According to the San Diego Charter, members of the Independent Redistricting Commission have to demonstrate that they can operate in a nonpartisan fashion in drawing the lines. So of course you’d think that the judges who selected the commissioners would ask about previous partisan affiliation. Nope. Not at all. Not one question in the public written forms or the oral question and answer period addressed the issue of past or present partisan affiliation.
Today I read in SD CityBeat that the “impartial” redistricting staffer (who in fact has some pretty serious Democrat affiliations herself) blocked a question at a public forum from a interested citizen about the past or previous partisan affiliations of the commissioners. Here is the pull from the CityBeat article:
“Were you or are you now an activist for a union or political organization? A simple yes or no,” he asked.
(Midori) Wong, a former regional planner for SANDAG who at 24 has had her age and experience questioned by the Krvaric crowd, given the importance of her responsibilities, stood her ground and defended the commissioners.
“Sir, I believe that everyone in this group here tonight is here because they believe in a fair and impartial process that’s run by citizens,” she said firmly. “I’m not going to ask the commission to respond to that question, but we appreciate your input.”
So the question I raise: How is it possible to know if commission members can act in a nonpartisan fashion if the public has no idea about their partisan backgrounds?