Cheh's Ward 3 ANC Gerrymandering

[Anonymous]

Every 10 years following the census, DC ward and then ANC boundaries are reviewed. However, this year there's something fishy going on with Councilmember Cheh's ANC redistricting task force. First of all, the task force is top-heavy with three members appointed from one ANC area (ANC 3C-Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, McLean Gardens) with no other ANC having more than two members and some having just one. Second, all three of the members appointed from ANC 3C are affiliated with the Smart Growth lobby. One of the three chairs "Cleveland Park Smart Growth" and another's spouse serves on the board of the same group. At least one also is a director of the Ward 3 Vision development advocacy group. One even has a professional background working for anti-democratic candidates, as a GOP operative who worked with Paul Manafort in Ukraine to help a Putin ally stage a comeback to Ukraine's presidency and as a founder and business partner in Trump's national polling firm. At a time when the Trump wing of the GOP is using extreme tactics to shape elections in 2022 and 2022, why is Cheh allowing a small group to apply GOP gerrymandering to reshape our local ANC districts? The agenda seems clear: to be elect more ANC commissioners who will support an agenda for tall and dense development in Ward 3 and to squeeze out commissioners who want more balanced growth.

[Anonymous]

If you wanted to volunteer on this committee, you too could have responded when the call went out for volunteers. Instead, you are choosing to sit behind the cloak of anonimity to weigh your tin-foil hat theory at the windmills.

You can watch the recordings of the open meetings and see the actual dialogue of all the participants. You can also weigh in if you feel there is something inaapprporiate happening.

I, for one, have watched some of it, and I think they have a serious approach and are offering solutions that will make the future ANC's in the ward that much more effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you wanted to volunteer on this committee, you too could have responded when the call went out for volunteers. Instead, you are choosing to sit behind the cloak of anonimity to weigh your tin-foil hat theory at the windmills.

You can watch the recordings of the open meetings and see the actual dialogue of all the participants. You can also weigh in if you feel there is something inaapprporiate happening.

I, for one, have watched some of it, and I think they have a serious approach and are offering solutions that will make the future ANC's in the ward that much more effective.

We are aware of Ward 3 residents, including former ANC commissioners, who did volunteer for the redistricting panel. They are not part of the Smart Growth developer lobby and were not selected for the panel. Cheh and/or her chief of staff have shaped this task force to favor political outcomes sought by a well-organized and funded special interest coalition. You'd think at least that Cheh would be more alert to the optics of the Trumpy association of her redistricting panel and the perception, if not reality, that extreme GOP-style gerrymandering tactics are being brought even to local neighborhood council elections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you wanted to volunteer on this committee, you too could have responded when the call went out for volunteers. Instead, you are choosing to sit behind the cloak of anonimity to weigh your tin-foil hat theory at the windmills.

You can watch the recordings of the open meetings and see the actual dialogue of all the participants. You can also weigh in if you feel there is something inaapprporiate happening.

I, for one, have watched some of it, and I think they have a serious approach and are offering solutions that will make the future ANC's in the ward that much more effective.

So you deny the various connections to Trumpworld of one of the redistricting panel members? Or just dismissing them as "fake news"? They hardly provide Ward 3 residents confidence that this will result in a fair, pro-democratic outcome.

[Anonymous]

Democrats trying to weasel votes away from other democrats.

I love it.

[Anonymous]

Ya, that is what I am trying to figure out. What exactly can be so radically changed as to be material to upset someone? There was some new development since 2010 that will force some changes in borders. This was covered in the Forest Hill Connection last week.

Last time, in 2011, there was a push to break up ANC 3D, which has 10 single member districts in it. However, since a number of 3D commissioners were on the panel last time, they opposed it so nothing changed. I woiuldn't be surprised if this time, they created on ANC that was focused on MacArthur Boulevard and another more focused on Mass Ave. That seems it would make perfect sense.

Other than that, there are a few census tracts that need to be moved to conform with the new numbers. What exactly is OP concerned about that would be so concerning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you wanted to volunteer on this committee, you too could have responded when the call went out for volunteers. Instead, you are choosing to sit behind the cloak of anonimity to weigh your tin-foil hat theory at the windmills.

You can watch the recordings of the open meetings and see the actual dialogue of all the participants. You can also weigh in if you feel there is something inaapprporiate happening.

I, for one, have watched some of it, and I think they have a serious approach and are offering solutions that will make the future ANC's in the ward that much more effective.

So you deny the various connections to Trumpworld of one of the redistricting panel members? Or just dismissing them as "fake news"? They hardly provide Ward 3 residents confidence that this will result in a fair, pro-democratic outcome.

What would be a fair outcome versus an unfair outcome?

[Anonymous]

Tonights open meeting is being streamed online. Just like all of the others. Tune in!

[Anonymous]

It was interesting and just as I posited, a focus on corridors and breaking up 3D. In all, it is a sound foundation for the next 10 years. I am curious as to what the OP finds objectionable about this.

[Anonymous]

It’s blatant gerrymandering to cut out the voices- voters and ANC reps - who are interested in more reasonable growth in Cleveland Park. Members of the Task Force have not been shy about sharing their pro-development agendas and undermining historic preservation in Cleveland Park for years. People whose views differ volunteered for the Task Force and were rejected. The folks behind the gerrymandering don’t like the opinions held by many of the voters who live in homes between Wisconsin and Connecticut so their solution is to cut half of them out of having any say about what happens in Cleveland Park below Reno Toad/34th St. It doesn’t seem to bother the Task Force members that citizens being cut out send their kids to the public school on 34th St and will no longer have an ANC rep who has a vote over what happens at the school, or the traffic surrounding the school. (The Task Force member who lives in Cleveland Park sends his kids to private school). The Cleveland Park citizens being cut out rely on the fire station and Metro on Connecticut Ave and frequent the stores and restaurants in Connecticut Ave. The Task Force is severing a long established and cohesive neighborhood for their own selfish political agenda. Sheer stupidity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s blatant gerrymandering to cut out the voices- voters and ANC reps - who are interested in more reasonable growth in Cleveland Park. Members of the Task Force have not been shy about sharing their pro-development agendas and undermining historic preservation in Cleveland Park for years. People whose views differ volunteered for the Task Force and were rejected. The folks behind the gerrymandering don’t like the opinions held by many of the voters who live in homes between Wisconsin and Connecticut so their solution is to cut half of them out of having any say about what happens in Cleveland Park below Reno Toad/34th St. It doesn’t seem to bother the Task Force members that citizens being cut out send their kids to the public school on 34th St and will no longer have an ANC rep who has a vote over what happens at the school, or the traffic surrounding the school. (The Task Force member who lives in Cleveland Park sends his kids to private school). The Cleveland Park citizens being cut out rely on the fire station and Metro on Connecticut Ave and frequent the stores and restaurants in Connecticut Ave. The Task Force is severing a long established and cohesive neighborhood for their own selfish political agenda. Sheer stupidity.

From what I’ve seen the “voices who are interested in more reasonable growth in Cleveland Park” will make it so that there aren’t any more stores and restaurants on Connecticut Avenue to frequent, if they haven’t already.

[Anonymous]

The people being cut out of representation use those restaurants and stores on Connecticut Avenue and are part of the neighborhood. There’s an absentee landlord problem. Smart Growth gang are the highly organized tools of big developers desperate to eek out every last penny for their own profit at the expense of our neighborhoods and communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s blatant gerrymandering to cut out the voices- voters and ANC reps - who are interested in more reasonable growth in Cleveland Park. Members of the Task Force have not been shy about sharing their pro-development agendas and undermining historic preservation in Cleveland Park for years. People whose views differ volunteered for the Task Force and were rejected. The folks behind the gerrymandering don’t like the opinions held by many of the voters who live in homes between Wisconsin and Connecticut so their solution is to cut half of them out of having any say about what happens in Cleveland Park below Reno Toad/34th St. It doesn’t seem to bother the Task Force members that citizens being cut out send their kids to the public school on 34th St and will no longer have an ANC rep who has a vote over what happens at the school, or the traffic surrounding the school. (The Task Force member who lives in Cleveland Park sends his kids to private school). The Cleveland Park citizens being cut out rely on the fire station and Metro on Connecticut Ave and frequent the stores and restaurants in Connecticut Ave. The Task Force is severing a long established and cohesive neighborhood for their own selfish political agenda. Sheer stupidity.

How is it cutting out the voices?

You will have TWO commissions dealing with the issues. If anything, that is MORE voices.

You seriously have some issues around this process that are wildly off the mark.

[Anonymous]

Wrong. The ANC rep for the part of the neighborhood between Reno/34th and Wisconsin - the only ANC rep we get to vote for - will be cut out of having any day on the many issues arising from the area between Reno/34th St and Connecticut Ave.

[Anonymous]

Any say