MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 CENSUS CHANGES

 MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021 CENSUS CHANGES

This week, I’m going to talk about the census and related issues.

As a retired Information Systems Professor, the census has interest for me.

The 1870 Census took 11 years to tabulate.  And, during the 1870s there were a large number of immigrants.  The Census Bureau dreaded the 1880 census - would it take 15 years to analyze?  

But, Hermann Hollerith had an idea.  Information could be coded onto some kind of paper and sorted appropriately counted.  That concept became the “punched card” (or, the Hollerith punched card).  When I learned to compute (COBOL), I did it on punched cards.  For all I know, there may be punched cards still in production someplace.  

That process made 1880 manageable and the data was available in a much shorter time.  Hollerith left the Census Bureau and with some friends started the Dayton Tabulating Company.  That company grew and had its name changed to “International Business Machines” - or IBM.  The term “Data Processing” had its heyday, but largely has been replaced by Information Analysis (or Information Systems).

*****

In the 2020 United States Census, Texas gained two House of Representative seats.  Only six states gained seats, and Texas was the only one to gain TWO seats.  (Note every state has at least one representative in the House of Representatives and two Senators).  More populous states have more than one representative.  California has 53 representatives.  Texas will now have 38.  If a bill comes up for a new water reservoir in South Dakota there is only one representative to defend the action.  If a water reservoir bill included new dams in California and Texas, there are 91 representatives involved.

That means that Texas - indirectly - will have potentially more influence in national politics.  

But, unfortunately, it may take several years and several courts battles to get it all worked out.

A story in the Texas Tribune notes:

“Decade after decade, federal courts have found that Texas lawmakers discriminated against voters of colors during their mapmaking by working to intentionally dilute the power of their votes, and lawmakers' maps have regularly violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. The 2021 round of political mapmaking will be the first in nearly half a century without federal oversight that was meant to shield voters of color living in states with a long history of discrimination, like Texas, from discriminatory maps.”

The concept of drawing political district maps to favor one party over another is called “gerrymandering”.  One source said “Two principal tactics are used in gerrymandering: "cracking" (i.e. diluting the voting power of the opposing party's supporters across many districts) and "packing" (concentrating the opposing party's voting power in one district to reduce their voting power in other districts.” 

So a couple of precincts in the Austin area are very strongly affiliated with political party A. By careful redrawing of precinct and congressional district boundaries, maybe that district might be close to 90% of party A (a “sure” seat in congress for party A).  But, this might allow nearby districts to get to (say) 55% for political party B instead of a close 51% majority of voters registered for part B - so by creating a solid seat for party A, the boundary drawers created two (or three) stronger districts for party B.  

Note - this happens with both major political parties.  In a state where the Republicans are predominate, the districts are redrawn to help Republicans; in a state where the Democrats are predominate, the districts are redrawn to help Democrats.  (Today’s illustration shows an example of gerrymandering when a very stretched out congressional district put lots of parties A together to help keep other districts nearby to probably vote for party B.  

Frequently, minorities like Hispanics and Blacks are grouped together - and this gets those blacks and Hispanics out of districts that might have more White population.  

Not wanting to be too political, to me the suggestion might be to have an artificial intelligence application draw the maps - so that each district is about the same size, each district is a reasonable shape (not stretching for miles as the illustration shows).  

That should be impartial (to have computerized applications redraw the districts), but those in power want to use the map drawing app to favor their party.  But, if the redrawing is too radical (like the illustration), it will probably be challenged in the courts. Court battles can go all the way to the Supreme Court and be costly to the state governments.

So, if I am affiliated with one of the parties and want my vote to count, by aligning me in a district where 85% are aligned to the other party negatives my vote.  Likewise, if I am put in a district where 85% are aligned with my party my vote doesn’t do much either.

What is fair?  My bias is that “fairness” is frequently self-motivated.  As I have written before, the only “fair’ tax is a tax I don’t pay!!  (So, keep raising that cigarette and tobacco tax because I don’t smoke or use tobacco).  

Let the computer divide on natural lines - city boundaries, county boundaries, even school district boundaries - and keep the areas reasonably cohesive and uniform.

But, that isn’t going to work in today’s political climate.  

Fortunately, my eyes are fixed elsewhere.  The Biblical statement, “Some trust in chariots (or political boundaries), and some in horses (political parties), but I will trust in the name of the Lord our God”. (Psalm 20:7). 

Can I live in a country with party A in control or party B in control?  Sure I can.  But, do I like the animosity and fighting that goes on between party A and party B?  No, I don’t.  

Where are the statesmen? (or women), that put the whole county and all people first - over party?  

Recently the big infrastructure bill passed Congress - seemingly with bilateral support.  Why can’t we get together?

LOVE WINS!!  Love one another!!  Love your enemies!!  Love your neighbor as yourself (even if he or she is of a different political view - aren’t they also Americans?) 

I may return to this topic as the court battles occur - and I anticipate they will.  Maybe our political leaders can get together and pray for wisdom and pray for our entire country before they act on the redistricting.

LOVE WINS!!

Karen