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Redistricting Comm'n Advocates Tell Cambodian Community Unjust District Lines Diluted Their Voting Voice; Say Proposed Charter Amendment Could Correct Historic Injustice; New Grassroots Group "People Of Long Beach" (POLB) Cautions Charter Amendment's Text Quietly Allows Mayor/Council Tilt


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(Aug. 4, 2018, 11:25 p.m.) -- Advocates of a City Charter Amendment that would create a Redistricting Commission empowered to redraw Council district lines starting with the 2020 census told an August 4 community meeting in LB's Cambodia Town that former City Councils had drawn district lines that diluted the Cambodian community's voting voice by splitting the community among four Council districts (6, 4, 1 and 2) and said a proposed Redistricting Commission Charter Amendment could correct that historic injustice.


Charles Song translates during presentation by attorney Marc Coleman and Alex Norman, PhD (Equity for Cambodians)

Attorney Marc Coleman (whose community involvement dates back to the 1980s-1990s Long Beach Area Citizens Involved/LBACI) described how former LB politicians sometimes egregiously drew Council district lines to try to maintain their power and undermine challengers.

Dr. Alex Norman, DSW, displayed a map that he said shows that nearly 52% of LB's Central LB Cambodian community lives in an area that could be formed into a single Council district.


Mr. Coleman said previous Councils had created the 6th district to reflect the area's African-American population, and the 1st district was drawn to reflect its Hispanic population, and in similar fashion, the City should have a Council district reflecting Central LB's Cambodian population...and Dr. Norman added that a similar process should be applied to other communities in Long Beach, noting the political principle that "If you're not at the table, you'll be part of the menu."

Charles Song translates information about a potential new "Cambodian" community Council district.

Also present at the meeting were Sylvia Moore and Dan Vicuna of CA Common Cause, a non-partisan non-profit Sacramento-based policy advocacy group with an L.A. office. Mr. Vicuna presented an overview of reasons why the process of drawing election district lines is among the most important issues in the electoral process.

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The meeting brought more than 50 people to the MAYE Center on Anaheim St. just days before the City Council (Charter Amendment Committee) is scheduled to meet on August 7 at 3 p.m. to vote on whether to conduct a special November citywide election on the Redistricting Commission Charter Amendment plus four other Charter Amendments sought by Mayor Garcia.


The four other measures include creation of an "Ethics Commission" whose majority would be chosen by the Mayor and City Auditor and would have a significant role in deciding who could serve on the line-drawing Redistricting Commission.

That issue was squarely raised by Carlos and Juan Ovalle, co-founders of a newly formed grassroots group "People of Long Beach" (POLB), who voiced concern over enabling an advisory Commission chosen (and removable) by the Mayor and the Council serve as a "screening committee" in deciding what applicants can, or can't, become members of the line-drawing Redistricting Commission (detailed process on pdf pages 13-14 at this link


Juan Ovalle of People of Long Beach (POLB) voices concerns about lack of independence in Charter Amendment text governing selection of Redistricting Commission members

Messrs. Ovalle urged representatives of CA Common Cause (Sylvia Moore and Dan Vicuna) not to support the Redistricting measure as currently written.

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POLB has also come out in opposition to Mayor Garcia's proposed Term Limits Charter Amendment that would let the Mayor and Councilmembers avoid term limits for three years instead of two.

Following the meeting, Juan and Carlos Ovalle (who live in the 8th and 7th districts respectively) told LBREPORT.com that POLB has met the leaders of a number of prominent LB grassroots groups, found common ground with them on a number of issues and plans to become an active voice in addressing city issues in a non-partisan manner.

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In response to the Ethics Commission issues raised by POLB, Dr. Norman said he has similar concerns about the independence of the Ethics Commission and he is waiting to see how the issues are addressed regarding the Redistricting measure text.

In response to a question from LBREPORT.com, Mr. Vicuna said CA Common Cause hasn't taken a position on the Mayor's Ethics Commission or the other measures at this point but is working with the Mayor's office on the matter.

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Councilman Al Austin was present at the start of the meeting but exited early; his Chief of Staff, Jonathan Kraus, remained through the entire meeting. The Mayor's Chief of Staff, Mark Taylor was present for most of the meeting.

In November 2017, Councilman Austin agendized a Council item (passed 7-0) asking the City Attorney and City Clerk to provide options for creating a Redistricting Commission and an Ethics Commission and asked the Mayor to schedule meetings of the Charter Amendment Committee to discuss the issue within 60-90 days. It didn't happen. Instead, Mayor Garcia unveiled Redistricting Commission text in June that drew opposition from Mr. Coleman and members of the Cambodian community who said it didn't provide sufficient safeguards against electeds redrawing their own district lines. Mr. Coleman said the Mayor's office responded by inviting him to provide the text of a better measure, which he and supporters did...and he credited the Mayor's office for putting their text forward.

Dr. Norman, who'd compiled the population data, said "we aimed for the moon and got the stars." .



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