Comments on: Senate Begins Work On Changing New Evers, Gaetz Districts http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:31:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: bob hill http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120971 bob hill Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:20:49 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120971 YEp this hole thing was a demoncat reorganize the hill folk bill to start with. YEp this hole thing was a demoncat reorganize the hill folk bill to start with.

]]> By: 429SCJ http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120939 429SCJ Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:15:27 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120939 Time to change the water in that thing David! Time to change the water in that thing David!

]]> By: David Huie Green http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120909 David Huie Green Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:00:55 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120909 REGARDING: "it’s apparent that the justices don’t know much about northwest Florida. " They don't have to know the current make up of the counties to decide whether to follow the amended state constitution or not. Originally each county had one senator no matter how large or small the county was. Then the US Supreme Court decided it violated the principle of one man-one vote even though it was based on the manner of having senators in the US Constitution. The US Supreme Court can not be legally wrong because the Constitution says so, so now they have to be more or less the same population represented per senator. That doesn't mean we will have a senator only for cities and another senator for country and another senator for blacks and another senator for Hispanics and another senator for women and another senator for men. At some point we have to vote even if the people running aren’t exactly like ourselves. The voters of the State of Florida got tired of the gerrymandering and ordered districts be compact and in line with other physical and political boundaries. Eight of the senate districts they produced failed that legal requirement. WE are hopeful they will comply with the law next time even if it means people in Pensacola get to take part in my choice for state senator and I get to take part in their choice for state senator. David for even better government than we already enjoy REGARDING:
“it’s apparent that the justices don’t know much about northwest Florida. ”

They don’t have to know the current make up of the counties to decide whether to follow the amended state constitution or not.

Originally each county had one senator no matter how large or small the county was. Then the US Supreme Court decided it violated the principle of one man-one vote even though it was based on the manner of having senators in the US Constitution. The US Supreme Court can not be legally wrong because the Constitution says so, so now they have to be more or less the same population represented per senator. That doesn’t mean we will have a senator only for cities and another senator for country and another senator for blacks and another senator for Hispanics and another senator for women and another senator for men. At some point we have to vote even if the people running aren’t exactly like ourselves.

The voters of the State of Florida got tired of the gerrymandering and ordered districts be compact and in line with other physical and political boundaries. Eight of the senate districts they produced failed that legal requirement.

WE are hopeful they will comply with the law next time even if it means people in Pensacola get to take part in my choice for state senator and I get to take part in their choice for state senator.

David for even better government
than we already enjoy

]]> By: Chris Wilson http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120900 Chris Wilson Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:41:36 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120900 I find the games being played by Senator Don Gaetz to be an embarrassment. He clearly does not have the interests of the rural voters in the Panhandle at heart nor, for that matter, does he have the interests of the people of the Panhandle at heart. He should, and could, have drawn maps that were "compact" and contiguous that went East to West by simply following a rational line such as I-10 and Highway 20. Instead, he chose to cut and curve lines that the court opinion actually said made his district meet a .16 out of 1.0 compactness test. The Evers seat was actually .74 out of 1.0 in compactness. It is apparent that Don Gaetz drew his own seat as the committee chairman to benefit himself. He is the chairman of the committee. Those of us in the agricultural business community asked him to draw these lines East to West in a manner that would protect our agricultural economic engine but met the compactness standard. Instead, he drew the lines without regard to the Constitution to protect himself. And in doing so, he has hurt the northern Panhandle beyond repair. I hope that Greg Evers - who has been a great representative of all of us in the Panhandle - does run against him. Gaetz may just find himself following in the ultimate footsteps off the ledge of Dempsey Barron who was also defeated in an election prior to his own Senate Presidency. Gaetz came to the Panhandle by way of Wisconsin and then Miami. Greg came as a 5th generation Santa Rosan. He has represented North Escambia, Pensacola, North and South Santa Rosa and North Okaloosa well. We can count on him to worry about the Panhandle, our people and our way of life. Greg, don't back down. Be the David that takes out this Goliath. We are with you all the way. I find the games being played by Senator Don Gaetz to be an embarrassment. He clearly does not have the interests of the rural voters in the Panhandle at heart nor, for that matter, does he have the interests of the people of the Panhandle at heart. He should, and could, have drawn maps that were “compact” and contiguous that went East to West by simply following a rational line such as I-10 and Highway 20. Instead, he chose to cut and curve lines that the court opinion actually said made his district meet a .16 out of 1.0 compactness test. The Evers seat was actually .74 out of 1.0 in compactness. It is apparent that Don Gaetz drew his own seat as the committee chairman to benefit himself. He is the chairman of the committee. Those of us in the agricultural business community asked him to draw these lines East to West in a manner that would protect our agricultural economic engine but met the compactness standard. Instead, he drew the lines without regard to the Constitution to protect himself. And in doing so, he has hurt the northern Panhandle beyond repair. I hope that Greg Evers – who has been a great representative of all of us in the Panhandle – does run against him. Gaetz may just find himself following in the ultimate footsteps off the ledge of Dempsey Barron who was also defeated in an election prior to his own Senate Presidency. Gaetz came to the Panhandle by way of Wisconsin and then Miami. Greg came as a 5th generation Santa Rosan. He has represented North Escambia, Pensacola, North and South Santa Rosa and North Okaloosa well. We can count on him to worry about the Panhandle, our people and our way of life. Greg, don’t back down. Be the David that takes out this Goliath. We are with you all the way.

]]> By: Duke of Wawbeek http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120894 Duke of Wawbeek Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:46:23 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120894 Chris It is refreshing to hear someone speak, who knows what they are talking about. Chris It is refreshing to hear someone speak, who knows what they are talking about.

]]> By: Chris http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120883 Chris Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:42:10 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120883 From what has transpired in the past few days, it's apparent that the justices don't know much about northwest Florida. Whereas many counties are homogenous in population density and have similar commerce throughout the county, the counties in the panhandle are predominately rural and less dense in the north, and more densely populated in the south. Where the north is more agricultural, the south is more industrial / tourist oriented. To lump the representation of the population strictly by county is akin to lumping Wyoming with New York. New York will always wind up getting the lion's share of the attention and Wyoming will get very little. I feel that a better solution for us, who live here, is to draw the lines east-west, across county lines, so that population with like needs will be represented equally. From what has transpired in the past few days, it’s apparent that the justices don’t know much about northwest Florida. Whereas many counties are homogenous in population density and have similar commerce throughout the county, the counties in the panhandle are predominately rural and less dense in the north, and more densely populated in the south. Where the north is more agricultural, the south is more industrial / tourist oriented. To lump the representation of the population strictly by county is akin to lumping Wyoming with New York. New York will always wind up getting the lion’s share of the attention and Wyoming will get very little. I feel that a better solution for us, who live here, is to draw the lines east-west, across county lines, so that population with like needs will be represented equally.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.northescambia.com/2012/03/senate-begins-work-on-changing-new-evers-gaetz-districts/comment-page-1#comment-120843 Kathy Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:04:16 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=87333#comment-120843 There you go now, our representatives can't get anything straight, or developed with a sense of honesty it will take the full house and senate. They were re-districting to make their hands richer off our backs. There you go now, our representatives can’t get anything straight, or developed with a sense of honesty it will take the full house and senate. They were re-districting to make their hands richer off our backs.

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