When St. Clair County board members vote up or down on the latest redistricted political map next Tuesday, they will be sealing the direction of county governance for the next decade.
While we've lost count on the exact number of maps that have been introduced by board chairman Kern - (the first one was so egregiously gerrymandered we think it might have even made some Democrats blush) - the latest presented Nov. 8 was no fairer. Among other things, it reduces the size of the board from 29 to 28. Can you guess which political party will suffer the loss of a seat?
Most flagrantly, the proposal does not reflect a 10-year population decrease of approximately 15,000, nor does it reflect eastern population shifts within the county.
Republican Michael Butler of O'Fallon makes the best point about how a fair process should work: "What we want to see reflected in this map is an accurate adjustment based on the data. We’re not asking for a map that is a Republican majority or a Democrat majority — we’re asking that it is fair and that it accurately represents the changes throughout the county and that gives voters a chance to be heard."
The upcoming Nov. 16 vote is a crucial one, thought it's not the only remedy to the county Democrats' unconstitutional power grab. A pending legal challenge in federal court is very much active and on solid ground.
But, in the meantime, you can let board members and chairman Kern know what you think of their proposal. Cheryl Mathews, chair of the county GOP organization, encourages voters to let their voices be heard: "Call and email the following county board members and tell them to vote no on Mark Kern's unconstitutional map!"
Chairman Mike Kern 618-825-2203 mkern@co.st-clair.il.us
Email (all county board members) at countyboard@co.st-clair.il.us, and these Democrat members:
Robert Allen Jr (618) 274-8898
Harry Hollingsworth
Willie L. Dancy (870) 476-1126
Lonnie Mosley (618) 874-7814
Roy Moseley (330) 327-2129
Marty Crawford (618) 398-6507
Curtis McCall Jr (618) 420-8375
Steve Gomric (618) 604-4545
Ken Easterley
Scott Greenwald (618) 632-2274
Ken Sharkey (618) 570-7092
Richard Vernier (618) 660-8455
Robert Trentman (618) 751-1746
Jerry Dinges (618) 277-3222
CJ Baricevic (618) 978-2817
Scott Tieman
Susan Gruberman (618) 978-9818
Jana Armstrong Moll (618) 235-1373
Richie Meile (618) 691-9854