This is not Democracy. It’s Manipulation.

"The Tarrantmander"

Tarrant County, TX got their first official look at proposed maps for re-districting at the Commissioners Court meeting on May 6th, and plenty of Tarrant County residents were there to provide public feedback (not one of the speakers was in favor of redistricting).

This is a follow up to my post the other day:

Stealing Away Voice, In Plain Sight

What was striking was the absolute lack of details provided as to how the maps were drawn. The closest the community got to answers was provided by Joe Nixon, the representative from the Public Interest Legal Foundation, who emphatically and repeatedly told everyone:

Let me make something very clear. We haven’t drawn any map. Each of the commissioners and the Judge has drawn maps. Not us. We don’t decide where the lines are.

They gave us input and our map drawer prepared maps based upon their input, not ours.

~ Joe Nixon, Public Interest Legal Foundation

I think it is EXTREMELY important to also know who the “map drawer” is: Adam Kincaid. Mr. Kincaid is the Executive Director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust.

Yes, the Republican members of the court told the National Republican Redistricting Trust where they wanted the lines. And the National Republican Redistricting Trust drew them. AYFKM

No wonder this is what the maps look like:

Here is a very short summary of Joe Nixon speaking about redistricting and a few community members letting the court know their thoughts. The people are spot on.

This redistricting will mute the voice of minority communities and Democrats in Tarrant County, the largest county in the country still run by Republicans. They will do everything they can to force it to stay that way.

“This is not Democracy, it’s manipulation”

~Mendi Tackett

If you are in Tarrant County or know someone who lives here, there are four community meetings you can show up at to push back on the Tarrantmander! There is one being held in each of the current precincts:

• May 13 6pm at Azle ISD Admin building

• May 14 6pm at Como Community Center

• May 17 10am at Arlington Sub Courthouse

• May 21 6pm at Gary Fickes NE Courthouse

In between those last two community meetings is the May 20th Commissioners Court. You can also give written comments (and see the maps) at this website. Let ‘em have it!

https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/redistricting

Now is the time to raise your voice against what they are doing. They intend to pass the whole thing on June 3rd.

Knowing there isn’t actually “data” behind what they are doing here makes it even more egregious, nefarious, and a blatant attempt to silence whole communities. We can’t let that stand.

See It. Name It. Fight It.