Redistricting is Being Decided NOW

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Our Future Voice In Congress On The Line Right Now! Jacob Turk has been our man on the scene where the redistricting mess is concerned. Many of the links below go to his campaign site where he has been making periodic blog entries to keep us up-to-date with what has been happening. Thank you, Jacob! I doubt very many of us would know half of what we do about this without you! The atrocious Congressional redistricting maps proposed by our Republican leadership in Jeff City are now being manipulated in a conference committee to iron out their differences. With no KC area State Representatives and 3 of the 5 State Rep committee members from the St. Louis area, it does not bode well for conservatives in Jackson County. Our only hope is to get your State Senator and State Rep to vote against the splitting of Jackson County between the 5th and 6th Districts which is nothing more than a Cleaver Protection Plan mandated from DC. Call them now and let them know you will remember their vote on Congressional redistricting come the Republican primaries in 2012. Tell your State Senator and Rep they must vote 'No!' to splitting Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, and Independence to win your support for 2012. At this point, our best outcome is Missouri Congressional redistricting gets thrown to the Federal courts with no map. It is our only hope for a fair, competitive map for all Missourians. You must call now! We've received word that they may vote late tonight, 4/21, or early tomorrow! Here are links giving you background on where we are and how we got here. Remember our Republicans are the ones doing this. Redistricting Hits The Fan This Week How does the new 5th protect Cleaver? The Political Case For Redistricting Redistricting Update Summary What You Can Do For Fair Redistricting Open Letter To MO State Senators On Redistricting Who Is Emanuel Cleaver And Why Is My State Senator Protecting Him? The Constitutional Case For Redistricting  Here are the links for finding contact info for your State Senator and Representative: http://www.senate.mo.gov/11info/senalpha.htm  http://www.house.mo.gov/member.aspx 4/21/2011 Don't forget! The KC Flash Mob for Charity benefiting Marine families in need is this Saturday at 10:00 to noon on the Richards-Gebaur base. Bring non-perishable food items or grocery gift cards to: Family Readiness Office 9th Marine Corps District 3805 E. 155th St., Bldg 710 Kansas City, MO 64147-1309 There are about 35 Marine families in need right now and I'm personally asking for your help. There's no need to feel like you have to bring a ton of stuff or spend a lot of money. A lot of people working together on this will acomplish much. Thanks! It's the funnest "mob" you'll ever join! Thank you for standing up for liberty! We appreciate your sharing your email with us at a live event you attended! Unsubscribe deannacat.kctea@blogger.com from this list. Our mailing address is: First Tuesday Press 1524 SW Fredrick Dr Lees Summit, Missouri 64081 Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2011 First Tuesday Press All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile

FTP - Akin vs McCaskill??? & Flash Mob Update

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Akin vs McCaskill??? Senator McCaskill's rubber stamp has worn thin. Congressman Todd Akin, 2nd District Missouri, is currently considering taking on Senator Clair McCaskill in the 2012 election. I don't know much about Congressman Akin, so I'm not ready to give him glowing praise just yet, but he is a co-sponsor of Senate Bill S13, the FairTax Bill. I am looking forward to hearing him speak. With all the hype surrounding the GOP's field (or lack thereof) for the White House run, those considering  down ballot elections are wise to get an early start. Claire is a darling of the Democrat Party and Congressman Akin will have his work cut out for him should he choose to run, but as long as Claire continues to open her mouth on the public airwaves his job should get a lot easier. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has released a scathing video related to the Senator's air transportation fiasco. You can check out Congressman Akin's voting record here and Senator McCaskill's is here. This Thursday evening, Congressman Akin will be the featured speaker at the monthly FairTax meeting held in Kansas City. The meeting is open to the public and a light dinner will be served. Career Education Systems Ward Parkway Shopping Center 8600 Ward Parkway, Suite 130 Kansas City, MO 64114 Check in and food service begins at 6:30 pm Congressman Todd Akin begins the program at 7:00 pm Please join us in getting to know Congressman Akin.   KC Flash Mob Update A food and gift card drive for Marine families in need. Can you help? Saturday, April 23 from 10:00am-noon a charity Flash Mob will descend on the old Richards-Gebaur base! There are currently about 35 Marine families in need. You don't need to bring a ton of groceries to participate (though if you want to, that's great!) even a few cans or small grocery store gift card is enough. We're doing this to show support for our hard-working Marines and their families. When: Saturday, April 23 at 10:00 Someone will be in attendance until noon, so if you can't make it right at 10:00 don't let that stop you! Where: Family Readiness Office 9th Marine Corps District 3805 E. 155th St., Bldg 710 Kansas City, MO 64147-1309 Map Thank you for your help and we'll see you Saturday morning! 4/20/2011 Thank you for standing up for liberty! We appreciate your sharing your email with us at a live event you attended! Unsubscribe deannacat.kctea@blogger.com from this list. Our mailing address is: First Tuesday Press 1524 SW Fredrick Dr Lees Summit, Missouri 64081 Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2011 First Tuesday Press All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile

FTP - Please HELP pass SB 113 ! Survey inside!

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. It's NOT About Puppies... I know you're sick of hearing about "the puppy mill thing," but it's important, so please bear with me. We can still fix this, but we need a little help. by Deanna Henry If you were reading FTP and other publications like it during last fall's election season, you're aware of the deceptive tactics used by the Human Society of the United States in the promotion and eventual passage of Prop B aka the "puppy mill bill."  For those who missed our reports I'll include additional information on the HSUS below. Just for the record, I myself nor anyone associated with FTP, supports "puppy mills." It is an abhorrent practice that is an embarrassment to our beautiful state. However, any and all laws pertaining to animal enterprises need to be fair, equitable, and without interferance from any special interest group. Anything less is an even bigger embarrassment. Missouri District 28 State Senator Mike Parson introduced SB113 which modifies the Animal Care Facilities Act and the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act in an effort to provide some amount of protection for good breeders, farmers and others in agricultural and animal based businesses that the groundwork laid by Prop B can be used to disrupt or destroy. Thankfully, this bill HAS passed the Senate and is now in the House. Unfortunately, some of our well-intentioned legislators have failed to understand the true purpose and meaning of the original Prop B initiative caving in to pressure being applied by the HSUS, the president of which, Wayne Pacelle, visited Jefferson City several times during this session in an attempt to apply that pressure personally OR are concerned about media and public backlash. Conversations with various legislators have led myself and other contributors to understand that our representatives are very concerned with being seen as going against the will of the people in changing or overturning the law. The concern seems to revolve primarily around how the media will report on the action. It's a legitimate concern given the state of our media. However, having the political backbone to do the right thing regardless of the personal fallout is, I believe, what people in this country are looking for in their leadership. We at FTP step out and proclaim our beliefs frequently and we take flak from the readership at times, but we don't stand down when we think we're right and neither should our representatives. When courts overturn ballot box results it is widley considered judicial activism and is generally frowned upon by conservatives. Rightly so. The same bad taste can happen when state legislatures attempt the same type of action. However there is a sound argument that by identifying problems and seeking legal and often material remedies, legislatures are activist by their very nature. Therefore, when a legislature attempts to overturn or alter voter approved statutes because deception or fraud is suspected it is a correct action. A very correct action. It is my opinion that when any special interest group, no matter their ideology, launches a campaign to create changes in Missouri law and uses deceptive or fraudulent tactics to gain victory, it is not just the right of the legislature, it is their duty to take remedial action. Show Me The Money Originally Prop B, the poorly named Puppy Mill Prevention and Cruelty Act, did not call for any funding from the state. Ask yourself what the purpose of such a law could be when there is not one thin dime provided for enforcement? How does that work exactly?  Is there something else intended? Introduced by District 85 Representative Cloria Brown,  HB 746 calls for the inclusion of a check off box on tax forms and the ability to send additional funds via check for specific use to fund the law's provisions. Prop B did not call for funding on its own, but the inclusion on this companion legislation could potentially raise the funds needed to harrass breeders both good AND bad. How YOU can help! SB113 has already passed the Senate, though the emergency clause failed, and is now moving into the House for consideration. I was told late last week that the House may not have the votes for passage of SB 113. Why? Because they haven't heard much about this side of the issue from voters. We MUST change that this week. Please contact the Representatives as soon as possible. The session resumes today, Monday 3/28.  If possible, contacting multiple Reps, especially those in urban areas, is crucial and especially helpful. Use the poll , no matter your opinion. A letter is being drafted stating opposition to the original wording and intent of Prop B,  the furure use of Prop B as a springboard to regulate other animal enterprises, the HSUS using Missouri's ballot initiative process in a blatant attempt to disrupt and destroy Missouri agriculture based business, and stressing support of SB113. These poll results will be included. If you wish to submit testimony to be included with the letter, please email it to us ASAP or use the provided text box in the poll itself. What's so bad about the HSUS? This is NOT the Humane Society running your local animal shelter! As you will see in the video in the sidebar, the HSUS does not run ANY shelters themselves at all and, in fact, sends less that 1% of all those millions they've raised with their designed-to-guilt-trip commercials is actually sent to shelters! So much for being dog's best friend! The Humane Society of the United States is a far-left special interest group hell bent on their vision of making each and every one of us a vegan. Don't believe it? Virtually ALL of the top leadership in the HSUS came from PETA. Last fall we ran a series written by Nancy Kraus Womack detailing the HSUS and their grand ideas. Those articles are available at these links. Part 1: World's Collide Or The Futile Effort to Have a Reasonable Argument With The Animals Rights Proponents and Prop B - Part II: The Money Trail, The Players and Their Strategies Another GREAT resource on the HSUS truth can be found at HumaneWatch.org  Thank you for your help on this issue and thank you so much for all the forwarding you do of these newsletters! It's appreciated more than you know! 3/28/11 PLEASE HELP! Short Notice! After reading today's article, take the survey below so we can let the Missouri legislature know the results ASAP! We need YOUR feedback! A Missouri farming advocacy group has released this hard hitting video exposing the HSUS! Short and to the point.  MOFED to the RESCUE! MoFed has been on the ball during the Prop B battle. Please visit their site for additional, in-depth information. Recently, MoFed sent this letter to their membership and associates to keep them up to date with Prop B. Included with the letter were documents designed to allow breeders and other animal enterprise owners to help in this fight. They are quite instructive and I encourage you to read them and forward the information on to anyone you know that has an animal enterprise. Notice to the FBI of Alleged Violation of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Affidavit requesting that the USDA reverse its decision or be enjoined from releasing private financial, personal, privledged information about animal enterprises to the HSUS. Interim Guidance to breeders and animal enterprise owners on using the above documents.  Did you realize how narrow the margin was for Prop B passage? Prop B passed with only 51.6% of the vote. If only we'd had another week of getting the word out, the HSUS would have been shown the door in Missouri! Interactive map. Park Hill School Board Candidate Forum Tuesday, March 29th, 6PM, Room 110 at the PH District Office, 7703 NW Barry Road Naturally, FTP has something to say about it. We'd like to take a moment to introduce you to our picks. This document gives good reasons as to why David Cox, Timothy Thompson, and Chris Seufert should be elected to the Park Hill School Board. Each one of these gentlemen wants to make a difference in our world and the education of our children is a wonderful place to start. Each belive that fiscal responsibility is of the utmost importance and that the single most important item for the  academic achievement of our children is attracting and retaining top quality teachers. This seems to be in direct opposition to current leadership who apparently think that spending millions of extra tax dollars on having the "greenest" possible elemenary school is a top priority. If you live in the Park Hill School District, please consider voting for these three candidates on April 5th. Don't live in the PHSD, but know someone who does? Please forward this information on. Thanks. Calling Clay County! Did you know you have an amazing new resource for finding out THE TRUTH about what is happening in your community? Published by a group of local citizens http://www.claycotruth.com/ is a brand new source of news and information just for Clay countians! Check it out! And don't forget that Political Meanderings in Clay County provides fresh insight to the news of the day!

FTP- KC Council Recommendation for Tuesday and more...

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. KC City Council Race Well, it's here. Tuesday, March 22 is the day that Kansas City decides it's fate. With so many elections on the slate this spring it has been extremely difficult to keep up with what is happening in so many races, however Nancy Kraus Womack, a regular contributer to FTP, has submitted her picks for your perusal. The sample ballot is available here. Once again, we have judges on a ballot and no reliable way to evaluate them that we can find. If anyone has any idea on how to find good information on municipal court judges please let us know. By the way, the mayoral race appears to all of us to pretty much to be liberal vs. liberal. There really isn't a hair's worth of difference between Burke and James, though Burke DID make the Green Dragon forum.. City Council Race/Northland Voter Turnout Will Make the Difference By Nancy Kraus Womack These are the candidates I am supporting. The Northland has the power now to make a difference in our city government! Even the "Falling" Kansas City Star says so. Why don't we choose some bold, innovative people for once? Remember, you can vote for any candidate with 'at large' behind their name. We need to get out in big numbers next Tuesday MARCH 22 and vote for these candidates. Daina Kennedy 1st District AT LARGE Facebook Midwest Democracy Project Allen Dillingham 2nd District AT LARGE Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project Brandon Ellington 3rd District AT LARGE Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project John Crawford 4th District AT LARGE Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project Charlie Angel 5th District AT LARGE Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project Tracy Ward 6th District AT LARGE Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project Aaron Benefield 2nd District Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project I listened to these candidates recently at a forum sponsored by the Green Dragon Conservatives. Please visit their site for videos of the all the candidates answering questions. The incumbent council members were smug and condescending and had NO IDEA'S. The candidates above, are all fresh, energetic and not professional politicians. I don't necessarily agree with all their positions, but they all CARE about their constituents in their Districts. A note on the incumbent, Russ Johnson, District 2---I received a perky letter on City Hall letter head at taxpayers expense, singing his own praises about all the projects he had gotten through for the Northland. Legal or not, it is BLATANT ABUSE OF THE TAXPAYERS MONEY to send out that letter a WEEK before the March 22 election. GO TO THE POLLS and VOTE MARCH 22 Thanks, Nancy Candidate information for disctricts not outlined above can be found below. I left out those who are running unopposed. Looking at the sites and Facebook pages of these folks, one thing is clear. Emmanuel Cleaver and his minions have their hooks deep in Kansas City. We seriously need new blood in this town. Please, if you live in Kansas City and can vote for any of Nancy's picks, do so. What happens in Kansas City affects the entire region. Some balance is desperately needed. 3rd District JERMAINE REED Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project SHARON SANDERS BROOKS Facebook Midwest Democracy Project 5th District KENNETH T. BACCHUS Web Midwest Democracy Project MICHAEL E. BROOKS Midwest Democracy Project 6th District TERRENCE NASH Facebook Web Midwest Democracy Project JOHN A. SHARP Web Midwest Democracy Project Kansas City Tuesday, March 22! Don't live in Kansas City? Please forward this info on to your friends and family that do. Thank you! 3/19/11 Well, that explains Obama's Rio trip... Hey, did you know that President Obama went to Rio for the weekend? Ah, Rio! What's not to love! Christ the Redeemer, the white sandy beaches, ultra skimpy bikinis, the Gulf's first deepwater oil storage... What's that? Oh, you hadn't heard about George Soros funded Petrobras getting a passing grade from our own Interior Department for a deepwater floating storage platform in the Gulf of Mexico? Huh, wonder why that wasn't on the nightly news since it's the very first one in the Gulf... and it's not OURS? Isn't that odd? North American Union Takes a Huge Leap Forward Flying under the media's Friday afternoon radar, Obama and Canadian PM Harper used their respective executive authorities to sign a declaration that is a major step toward erasing the border between Canada and the US. This happened back in February. Seen it on the news? Beyond the Border Tragedy in Japan As we all try to absorb the events in Japan over the last several days, the news seems so awful that it's difficult to even imagine what the human cost will be. However, we must remember that not all is lost and there are heroic people on the ground with stories to inspire us. Please check out the following news: Samauri Doctor: Winning the War on Filth Like Americans, the Japanese just love their pets. Witness the heroism of a canine refusing to leave his injured friend. By the way, scroll down to read the translation! It's great. The Loyalty of Friends SEIU Smackdown? French-owned company Sodexo has had enough of the SEIU and their intimidation tactics and to fight back they've slapped a RICO Act civil suit against the union. One can only wonder how many other companies have endured what Sodexo has, but were too scared and intimidated by the SEIU to do anything but cave? God bless Sodexo and may they win the day. Getting Closer! Now we have another reason to look forward to April 15th this year besides tea parties! Atlas Shrugged Part 1 is set to release in a limited fashion on that auspicious date. Watch John Stossel on Hannity last week talking about liberal Hollywood's hate and discontent over the cinematic release of the Ayn Rand classic. Be sure and peruse the site for all the latest info including this fantastic clip! The new stills are really whetting my appetite! Hank Rearden and Dagney Taggart find the mysterious motor. Hank oversees Rearden Metal becoming Taggart rails. The triumphant first train of the John Galt Line. Never read Atlas Shrugged? Order the 35th Anniversary Edition here!

FTP - 3/1 Redistricting Hearing Results and What Happens Next

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Missouri Redistricting Hearings Move Forward The Congressional Redistricting Committee hearing from the Missouri House this past Tuesday night saw over 90 patriots leaving work early and fighting traffic to get there in time. Everyone deserves thanks for participating including all the committee members, many who came from far away. Folks came to participate from Kansas City south and north of the river, Lee's Summit, Grain Valley, Grandview, Independence, Lone Jack, Blue Springs, Raytown, and Greenwood. Cass, Clay, Lafayette and Johnson counties were well represented. The audience was enthusiastic and those giving testimony well prepared and cogent. Well over 30 testified. Overwhelmingly, the sentiment was to have all of Jackson County in the 5th instead of divided into 2 or 3 Congressional Districts. There were only 4 dissenters from Jackson and even they weren't so much opposed to having Jackson together as wanting to keep Sam Graves as their rep – can't blame them, he is a good one. Several Graves constituents from both Jackson and Clay counties and several Hartzler constituents in both Jackson and Cass who made the case for having all of Jackson in the 5th even though some of those in Jackson and Clay risk having Cleaver as their Representative if the 2012 elections don't go as preferred. Remember, ALL districts in Missouri are undergoing a great deal of change in their boundries. Our last issue about the redistricting hearings has lead some of you to write back asking for additional info and to give your opinions on the matter. Some Northland residents have submitted to us complaints that they do not under any circumstances want to be part of the 5th district. This may be a completely understandable viscerial reaction to Emmanual Cleaver, but please note that while the proposed redraw involving only southern Clay county (and all of Jackson) would still lean Democrat, if this proposal is the one ultimately adopted the 5th could conceivably shift to more conservative representation as early as 2012. It's also very important to note that the redraw doesn't take effect until January of 2013, so Cleaver, or another like him, may not even need to be endured by Northlanders. It will take work on all our parts to make that happen, but a conservative held 5th would be good for Kansas City, the state of Missouri and our nation as a whole. Please check out what is currently on the drawing board. This link includes a stark visual representation of what we are trying so hard to keep from happening. It creates an even stronger 5th district for liberals by cherry picking half of Clay AND extreme southern Platte counties. Does this look like a workable situation to you? The reality is no matter what district you would end up in, having a super safe Cleaver district affects everyone because he will be working and voting on legislation that affects all patriots. We have to realize this isn't about what district our own home is in, this is about what is in the best interest of our nation for the next decade and having Cleaver, whether he politically survives or not, in a super safe district where he can continue to ignore almost all his constituents is not it. Rural vs. Urban: Different needs, different districts The folks from Lafayette, Cass, and Johnson made compelling cases for why their rural counties should not be paired with the urban, suburban, and industrial dominated Jackson County in the 5th. They have a point and, by doing so, they also made the case why Jackson is different from almost every single county that makes up the 4th and 6th Districts. The only one which is similar is Clay which is why many, many of those testifying all of Jackson County belongs in the 5th also testified that the best pairing for the last ~76k citizens needed to complete the 5th District would be as many of the areas of Kansas City north of river starting from the south end of Clay County and moving north as far as needed to include the approximately 76k residents needed. Having all of Jackson and part of Clay in the 5th would not change the 5th District politically; it would still lean Democrat. What it does do is ensure that any incumbent who gets too far from what the people want, (think Ike Skelton and Dennis Moore), or when the seat becomes open sometime in the next 10 years there is a fighting chance for the district to go Republican. Politics... as usual It is the people who put the Republicans overwhelmingly in charge of the Missouri State House and State Senate. The political class, including some within our Republican Congressional delegation, want to 'cut a deal' in giving Cleaver a challenger proof district and draw a district that does not make sense geographically or with Communities of Interest. As one young tea party patriot testified, 'Elections have consequences'. We did not work so hard and long so the folks we sent to DC or Jefferson City would protect Cleaver. The arguments for doing so sound good but are just words and do not hold water. The powerful are doing horse trading at our expense and will use any argument however thin to build their case. Why would any of our Republican Congressmen or Congresswomen agree to give away the 5th District forever to a voice for every Progressive issue they purport to oppose – Obamacare, deficit spending, debt for our grandkids, government picking winners and losers, taxpayer funded abortion, and any number of other issues? Why? Ask your Representatives and encourage them to stand up for what is right. There are some who already agree while others are fighting tooth and nail to protect Cleaver. It is time for all Patriots across the state of Missouri to lend aid. If you know folks both locally and across the state, we need them to testify when the committees are in their area. Please forward this email or ask them to logon to www.firsttuesdaypress.com to find location information and the details on redistricting they need to know. In addition to any arguments they make for their own districts, they need to mention making Jackson County whole. If they cannot make a hearing we need them to email their own State Senator and State Representative. Emailing the committee members would not be a bad idea either. Links provided below. When these committees start hearing about Jackson County wherever they go they will know the Tea Party and the conservative ascendancy wasn't just about elections, it is about what happens between elections. Because it is once a decade and the results filter through all levels of representation, Congressional redistricting is the single most important consequence of the 2010 elections. Redistricting is moving at a lightning pace and there is only two weeks left to make our voices heard. Now is the time to get involved or the political class jams Cleaver and his fellow Progressives down our throats for at least the next 10 years. Looking at the current proposal (Cook Political link above), keep in mind eastern Jackson could go to either Vicky or Sam. They are good people so please encourage both of them in a friendly way to do the right thing. Vicky's district is already super safe Republican and Sam's will get closer to that level as he picks up the north eastern tier of Missouri and if the southern portion of Clay is moved to the 5th. Please let the committee and your Representatives know how you feel by using the links provided below. Don't let any Dems fool you. It is not gerrymandering - there just are not enough Democrat votes in the middle of Missouri to get anywhere close to a competitive district for either the 4th or 6th so keep in touch with both Vicky and Sam on a regular basis to help them stay in touch. Sam works hard to do so and Vicky impressively hit the ground running to make that happen. If you can't have a competitive district the next best thing is a Representative who really listens. Let them hear you on bringing Jackson County together into the 5th where it geographically and culturally belongs. Here is the link to find the email for your State Representative Here is the link to find the email for your State Senator Here is the link for the Missouri House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting Here is the link for the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting Hearing dates and locations for House Committee Date: Thursday, March 03, 2011 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Three Rivers Community College, Westover Buidling A201, 202,203; Poplar Bluff 63901 Public Testimony on establishing new Congressional District boundaries Date: Friday, March 04, 2011 Time: 2:00 PM Location: St Louis County Administration Building, Council Chambers; 41 South Central, Clayton 63105 Public Testimony on establishing new Congressional district boundaries Hearing Dates and Locations for Senate Committee Committee: Redistricting, Senator Scott Rupp, Chairman Date: Friday, March 4 Time: 10:00am Room: Emerson Performance Center, Harris-Stowe University Public Testimony Harris-Stowe University Emerson Performance Center 3026 Laclede Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103 Committee: Redistricting, Senator Scott Rupp, Chairman Date: Monday, March 7 Time: 11:30am Room: Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, Chillicothe, Mo Public Testimony Econo Lodge Inn & Suites 1020 South Washington Chillicothe, MO 64601 Committee: Redistricting, Senator Scott Rupp, Chairman Date: Tuesday, March 8 Time: 5:00pm Room: State Capitol Building ; Senate Lounge Public Testimony Committee: Redistricting, Senator Scott Rupp, Chairman Date: Friday, March 11 Time: 12:30pm Room: UMKC 5000 Holmes Rd University Center Room 106, Kansas City, MO 64110 Public Testimony 03/02/11 Fun with the Census Redistricting in Missouri is occuring because of a loss of one seat in the US House of Representatives. Follow this link and click on Missouri on the map to see, county by county, how our population shakes out. Additional in-depth data on voting blocks, cities, etc. can be found through American Factfinder. Thank you. Your participation, forwarding of our emails, and feedback are deeply appreciated!

FTP - Critical Redistricting Hearing THIS WEEK

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Redistricting Battle Heats Up Your input is CRUCIAL. Our MO elected representatives are moving lightning fast to redraw the Congressional District lines. So: WE MUST MOVE FAST if we want to have any influence on the outcome. Redistricting will affect YOUR representation in DC (and the direction of our country) for at least the next ten years. Affected MO counties include Jackson, Cass, Clay, Ray, Lafeyette, and Platte. There will be only 2 hearings in KC to weigh in on the redistricting decisions. That is it. Tues, March 1 5:00pm Moreland Ridge Middle School 900 Southwest Bishop Drive Blue Springs, MO 64015 Fri, March 11 12:30 – 3:00pm UMKC (room to be announced) Kansas City, MO Why is this happening and what does it mean? Detailed census data has just been released and the Missouri State House and Senate Congressional Redistricting committees have started their public hearings, with the above mentioned 2 are the ONLY ones scheduled for the greater KC area. Missouri must go from 9 congressional districts down to 8, so the lines for the 4th, 5th, and 6th congressional districts all must be redrawn to add about 100,000 citizens to each of them (the goal of redistricting is for each to be approx. 750k citizens). Do you want MO's 5th Congressional District to be a “safe” district, again, for Cleaver and the Democrats, or do you want it to be drawn more competitively so we – the people – can vote in our choice instead of it being a “shoe in” for whoever the Democratic candidate is? We either move strongly and loudly to be involved or the political class will have their way. And politicians win instead of the people. Again. We need every one of you to turn out and whoever is willing to make a public statement to testify to keep that from happening! It's easier and more impactful than you think! Why? If the politicians draw the lines without citizen input, you can guarantee they'll draw the 4th & 6th as super strong Republican districts and “give” the 5th the the Democrats. Do we want that? NO! There are ways to keep the 4th and 6th Republican leaning while making the 5th more competitive. We say in 2010 that the 5th is so far skewed to Dem (64%!) that this is our chance to make it more balanced so a good candidate can be chosen by the people instead of predetermined by the political parties. What should you advocate? Here are some ideas that will make the 5th more balanced while keeping the 4th and 6th Republican districts: 1. The Committees on Redistricting are supportive of keeping “Communities Of Interest” (COI's) together. COI's are not only based on race or ethnicity, they can also be cities, school districts, neighborhoods, even churches. If you know of a COI that is currently divided by Congressional districts (like Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Lakewood, Oak Grove, or cetain school districts, etc.), you can testify that you think it should be reunited instead of split up between congressional districts. If a community is united, it has a voice with its representative. If it is divided, its voice is diluted and that is not fair representation. 2. The committee favors keeping counties intact rather than split between congressional districts. So, you could suggest that all of Jackson County to be put back together into the 5th district. (In 2000 the Democrats split Jackson it into 3 Congressional Districts to make the 5th a safe Democrat district and boy did it work!). Uniting Jackson County into the 5th Congressional District would bring school districts, fire districts, in fact, any political subdivision within Jackson County back together with one Representative. 3. Since Jackson County has only 674K residents, ~76K more citizens will have to be added from surrounding counties to get it to 750k. The other counties are Clay, Ray, Lafeyette, and Johnson. The populations of those counties are: Clay - 222K Ray - 25K Lafeyette - 33K Johnson – 53K So, one scenario to propose could be: Jackson + Johnson + most of Lafeyette or Jackson + Johnson + most of Ray This solution(s) have the smallest possible county splitting with the least disruption for the affected county as the area divided will be rural rather than urban or suburban. Only the rural northern portion of Ray or the eastern rural portion of Lafeyette would have to be in a separate District keeping all Metro area counties intact. Scenario 2 to propose: Jackson + portions of Clay This scenario unites Jackson but splits Clay to achieve uniting KCMO as one COI. It makes the second most competitive Democratic leaning District we can have in this area with the same benefits as Scenario 1. Either scenario keeps the surrounding 4th and 6th Districts strongly Republican while making the 5th a competitive District. Now is our time! THIS is every bit as important as any efforts we will make in elections for the next 10 years. The redistricting will essentially determine whether there is even any point to have a Congressional election or if the Representative for the 5th district will simply be Cleaver (or his appointed Democratic successor) by acclamation. Why should they simply be handed this seat? Please respond to this email if you want to testify. Coaching is available. Whether testifying or not, we need you to take time from your busy schedule this Tuesday and turn out in big numbers whether you live in Kansas City or ANY of the surrounding suburbs including those in Jackson, Cass, Clay, Ray, Lafeyette, and Platte. If you cannot attend please contact me about emailing the Committee. 2/27/11 A huge THANK YOU goes out to Jacob and Donna Turk who have been on top of the redistricting issue and sent out a heads up for this network wide alert.