Chinatown, Leimert Park, Rolling Hills Estates, Topanga Canyon and Brentwood, Peas in the Same Legislative Pod?

Did you know that Brentwood, Chinatown, Korea Town, Leimert Park, Rolling Hills Estates, West Hollywood, and other seemingly disparate communities are placed in some of the same legislative districts under the draft redistricting plan released last month by the Citizens Redistricting Commission? The Commission orginally was to publish revised mdraft maps this week, but instead will now concentrate on completing its final recommendations by July 28. If the re-drawn districts that include the Brentwood area become final, our community will be represented in Congress and the State Legislature quite differently compared with the past 10 years. In broad terms, the demographics of Brentwood’s Congressional and one of its State Assembly districts will be much more ethnically and socio-economically diverse. Additionally, the southeastern edge of Brentwood east of Westgate and south of Sunset will be in a different Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly district from the rest of Brentwood. Are these proposed districts good, bad or do they make any difference from our perspective as residents of Brentwood?
The proposed Congressional district for the bulk of Brentwood extends to Chinatown, while south east Brentwood would be in a district that includes Westwood, Culver City, Beverlywood, Cheviot Hills, Korea Town, Ladera Heights, the Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw district and Leimert Park. The proposed Assembly district for most of Brentwood, besides including Santa Monica, actually extends to Griffith Park. But southeast Brentwood will be in the Westwood, Culver City, Ladera Height, Baldwin Hills district. The proposed new State Senate districts are also interesting. Except for southeast Brentwood, our existing State Senate District 23 extends westward to Oxnard. The new Senate district includes West Hollywood and Bel Air on the east, Topanga and Santa Monica on the west, but then hugs the south bay coast to include the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The most common concern over the draft maps as reflected in the public comments submitted to the Commission is “why is our community split into different districts?†The Santa Clarita Valley wants to be left intact and the Shadow Hills community doesn’t want to be in the same district as the “mid-valley flatlands.†Some in Sherman Oaks oppose using Ventura Boulevard as a boundary. At least some residents of the South Bay are unhappy with the idea of being part of a legislative district that includes Venice and Santa Monica. Several people in the Topanga area want to be part of a Valley district. Some people in Brentwood and Westwood are concerned that Representative Henry Waxman, a strong advocate for veteran’s rights, would no longer have the Brentwood V.A. property in his district under the draft map. Others object to using San Vicente Boulevard as an artificial dividing line between districts. Three minority advocacy groups object to the Commission’s mixing portions of south central and east Los Angeles because they feel this will place ethnic minorities in competition for the same seat and thereby dilute one group’s voice. In response, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting and the African-American Redistricting Collaborative, recently submitted their proposed “unity†map. The “unity†map for Los Angeles area Senate and Assembly districts does not divide Brentwood, nor place Brentwood in districts extending east and southeast into areas more heavily populated by ethnic minorities.
Concerns about splitting communities are legitimate. The Commission was directed to respect the geographic integrity of city, county, and local neighborhood communities of interest. Brentwood certainly qualifies as a community of interest. But the Commission was also required to consider other criteria in redrawing legislative districts. It had to draw districts in compliance with the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. It also had to seek population equality among like districts and geographical contiguousness and geographical compactness to the extent compatible with the foregoing. Importantly, the Commission was expressly proscribed from taking into account either political parties or incumbents and the voting rights of minority groups must be protected. Because California has 53 Congressional, 80 Assembly and 40 Senate districts, with average populations of about 700,000, 425,000 and 925,000 respectively. The size and shape of these districts must therefore necessarily vary in order to comply with the law. Amazingly, the draft maps were adopted unanimously by the Commission. This is significant because the Commission is composed of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents.
Although people seem most concerned about their community being separated into different districts, an equally important question relates to the implications for Brentwood if it placed in these new districts? Do the other communities in the new districts have the same or similar issues that we have in Brentwood? Will Brentwood be able to as effectively obtain the attention of its legislators or will our voice be diminished by the voices of larger constituencies elsewhere in the districts? If you have a concern about the proposed new districts, it’s not too late for your voice to be heard. You can submit your comments to the Commission online at votersfirstact@crc.ca.gov, by mail to the Citizens Redistricting Commission, 901 P Street, Suite 154-A, Sacramento, CA 95814 or by FAX at 916-651-571. But you should act quickly because the Commission’s must be completed by early August.