Nine districts for MoCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with pp. Now everyone has a Council member that represents them plus a couple at large members. This would mean one person only.

The money behind the group pushing for this are Republicans and Developers (please don't, we'd like to KEEP the Ag Reserve!)

The problem is that if most of the At Large members are from one area, then it's a lopsided representation. And not everything thinks the Ag Reserve needs to be kept the way it is.

Why is that a problem? Those are the candidates who got the most votes. If candidates from Clarksburg or Germantown or Potomac were able to persuade enough voters to vote for them, then they would get elected. There's nothing magical, or cheating, about living in Silver Spring. Nine Districts For MoCo is saying, "Well, I can't win under these rules, therefore these rules must be changed so that I can win."

Indeed it's true that not everybody wants to keep the Ag Reserve the way it is. Developers, for example, would love to be able to build subdivisions in the Ag Reserve. Which is why they're helping to fund the campaign.

I mean clearly it’s not a problem if you live in Silver Spring or Takoma Park. If you live in less populous areas, it’s hard to overcome their votes. This is the whole reason we have an electoral college.

You assume that people are voting for candidates on the basis of "I live in Silver Spring and so do they, I will vote for them." That's ridiculous. Instead of whining and trying to change the rules, candidates from the upcounty or west county could try (1) broadening their message to appeal to non-upcounty/west county voters and (2) getting people in the upcounty to vote. Unlike the electoral college, that's how democracy is supposed to work.

It’s not a ridiculous assumption. Your interests in Silver spring are far different than mine further out in the county. You will vote according and thus likely always win. It’s why we have a mix of popular and electoral votes. You keep saying “oh just get more people to vote your way” but it’s not that simple. It’s much harder to get the votes out in less populous Clarksburg than Silver Spring. It’s not rocket science.

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I live up in the upcounty near you.

If the upcounty voters voted at the rate that downcounty voters voted, candidates from the upcounty would get elected. Stop complaining about Silver Spring and make sure your neighbors vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

Not well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

Not well.

So why do you think it would be better if your ONLY representative on the county council were your district county council member?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

Not well.

So why do you think it would be better if your ONLY representative on the county council were your district county council member?

Because it would eliminate the at-large members and the voice of my representative could be heard. Right now 7/9 live down county. It would spread those out. Also, I’m not weighing in on my current representative in this issue, so that doesn’t really matter. I’m talking about the structure, and I believe nine districts reflects the county more accurately, and will allow better future representation in my area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

Not well.

So why do you think it would be better if your ONLY representative on the county council were your district county council member?

Because it would eliminate the at-large members and the voice of my representative could be heard. Right now 7/9 live down county. It would spread those out. Also, I’m not weighing in on my current representative in this issue, so that doesn’t really matter. I’m talking about the structure, and I believe nine districts reflects the county more accurately, and will allow better future representation in my area.

Why isn't the voice of your representative heard now? And why would you even want the voice of your representative to be heard, if you believe that your representative doesn't represent your area well?

Of course your current representative matters, unless you think that having 9 districts versus 5 districts will somehow magically ensure that your district representative in future will always be good.

I mean, that's what I really don't get. The upcounty Republicans who are pushing for this (along with the downcounty developers) can't stand their current representative in most respects. They barely even concede that he actually lives in the upcounty (keeping in mind that he lives in Germantown, which is upcounty by any reasonable definition). And yet they're pushing for a system whereby somebody from Germantown (most likely) would be their only representative? It makes no sense, unless they're planning also to gerrymander - which they can't do, because there is zero possibility of them having a majority on the County Council when redistricting happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am strongly for it because I don’t feel my area is well represented. After watching the school board elections, it’s clear which areas of the county are running the show.

How well do you feel your current district county council member represents your area?

Not well.

So why do you think it would be better if your ONLY representative on the county council were your district county council member?

Because it would eliminate the at-large members and the voice of my representative could be heard. Right now 7/9 live down county. It would spread those out. Also, I’m not weighing in on my current representative in this issue, so that doesn’t really matter. I’m talking about the structure, and I believe nine districts reflects the county more accurately, and will allow better future representation in my area.

Why isn't the voice of your representative heard now? And why would you even want the voice of your representative to be heard, if you believe that your representative doesn't represent your area well?

Of course your current representative matters, unless you think that having 9 districts versus 5 districts will somehow magically ensure that your district representative in future will always be good.

I mean, that's what I really don't get. The upcounty Republicans who are pushing for this (along with the downcounty developers) can't stand their current representative in most respects. They barely even concede that he actually lives in the upcounty (keeping in mind that he lives in Germantown, which is upcounty by any reasonable definition). And yet they're pushing for a system whereby somebody from Germantown (most likely) would be their only representative? It makes no sense, unless they're planning also to gerrymander - which they can't do, because there is zero possibility of them having a majority on the County Council when redistricting happens.

This makes no sense.
The Issue is not who has been voted to represent my area, that person will get voted on in a separate election. That person is not forever. The structure, and having nine districts, is what is the issue here. I hope, at some point, to have a better representative. Separate the structure from the currently elected people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This makes no sense.
The Issue is not who has been voted to represent my area, that person will get voted on in a separate election. That person is not forever. The structure, and having nine districts, is what is the issue here. I hope, at some point, to have a better representative. Separate the structure from the currently elected people.

Well, sure. But there's no reason you can't have a better representative with the current County Council structure - unless you define "a better representative" as "a Republican" AND believe that you can somehow successfully gerrymander the County Council district map so as to actually get one Republican elected to the County Council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This makes no sense.
The Issue is not who has been voted to represent my area, that person will get voted on in a separate election. That person is not forever. The structure, and having nine districts, is what is the issue here. I hope, at some point, to have a better representative. Separate the structure from the currently elected people.

Well, sure. But there's no reason you can't have a better representative with the current County Council structure - unless you define "a better representative" as "a Republican" AND believe that you can somehow successfully gerrymander the County Council district map so as to actually get one Republican elected to the County Council.

I don’t disagree. But it has little to do with the topic that was posted (nine districts). I can vote on nine districts when it comes up, which is what the OP asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s already an existing thread please let me know.

I’m curious, if you’re strongly for or agains nine districts for moco could you explain why? I’m trying to understand the implication of this structure switch to figure out whether I support.

If you're strongly for the nine districts for Montgomery County idea, chances are that you're a Republican who believes this is the only way to get a Republican on the County Council. Which it won't even do anyway, unless you do a lot of gerrymandering of council district boundaries.

I don't know if people believe that. But Democrats who are a little less liberal than the Silver Spring/Tacoma Park contingent should see it as a chance to break up that majority down there who's doing a lot of stuff much of the County doesn't agree with.

Look, Marc Elrich had a property tax increase recommended in the FY21 budget. The only reason, the "only" reason, it didn't go anywhere was because of COVID.

The sad part about a win for the 9 district idea is that Gabe Albornoz will probably lose in a new election. He had the lowest number of votes of the at-large individuals, and he's the most rational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s already an existing thread please let me know.

I’m curious, if you’re strongly for or agains nine districts for moco could you explain why? I’m trying to understand the implication of this structure switch to figure out whether I support.

If you're strongly for the nine districts for Montgomery County idea, chances are that you're a Republican who believes this is the only way to get a Republican on the County Council. Which it won't even do anyway, unless you do a lot of gerrymandering of council district boundaries.

Not necessarily. Democrat here but I’d prefer liberals with less socialist view. Strongly in favor of nine districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery county is so large that I do think each region should have its own representative. Most of the current counsel lives in Takoma Park and I feel that although they have good intentions, they don’t truly understand or able to advocate for what is best for my area. The needs of my area are the same as the needs for the close in suburbs and that’s just a fact. Politically I don’t understand what the repercussions would be for having nine districts.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there’s already an existing thread please let me know.

I’m curious, if you’re strongly for or agains nine districts for moco could you explain why? I’m trying to understand the implication of this structure switch to figure out whether I support.

If you're strongly for the nine districts for Montgomery County idea, chances are that you're a Republican who believes this is the only way to get a Republican on the County Council. Which it won't even do anyway, unless you do a lot of gerrymandering of council district boundaries.

Not necessarily. Democrat here but I’d prefer liberals with less socialist view. Strongly in favor of nine districts.

No, you're not, because 0 out of the 9 council members are socialists. And certainly not the one from the upcounty. Do you even live in Montgomery County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with pp. Now everyone has a Council member that represents them plus a couple at large members. This would mean one person only.

The money behind the group pushing for this are Republicans and Developers (please don't, we'd like to KEEP the Ag Reserve!)

The problem is that if most of the At Large members are from one area, then it's a lopsided representation. And not everything thinks the Ag Reserve needs to be kept the way it is.

Why is that a problem? Those are the candidates who got the most votes. If candidates from Clarksburg or Germantown or Potomac were able to persuade enough voters to vote for them, then they would get elected. There's nothing magical, or cheating, about living in Silver Spring. Nine Districts For MoCo is saying, "Well, I can't win under these rules, therefore these rules must be changed so that I can win."

Indeed it's true that not everybody wants to keep the Ag Reserve the way it is. Developers, for example, would love to be able to build subdivisions in the Ag Reserve. Which is why they're helping to fund the campaign.

I mean clearly it’s not a problem if you live in Silver Spring or Takoma Park. If you live in less populous areas, it’s hard to overcome their votes. This is the whole reason we have an electoral college.

You assume that people are voting for candidates on the basis of "I live in Silver Spring and so do they, I will vote for them." That's ridiculous. Instead of whining and trying to change the rules, candidates from the upcounty or west county could try (1) broadening their message to appeal to non-upcounty/west county voters and (2) getting people in the upcounty to vote. Unlike the electoral college, that's how democracy is supposed to work.

It’s not a ridiculous assumption. Your interests in Silver spring are far different than mine further out in the county. You will vote according and thus likely always win. It’s why we have a mix of popular and electoral votes. You keep saying “oh just get more people to vote your way” but it’s not that simple. It’s much harder to get the votes out in less populous Clarksburg than Silver Spring. It’s not rocket science.

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I live up in the upcounty near you.

If the upcounty voters voted at the rate that downcounty voters voted, candidates from the upcounty would get elected. Stop complaining about Silver Spring and make sure your neighbors vote.

How do you presume to know where I live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If the upcounty voters voted at the rate that downcounty voters voted, candidates from the upcounty would get elected. Stop complaining about Silver Spring and make sure your neighbors vote.

How do you presume to know where I live?

Then you tell me where "further out in the county" is, in terms of Montgomery County geography.