Roger Jenkins - Start At Compass Points; Peter Goldberg - Here to Compliment the Board

Roger Jenkins after testifying

 [These two are out of order.  I was trying to get the pictures up and posted a couple of others before them.  Probably nearer to John O'Day.] 





Roger Jenkins, Anchorage LIO.  I have some general comments.  Geographer from UW in 1970 had equal contiguous districts - seven, seven, and three.  Start from points of the compass and work toward the center.  Center in Alaska is Anchorage.  I liked your last plan and could follow it nicely.  See some of the same things coming into all these.

 Downtown, Spenard, Sandlake, not compact and contiguous.  Your plan last year had some interesting things.  I suggest districts 36,37.38.39 could be change simply.  Option B would put 36 with Aleutians and if started in 38 and 39, because 39 starts way over in Chitina, if just up Yukon to Nome and took south of that going down to Chignik, 38 and that ends up with a Calista 37 district and as much of river delta.  I think it balances out I really appreciate your efforts in all this.  My perspective  - not that you don't have the contraints of the VRA you could draw nice districts.  To the extent that you get away from square districts in Anchorage you won't fit the rules.  Haven't had a chance to look at them all.

Torg

Peter Goldberg:  Resident of ER.  Sure your board hears its share of complaints.  I won't.  Think you did the right thing waiting for SC to register.  I understand some of ER shifted to Chugiak.  I think you did a good job.  Sometimes people need a compliment.

Kelly Walters - Board's Incompetence Led To Supermajority/ Schulte Likes AFFER

Kelly Walters

Kelly Walters - Anchorage.  Can't say I'm pleased to be here, over the footdragging, incompetence, footdragging.  I think it was partisan, gerrymandered, I feel elections important.  The Board failed to make plan legally for 2014, which resulted in Republican supermajority which resulted in illegal legislation
SB 21 and the Cruise ship law which usurped the citizens initiative
Secondly, questioning myth that Democrats did this before.  The last Board was three unaffiliated, one Democrat and one Republican.  They were challenged and we had a legislature that PPT was passed and Corrput bastards and Bill Allen.

I hope we can move forward and can produce a Constitutional election.

Torg:  Thank you Mr. Walters for your testimony.  Time now 3:51 we'll stand at recess. 


Bruce Schulte - phone - voter in South Anchorage.  Thank the Board for waiting for SC decision.  Briefly, live in 21.  Redistricting well formed, and state constitution.  Support AFFER plan, and from my perspective as voter and layman, think it's good.

Torg; 3:55 and Board is in recess. 

Torg:  It's now 4pm and we will return until Monday at 12pm in Fairbanks.  Adjourned until Monday. 

ARB - Photos 2 - Calista team, Valdez Mayor, Aleutians East, Native American Rights Fund, Sen. Meyer, Brian Hove

The Calista team - (l-r) Tom Begich, Marcia Davis, and Steve Colligan.

ADN reporter Rich Mauer in the background.











Valdez Mayor David Cobb after testifying.  Board members (sitting) Bob Brodie and PeggyAnn McConnochie and ADN photographer Erik Hill (standing) in the background.

Aleutians East Borough rep Ernie Weiss after testimony.  This adds, in the background, Board Chair John Torgerson in the blue shirt and attorney Michael White. 

You can also see the transcriber on the left. 

Natalie Landreth of the Native American Rights Fund.  She pointed out to the Board that though Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is not in force now, Section 2 is.  And contrary to some media reports Section 2 does not require intent.  It too is evaluated on impact on protected groups. 

Senator Kevin Meyer testifying.  He likes the AFFER map. 

Brian Hove of Anchorage District 19, liked AFFER revised map. 












There's more on each of these folks testimony in previous posts.  I'll try to get the pictures into those posts, but this will have to do for now.  There's about 15 minutes left. 

Brian Blessington Wants NE Anchorage Consistent and Lois Epstein Wants Assumptions Of All the Maps

They start and stop as people show up or call in.  Trying to catch up.  


Brian Blessington  - recent UAA grad, questioning NE districting Muldoon consistency, not to redistrict away from our education centers.
White:  ????

3:28, we'll stand in recess.

Lois Epstein - Anchorage engineer.  Last time board rejected mycomments for a

non-partisan map.  The court has thrown it out.  Undercuts Boards support from public.  I asked the Board basis for the map, I was told the Constitution.  Asked why the differences between the map told it was too complicated.
I do GIS as part of my work.  Board needs to use first Borough boundaries.  Most important.  After key house and then Senate districts.  Then the boards can deal with discrepencies int he number and then SE integration.

All assumptions for drawing the maps including those by outside parties, should be made clear.  A professional should work on these instead of having untrained doing this.  I urge the Supreme Court and governor to appoint a special master for this process. 

Recess.  There's about 20 minutes left.  You could call in if that's not enough time to get here.  I think this number should get you through:  1-855-463-5009

John O'Day Likes New AFFER, But Where's The Sunshine?

John O'Day - I'm in favor of plan AFFER as printed today.  Life Long registered Republican, Anchorage, supervoter.  Questions?
Torg:  None
O'Day:  What happened to the sunshine?

Teleconference. 

Leila Weisz Is Upset; Jerry Ahwinona Wants a Fair Process and Thanks The Board

Leila Weisz - regular citizen who votes.  My confidence in this process is low.  Not an attorney, but it seems like you're making it harder than it used to be.  Looks more and more like political gerrymandering.  ADN says time for a master.  Court is your boss.  You've been fighting them.  Instead of arguing with them and dragging your feet.  If you'd been an employee you would have been fired long ago.
You're understaffed.  You should have hired an executive director.  The woman army veteran you rejected was perfect.  The paper made it sound like you rejected her because she was a Democrat.
I appreciate  the opportunity to express my opinion.

Torg: next

Jerry Ahwinona - from Anchorage on behalf of myself.  Thank the board for taking public testimony, I appreciate your efforts and wish they will be fruitful and redistricting fair and equitable and that the Board takes concerns of public and we have a fair 2014 election.  that we can agree on a fair map.  Last effort ... Voting Rights Act, but this year more focused on Constitutional aspects of our redistricting.  Thank the board for their service and have a great day.


Torg:  2:51 and we'll go on recess and get back as people show up. 

These were both by phone. 

2:22pm Pat Abney Wants Board To Hire a Full Staff

Patricia Abney - Been Anhorage resident for 53 years.  Urge you to comply with Court orders so Alaskans have fair redistricting.  And that you hire a full staff so we have open hearings.  We do not want antoher election under an illegal plan unconstitutional because no time.
Make maps accessible to download.  Board should be non-partisan so illegal gerrymandering doesn't occur. 

Here's Pat Abney talking to Randy Ruedrich after her testimony. 

There are now only three other people besides me in the audience. 

Board members Marie Green and Jim Holm are neither here at the hearings nor connected by teleconference. They may be listening in but aren't participating.

Redistricting Board Public Testimony Photos 1 - Beginning And AFFER Maps

Stacks of the plans - there were 11 that were accepted at last weeks meeting.  Then there were three more added as of yesterday.  And then apparently there were a couple more today. 

The audience a little after 10am. 

Randy Ruedrich getting tech help the computer ready for his powerpoint of the AFFER plan.

Larry DeVilbiss, Mayor of Matsu testified along with Randy Ruederich in favor of the AFFER plan. 

AFFER Revised statewide plan.  You can click and enlarge this.

AFFER Revised Anchorage Plan

AFFER Revised Fairbanks Plan

There was strong emphasis by the AFFER folks on how they kept the deviations (in population from one district to another) extremely low.  I think it was 1.44% overall.  This is a good thing in terms of 1 person 1 vote, but since they were allowed up to 10% statewide overall last time, it seems that as long as it's under 4 or 5% over all it should be fine and deviation shouldn't overshadow other issues.  However, I haven't had a chance to look at the plans carefully to see the impact.  And there is no analysis of the maps.  No one has said or been asked how the plans affect incumbents which is really a question that everyone has. 

Three More: AFFER is Great. Keep It The Way it Is. Don't Cut Airport Heights in Half.

I was going to put up pictures, but three more testified.


Steve Strait - West Anchorage, life-long Alaskan, I vote.  This is the fifth Census period we've done since statehood.  The fifth event, and now in the digital age, I call this edition 5.2.  Thank you for allowing me to be here.  Talking on behalf of Alaskans for Fair and Equitable Redistricting.  It's hard to overlay your process and the Muni of Anchorage.  My recommendation is to leave it the way it is. 

I'm amazed at how close the AFFER plan allows the districts to be so equal in population.  In the end it's so close.  I don't think we've ever been that close in Alaska.


Hope Nelson - Anchorage since 1964.  When we get down to only 1percent.  We'll never be perfect.  I think we should go ahead and get this passed?

Torg:  Any particular plan?

Nelson:  I like it the way we have it.  Just a little tweak.

Torg:  1:40 we'll take a recess.
PeggyAnn McConnochie:  We have one more.
Torg:  Wait, The lines are hot. 

Rebecca Kurtz:  Looking at 12new maps, some cut my neighborhood Airport Heights in half, but please don't do that.  I'm sure it's a real challenge, but don't cut Airport Heights in half.

Torg:  1:42  we'll stand in recess. 

A Few More - Deborah Williams, SJ Klein, and David Morgan

Deborah Williams - Representing myself.  Have lengthy history with process and Rights Coalition.  A few remarks:
1.  Make sure Board includes as one option, the last map that the Rights Coalition included and happily read in the the newspaper that you are still accepting submissions.  It meets the Constitutional requirements and I still believe it is the best one available.
2.  All suffer from C problems.  None of the Board options have intact Matsu and Kenai - split when you need not.  Entitle to 5 intact and Kenai to 3 intact.  Don't think any of your plans witll be found constitutiona.
Couldn't find analysis to support your plan.  You have so many plans ont he table,  Very diversionary, hard to focus on aplan.  If you continue, narrow to one or two and give plan an opportunity to give public hearing to talk of those plans.  Not meaningful without analysis and with short time to see the plans.
Really think it is time for a master.  So many problems including not hiring a qualified executive director.  I hope court says best move is to hire a master.
Our consitution and state best served by having board step aside and having a master. 

SJ Klein - President of Fairview community council, but not representing them.  Specifically with plan A splits our neighborhood down Hyder.  One of the historic neighborhoods in Anchroage, community council, redistricting in way that splits us among several districts does us great harm and would recommend against.  We have two issues
1.  SE disadvantaged area.  Desire to have a rep that takes needs of entire neighborhood into account
2.  Line right through Hyder, splits neighboor in half, conflict between two reps in one neighborhoo.  One rep having one view and the other another where both should be together.  CC hasn't yet taken up the issue, but anumber of us want to be one contiguous neighborhood.  I appreciate opportunity to testify. 
Exec Board first thursday in July. 
Torg:  Send us your testimony when the council meets, thank you.

David Morgan - LIO - 2170 STanford Drive, Rogers Park cc member.  Looking at AFFER map you are adding a few more voters into 15.  I don't see any problem with that I've worked on elections.  Not too much problems.  A few people showed up at wrong places.  You are adding just a few people to our district, I think from 13.  It's minor.  Less than three minutes.

STand at ease until next testifier.