEN’S LIVES

Abolish Abortion: Since life begins at fertilization, we urge the Texas Legislature to abolish abortion 1242 through enacting legislation that would immediately secure the rights to life and would nullify any and all federal statutes, regulations, orders, and court rulings that would deny these rights.

Inviolability of Life and Fundamental Right to Life: All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn, the aged, and the physically or mentally challenged have a fundamental individual right to life, which cannot be infringed. We respect the uniqueness of human life and oppose practices which corrupt human DNA, mix human and animal DNA, or other trans-humanist initiatives that do not respect the sanctity and uniqueness of human life. All humans are endowed by their creator with sovereign rights of ownership of their person and DNA, regardless of any DNA modification, and claims to the contrary are invalid.

THEY ARE COMING FOR REFUGEES—TO KILL THEM

State Self-Defense: We urge the Texas Legislature to invoke Art I, § 10, cl. 3 of the US Constitution, also known as the state self-defense clause, which asserts that under an active invasion (as defined or declared by the Governor of the State or Texas Legislature), the sovereign state of Texas has the authority and duty to defend Texas citizens against “imminent Danger,” not admitting delay, by any and all appropriate measures the sovereign state defines as necessary to defend from such assaults.

Immediately equip the Texas Military with the necessary tools and authority to serve and protect Texas State territories and citizens.

THE’RE COMING FOR YOUR VOTE

Fair Elections Procedures: We support the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot in each election once, but we oppose illegal voting, illegal assistance, or ineligible persons. We support:

• Vigorous enforcement of all our election laws as written and oppose any laws, lawsuits, and judicial decisions that make voter fraud very difficult to deter, detect, or prosecute.
• Voter Photo ID.
• Prohibition of internet voting for public office and any ballot measure.
• That mail-in ballots must be requested and only granted to those that cannot physically appear in-person.
• Increased scrutiny and security in balloting by mail to including removal of Section 87.014 (d-1) of the Texas Election code to require once again full signature verification with the need to rebut regardless of whether paper identification numbers are on the application and ballot carrier envelope.
• Felony status for willful violations of the election code and increasing penalty for voter fraud from a misdemeanor back to a felony.
• The constitutional authority of state legislatures to regulate voting, including disenfranchisement of convicted felons.
• Changes to the appropriate sections of Texas law that would deny or cancel homestead exemptions, driver licenses, and License to Carry, if the addresses on those documents DO NOT match the address on the voter’s registration
• Consolidating elections to primary, run-off, special called, and General Election days and locations
• Sequentially numbered and signed ballots to deter counterfeiting.
• Expanding the Attorney General’s staff for investigating election crimes and restoring the ability of the Attorney General to prosecute any election crimes.
• The ability for civil lawsuits to be filed for election fraud or failure of officials to follow the election code.
• Allowing trained Poll Watchers from anywhere in Texas with local Party or Candidate approval.
• Creating processes that will allow rapid adjudication of election law violation disputes as they occur and before violations can be successfully perpetrated.
• Withdrawing from Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).

Voter Registration: We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter fraud by:

• repealing all motor voter laws.
• requiring voters to re-register, if they have not voted in a five-year period.
• requiring photo ID of all registrants.
• requiring proof of residency and citizenship along with the voter registration application. retaining the 30-day registration deadline.
• requiring that a list of certified deaths be provided to the Secretary of State in order for the names of deceased voters be removed from the list of registered voters. periodic checks on the voter rolls to ensure all currently registered voters are eligible.
• giving the Secretary of State enforcement authority to ensure county registrar compliance with Secretary of State directives.
• revising Title 19 funding to avoid incentivizing retention of ineligible voters.
• use any undedicated federal election funds received to improve the security of our online voter registration data.

THEY SUPPORT FASCISM

One World: The United States is a sovereign nation founded on the principles of freedom. We reject any assertion of authority over our nation or its citizens from foreign individuals or entities, such as the World Economic Forum, World Health Organization, and the United Nations. We reject the concept of One World Government, or The Great Reset.

United Nations: The United Nations is a detriment to the sovereignty of the United States and other countries; because of this we support:

• Our withdrawal from the current United Nations.
• The removal of the United Nations from United States soil.
• The opposition to placement of US troops under command of the United Nations.
• The rejection of all Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 policies and programs.
• The rejection of all related NGOs, councils, and environmental programs.
• A zero-budget allotment of American tax dollars to any United Nations programs.
• The opposition to any designation of World Heritage Sites in the United States and especially in Texas.
• Withdrawal from the UN Arms Trade Treaty.
• Withdrawal from the corrupt World Health Organization (WHO).
• Prohibition of any Global Pandemic Treaty, International Health Regulations (IHR), or amendments to IHR that would infringe on our national sovereignty.
• A credible, impartial, and international investigation into the WHO’s and China’s actions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Withdrawal from the UN International Baccalaureate Organization.
• The rejection of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• The rejection of any attempt to allow the United Nations or any other foreign entity to levy taxes on the United States or its citizens.

THEY ARE TREASONOUS PROMOTERS OF THE INSURRECTION—AND “BIG LIE”

Election: We believe that the 2020 election violated Article 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020.

We believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.

We strongly urge all Republicans to work to ensure election integrity and to show up to vote in November of 2022.

Source: Report of the 2022 Permanent Platform and Resolutions Committee

“The battlefield used to be between Republicans and Democrats,” he told the convention on Saturday. “Then it was between conservatives and liberals. Now the battlefield has once again changed. We must improvise, adapt and overcome to defeat our enemy. This new battlefield, this new battlefield is between patriots and traitors.”  More

Commissioners: Respect the Charter and the People

Board of Sarasota County Commissioners

Date: 12.6.21

To: Mike Moran, Al Maio, Ron Cutsinger, Nancy Detert, Christian Ziegler

cc: Matt Osterhoudt, Ron Turner

Commissioners of Sarasota County:

You're in a bind. You have consistently fostered pro-growth policies and approved super-sized developments, despite public hearings that bring hundreds of people to your chambers in hopes of persuading you to moderate, if not halt, egregious development plans.

Your largesse has increased over time; your regulatory authority is so little used in development approval hearings that the rules have become flaccid, feckless things. Instead of assiduously applying the laws that express the people's wishes for their community's future, you have handed interpretation of our Comprehensive Plan to the construction syndicate. 

Tens of thousands of dwelling units are already approved and on your books. The total is far more, as I understand it, than the most liberal projections for the county's housing needs predict.Yet you refuse to publicly discuss the planning overview, the total context that would give us the basis for deciding when too much is too much. Knowledge of the facts would bring a strong reaction from our residents.

Here's the point: You have disappointed and angered people in each of the five districts -- people who deeply care about what is happening to the place where they and their neighbors live, where their children go to school, and where they once were happy. 

Because you know this, you are doing everything you can to turn upside down the voting structure we the people put in place in 2018.You know that your pro-growth insensitivity has angered many people in your districts, and you wish to avoid your official accountability to them.

So here's the math: Each district is drawn to contain roughly 75,000 voters. Each of those voters has had the opportunity to experience the pain and hassle, the traffic and construction detours caused by your approvals of developments where they live.

The only way to kneecap those 75,000 angry voters before they enthusiastically retire you from office is to have 285,827 people from other districts bury the informed electoral power of your district voters under an avalanche of ignorance.

Add this to your gerrymandered redistricting and the extent of de-democratization in Sarasota County becomes clear. This is not about Dems versus Republicans. It's about undermining Democracy itself. 

When the voters tell you to refrain from placing Single Member District voting on a costly special election ballot, listen to them, Commissioners. Do not approve any special election without itemizing in complete detail how many of our tax dollars will be needed if this bureaucratic tantrum is exercised.

Very truly yours,

Tom Matrullo 

Citizen of Sarasota County

Sarasota voters want single-member districts

OPINION: Sarasota voters want single-member districts

May 26, 2021 Herald Tribune

Pat Rounds and Bill Zoller

In November 2018 – in a countywide referendum to amend the county charter – Sarasota County voters approved the election of commissioners by single-member districts by an impressive 60% margin across all five districts.  

Board of Sarasota County Commissioners

To get such a mandate requires support from Republicans, Democrats, and No Party Affiliation independents. Voters were clear that they wanted district-level representation and accountability.

Last November three county commissioners were successfully elected by single-member district in Sarasota County. Yet just two weeks later the same county commission began to sow seeds of doubt about district-level representation.

With only three of five commissioners elected by single-member districts – and before allowing voters several election cycles to decide whether they prefer single-member districts to At-Large voting – our commission has intervened and asked the Charter Review Board to review single-member districts.     

Here's why this is a bad idea:  

• Nineteen other Florida counties – both smaller and larger than Sarasota County – currently elect commissioners by single-member district. Like Sarasota, voters in these counties recognize the value of direct representation; it requires a commitment from commissioners to serve the best interests of the entire county. 
• The Florida Legislature and the U.S. Congress are elected by single-member district. Would our county commission suggest that the Legislature convert to At-Large voting, which would allow Miami-Dade County voters to help decide who represents Sarasota County in Tallahassee? Not a chance.
• In 2018, 60% of Sarasota County voters endorsed single-member districts. Now – nearly three years after the fact – our commissioners are suddenly citing a few anecdotes about voter confusion with the ballot language? The county commission should post the 2018 single-member district ballot language on the county website. Why? Because it would remind everyone just how clear and concise the language was –and it would remind everyone that voters were not confused when they endorsed single-member districts.
• Ironically a current county commissioner previously served in the Florida Senate – and was elected to that seat by single-member district. If election by single-member district was OK back then for this current commissioner, why is it a problem now?

Sarasota County voters deserve accountability from all of their elected officials, and in 2018 the voters spoke clearly on how they want their representatives to be elected. Stoking doubts about our chosen election system does a disservice to Sarasota County's voters. That's why the Charter Review Board should reject any unseemly effort by the Sarasota County commissioners to undo the voters’ will.

Pat Rounds is the past secretary of the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections. Bill Zoller is the past president of the Council on Neighborhood Associations.

Voting in the Dark

Early voting in Sarasota County begins August 8, and Vote By Mail ballots are already out in the community. Yet with important public offices to be decided on August 18, where are our local media?

Mike Moran l, Alan Maio, r.

District 1 incumbent Mike Moran is running against Mike Hutchinson in the Republican Primary.





Constituents might recall a few things:

Mr. Moran  

• Voted for the gerrymander ("redistricting") that moved black voters out of District 1 -- and white voters in;
• Voted to approve Benderson's super-sized Siesta Promenade;
• Voted to to allow hotels like the one Gary Kompothecras plans on Siesta Key;
• Voted in 2017 for James Gabbert's dump at the Celery Fields.

Moran also

• Claimed he didn't know about the rotting pipes that spilled a billion gallons of wastewater at the Bee Ridge Plant in District 1;
• Instigated and voted for the amendment that makes it virtually impossible for residents to amend the County Charter;
• Enjoys the backing of Carlos Beruff, Randy Benderson, Jim Gabbert, Pat Neal and other major developers.

If Moran prefers to avoid journalists who'd ask hard questions about his record, that's politics.

But wait - none of our media are asking those questions: No debates, forums, or Q & A's have been held or scheduled for the District 1 race. Is a sitting County Commissioner being excused from the public spotlight?

These are important races. We've seen Mike Moran in action. Not an endorsement, but where's the media on his primary opponent Mike Hutchinson?

In the absence of real journalism from the Herald Tribune, WWSB-Ch. 7, SRQ and the Observer Group, it's on us. Either we do our own research, or we're voting in the developer-sanctioned dark.

See the County Commission Candidates page on CDPSarasota.org

Be Prepared: Lucas on protecting your vote

Adrien Lucas:


1) Get registered to vote ASAP if you're eligible.

2) Confirm your voter registration once EVERY month to make sure:

a. that you haven't been purged from the voter roll.
b. that your voter information is accurate and updated.
c. that you know where your polling place is located.

3) If your state or county offers Early Voting, find the days/times/locations and make a personalized Election Day plan based on your life and schedule.

4) If your state or county offers Absentee/Vote By Mail ballots, sign up to receive them and make Election Day arrive conveniently in your mailbox.

5) If your state has political party affiliation restrictions on who can vote in presidential preference and primary elections, make sure you know those dates and notify your local elections office about your political party affiliation before the deadlines.

6) Florida operates with a 'closed primary' voting and elections system - that means the state only allows party affiliated voters to cast ballots for all of the partisan races in the presidential preference and primary nomination elections.

If you want to vote in the 2020 Florida presidential preference and primary
nomination elections, you MUST be eligible to vote AND register your political party affiliation with your county Supervisor Of Elections office no later than 29 days before that election. There is no cost or obligation associated with registering your political party affiliation with your SOE office.

You may change your political party affiliation with your SOE office at any time. Registering or changing your political party affiliation with your SOE office does NOT mean that you have 'joined a political party' - one joins a political party as a separate process, typically with a payment and a pledge to the local/county/state political party chapter.

You have no fiscal responsibility or individual obligation to fulfill to any political party by making a party preference affiliation with your SOE office, it is simply an administrative record telling a non-partisan government agency which party ballot you wish to participate in for the presidential preference and primary nomination elections.

Florida Primary Nomination Election is August 18, 2020 - you must register/note/switch your political party affiliation by July 20, 2020.
Florida General Election is November 3, 2020 - you must register by October 5, 2020.

And if you have ANY questions about any voting or election law or policy ASK ME ANYTHING/ANYTIME you want, day/night 24/7. I know a lot, and what I don't know I'll be able to find out quickly and easily.

—————

www.sarasotavotes.com
www.votemanatee.com
https://registertovoteflorida.gov/en/Registration/Index
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

Single Member Voting and Citizen Power

Community activist, blogger and WSLR radio host Cathy Antunes talks with Pat Rounds and Bill Zoller about the big changes to how we vote in Sarasota County, and the reaction from the developer-controlled political operators. Rounds and Zoller describe the new non-partisan group, Citizens for District Power. (If you wish to find out more about this new group, just drop an email to Citizens4DistrictPower@gmail.com.) They spoke at Fogartyville on Feb. 25, 2020.  

The first video of the set is below. You'll find the full discussion and Q & A with the very engaged audience at Fogartyville here.

Further dimensions of the single member voting issue:

When an amendment to switch Sarasota County elections to Single Member District Voting was presented on the ballot (thanks to citizens like Kindra Muntz, Pat Rounds and many more who dedicated hundreds of hours obtaining 15,000 verified signatures on a petition that changed the structure of County elections), the pushback from developers was immediate and intense. Read about that in

The Syndicate Strikes Back.

For more on the intricate way that developer money has infected and infested Sarasota's local elections for years, here's Antunes on Dark Money.

The Case for Single Member Districts - Kindra Muntz

Click images to enlarge:

Advocate: Unanswered Questions on county's bungled redistricting effort

Source: ScGov.net

To the Sarasota County Commission:

Below is information copied from the Redistricting page on scgov.net. It includes an official acknowledgment of the public participation in the selection of an Alternative District map, and the timeline to complete your redistricting project.  

Since the first public Open House on 9/18, additional disturbing information has been disclosed which warrants shutting down this early redistricting exercise. Yet your timeline suggests that flawed population methodology and appearances of compromise will not halt your quest to dictate the future of county voters.

Please respond to the following requests:

·      The County acknowledges the contributions of 2000 residents in the input survey, but at your meeting on October 7^th, you essentially dismissed the map preference selected by 90% of the respondents. Please account for this inconsistency.  

“…From Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, Sarasota County Government held five redistricting open houses as well as circulated an online public input survey. We appreciate your feedback — more than 2,000 public input forms were submitted. Read all the input submitted below….”

·      What is the agenda for your “special meeting” on October 30, 2019?  There are no details in the list of Next Steps at the end of this message, although other dates in the redistricting timeline specifically indicate an action or purpose.  On October 30^th:

o   Which maps will you consider---those “citizen” maps enhanced by Kurt Spitzer which show two Commissioners living in the same District—noted by red dots (See link and attachment: Waechter/alias Smith, former Commissioner Mason, Miller and Thomas)? Or will you display even more map options similarly unviewable on screen at a public meeting? 

Please be specific, since there’s an impression that the “Smith” map (aka Bob Waechter) may  serve as the template for the final District map. 

o   Has Mr. Waechter ever participated in configuring District maps for the County Commission in the past, e.g., post-2010 Census?  

o   How will the public be involved in your process---as spectators or active, meaningful participants? You touted this process as interactive and fair.  When will that happen?

o   By October 30^th, will you have shared your District boundary preferences privately with the consultant for a second time? If so, will you divulge what you shared since you also promised to be transparent?  

o   Will you accept additional map boundary ideas from political operatives identified by name or alias?  If so, please expound.

o   Will you go on record and dismiss the flaws discovered and confirmed by subcontractor Richard Doty, a recognized population expert at BEBR, the organization which provided the methodology for your contractor’s population study?  

o   Will you explain how it’s acceptable to demean justifiably concerned citizens by referring to them as “white noise”, when they include the Herald Tribune, Venice Gondolier Sun, SRQ Daily, the League of Women Voters and various City Commissions in Sarasota County?  

Since the “special” meeting on 10/30 is still two weeks in the making, I look forward to receiving your responses in a timely manner. 

Or, better yet---Finally do what’s best for your constituents and tell everyone that you’re waiting until after the 2020 Census to draw new District boundaries.  Displaying this questionable endeavor in plain sight does not make it right, and does not serve the public interest. 

Pat Rounds, 

District 1

Redistricting

Next Steps

• Oct. 30  - BCC Special Meeting on Redistricting

o   Time: 1:30 p.m.

o   Location: Commission Chambers, 1st floor in Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

• Oct. 26 - Advertise Nov. 5, 2019, Notice of Public Hearing to adopt map.
• Nov. 5 - Board action to adopt district boundaries and associated map.
• Nov. 10 and 17 - Advertise district boundary map adopted on Nov. 5, 2019.
• Nov. 19 - Board action to approve minutes from Nov. 5, 2019, including adopted map and acknowledge proof of publication for inclusion in the Nov. 19, 2019, minutes.
• Dec. 10 - Board approval of minutes from Nov. 19, 2019, acknowledging proof of publication of adopted map.

UPDATE: 9.11: Commission to unveil new district voting maps - SEE MAPS BELOW

Surprise! Surprise!

With slow and no response to public records requests and with minimal public notice, Sarasota County will unveil its proposed new District-level maps next week. All this stems from the Board's decision in April to explore reconsideration of the boundaries of the five county districts, in light of the new Single Member Voting.

Please attend the County Commission meeting Wednesday morning 9 AM:

County Administration Building

County Commission Chambers, 1^st Floor

1660 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota

Why this matters: Cathy Antunes

Show your opposition to this “plan”. An Open to the Public session will 

precede the Redistricting discussion. See you on Wednesday!

 <<<<BREAKING NEWS: Here are the maps Spitzer will present Wednesday:>>>>

Note: Above maps courtesy of Rachel Hackney of the Sarasota News Leader

Wednesday 9.11: 9 a.m. at the County Commission 1660 Ringling Blvd:
Open to the Public

Kurt Spitzer

Kurt Spitzer, redistricting consultant hired by Sarasota County with a no-bid
contract, will review the “alternative” District maps created with private 

input from individual County Commissioners.
How’s that FL Sunshine Law workin’ for ya? 

Board of County Commissioners Agenda: Page 1
1. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – (Three-minute time limit per person.)

How open is it?  From The Sarasota News Leader:

Additionally, county Media Relations Officer Drew Winchester
confirmed with staff that, as of late afternoon on Sept. 4, three of the
commissioners — Charles Hines, Nancy Detert and Christian Ziegler —
have scheduled one-on-one telephone conversations with the consultant
who is handling the redistricting initiative for the county,
Kurt Spitzer of Tallahassee. The Sarasota News Leader

Will this telephone conversations be recorded? Will it be known how long
they lasted, what was discussed?

While the consultant and commissioners huddle over the phone preparing their own maps, the information needed by and promised to the public is being withheld.

Is it ignorance or incompetence?

It isn't ignorance. The commissioners were told during the final open to the public comments on August 27 that the deliverables from Spitzer and Associates (block-level GIS data) were not publicly available.

It might be incompetence. 

County staff says, "The [block level] data was in an Aug. 2 memorandum from Spitzer to the County Commission." 

The memo, however, does not contain the county-wide block needed by the public to produce their own redistricting maps. Instead, it provides info for "key growth blocks by district."  

Despite repeated public records requests from several citizens, as of September 5, the County and Spitzer had provided block-level population data for only:

1. 6% of the population (23,153 out of an estimated 417,000 Sarasota County residents)
2. 1% of the blocks (92 out of about about 7,500 Sarasota County census blocks) 

Finally on Sept. 6, a public records request for block data from The Sarasota News Leader was responded to. According to the county,  the entire block data spreadsheet is now here.

By the deadline [contract deadline July 31] , just one of the deliverables below -- Part (c) -- was delivered -- two days late, on August 2.

Part (b) was provided to the public late on September 6

Spitzer & Associates has not fulfilled their Task 1 contractual obligations, and the county has been laggard in providing the data necessary for the public to prepare alternate maps. (see below)

If it's not incompetence, they know exactly what they're doing -- withholding information to prevent an informed public response to the maps being presented on September 11.

Image of districts formerly used on BCC web page

===

By the deadline, just one of the deliverables below -- (c) -- was provided:

Copies of Task 1 Deliverables from SC PO #193092.. Vendor: KURT SPITZER AND ASSOCIATES INC...Including:  

(a.) GIS - The 2010 and 2018 population estimates in file geodatabase or shapefile format at the 2010 Census Block level of geography. 

(b.) Spreadsheet - Block-level results will be summarized by commission district and exported to Excel format. 

(c.) Report – A narrative report describing the methodology used to update the 2010 Census data. THIS WAS PROVIDED 

(d.) Map - A “heat map” in PDF format showing 2010-2018 growth by block. It will be shaded semi-transparent with imagery as a base. Commission district boundaries will be shown. A table summarizing the population estimates by BCC District will be included on the map showing the following 2018 information:  

 BCC District number Average (mean) population  Actual population Deviation from the mean Percent deviation White population and Percent white population Black population and Percent black population Hispanic population and Percent Hispanic population Other population and Percent other population.

“Transparent” redistricting of Sarasota County in 2019?

The Sarasota County Commission is currently assessing the need to redistrict our county in 2019---which could change the boundaries of our five voting districts BEFORE the scheduled 2020 US Census.  If you think that citizens should play an active role in this process, contact our County Commissioners now!

Source: Sarasota County

Last November, voters in Sarasota County sent our County Commission a clear message. In all five Districts, voters overwhelmingly approved more direct and accountable representation from our County Commission. Starting in 2020, each Commissioner will be elected solely by the voters in his/her Voting District -- a major change from the past countywide voting system.

But in the meantime, our current County Commission is considering making changes to our Voting District boundaries this year--starting in early May. Commissioners (including two up for re-election--Mike Moran/Dist. 1, Nancy Detert/Dist. 3, and one departing due to term limits--Charles Hines/Dist. 5)  would orchestrate this process themselves rather than taking the course recommended by the League of Women Voters/Sarasota County: Empanel an independent, expert committee of citizens who are not seeking public office.  

The LWV also stated that when "diverse stakeholders are left out of the redistricting process, it’s more likely that elected officials will choose their voters than voters will be empowered to choose their elected officials."  Link

At minimum, any County-level redistricting process must be fully transparent and should include input and feedback from county residents from start to finish.  In advance of Commission discussions or decisions, residents should know key background information--including: 

·  What universal criteria determine the need to redistrict---FL Statutes, etc? 

·  Which standardized data sources will be used to determine current population (US Census, other?) 

·  What methods and software will be used to "balance" each district?  

Such questions have been posed to Sarasota County, but not answered. Waiting until County staff delivers a report to the Commission in early May is not adequate or appropriate. Residents and voters should not be passive bystanders in this process. We need answers to key questions before the May meeting, preferably at a public, interactive workshop. 

A news report on the County Commission meeting on April 9th indicated that Commissioner Detert proposes that Commissioners "make this the most open, transparent and, frankly, televised exercise that the county's ever been through." "...Additionally, Detert said, “I think we all need to work on restoring the average person’s faith in their own government."

Please act now. Words and promises alone mean little. Send a message to our five Commissioners at https://www.scgov.net/government/county-commission-bcc. We the People must play a key and active role in the County redistricting process. Your vote is your voice.  

Kindra Muntz, President, Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections

Bill Zoller, Past President, Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Assoc. (CONA/Sarasota)

Pat Rounds, Past Sec'y, Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections

Related links:

BCC Rules of Procedure - Exhibit A to R2019-024 

BCC District 1

BCC District 2

BCC District 3

BCC District 4

BCC District 5

BCC Voting Precincts 

The Board of Sarasota County Commissioners may be reached at commissioners@scgov.net.

Michael A. Moran District 1 (Vice Chair)	Christian Ziegler District 2	Nancy C. Detert District 3	Alan Maio District 4	Charles D. Hines District 5 (Chair)