The fundamental source of income for many local government units, especially schools, is property taxes. This November, a variety of levies will be on the ballot and stated in terms of millage, which relates directly to property valuations.
At this moment, the Hamilton County auditor's office is mailing out new property valuations. You may or may not have received yours, they are going out by community or neighborhood. But what may seem straight forward, has been the source of a great deal of political controversy and consternation.
As a result of the 2010 census, Ohio will lose two congressional seats, forcing the re-drawing of all congressional districts. For the state legislature, a five member appointment board including the governor, the auditor, the Secretary of State and a representative of the House and the Senate have legal responsibility. For the United States Congress the state legislature, both houses dominated by Republicans, has responsibility for creating the new map based on very broad principles and a series of judicial rulings, like one man one vote. How should the new state apportionment map be drawn? Should ordinary citizens and community groups have any input?
On the Congressional level, because of the total number of members of the House of Representatives has been fixed since 1911 at 435, after each census, some states gain representatives and other lose. In the aftermath of the 1810 census, Massachusetts politicians, led by Governor Eldridge Gerry, redrew congressional districts in a way. That maximized the advantage for the Democratic Republican Party. One of the resulting districts near Boston was so controlled that it introduced a new term into American political life, the Gerry-Mander. Because elected politicians get to re-draw the lines, it could be said that although we trumpet the image that in a Democracy voters choose their politicians, actually, through districting process, politicians choose their voters.
I am joined this morning by two people working to make that happen. Alice Schneider is a member of the League of Women Voters. And Pat Clifford is a consultant on community involvement who is working with the Draw the Line project.
