Democracy Has Prevailed.

November 2, 2015

What's at stake tomorrow

Forget about Trump. Forget about Hillary. Forget about Bernie...At least until Wednesday. It's all about tomorrow's election in Pennsylvania. 

What's at stake? Via the Pittsburgh City Paper:
And speaking of the legislature, if Democrats ever have a shot of gaining control in Harrisburg, the first step is Nov. 3. This state has some of the most ridiculously gerrymandered districts in the nation. The boundaries are drawn in such a way to give Republicans the edge. Do you really think Jim Ferlo would have retired if his senate district had remained untouched? Instead, his urban district, with a large number of African-American voters, was butchered and joined with a predominantly white district in the North Hills. The same holds true for Pittsburgh’s Congressional district. Need proof? Check out the 12th District that stretches from the Ohio border to Johnstown. 
As other media have pointed out, the state Supreme Court appoints the tie-breaking member to the state’s redistricting committee. Anyone want to guess which party got that power under the Republican-controlled Supreme Court? 
We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines for this judicial election. If you still can’t grasp what’s at stake on Nov. 3, think of a vote for the Supreme Court as a vote on gun control, a vote in favor of gender equality, a vote on women’s health issues, or even an early vote for your state and congressional representatives in 2021 and beyond. Because voting in this race now may be the last vote you control for an awfully long time.
Here's a sample of the kind of gerrymandering that having Democrats controlling the courts can put a stop to:


So tomorrow, you need to get your ass out and vote for these people:


You also need to vote for Heather Arnet and keep her Tea Party opponent out of the PA Senate! 

For other races, the Gertrude Stein Political Club generally makes excellent endorsements (they aren't bought). You can find them here. They include:
Allegheny County Controller
Chelsa Wagner 
Allegheny County Council, District 10
DeWitt Walton 
Pittsburgh City Controller
Michael Lamb 
Pittsburgh City Council, District 3
Bruce Kraus 
Pittsburgh City Council, District 7
Deb Gross 
Pittsburgh Public Schools School Board Director, District 4
Lynda Wrenn 
Pittsburgh Public Schools School Board Director, District 6
Moira Kaleida 
Magisterial Court, District 05-03-12
Lucille Prater Holliday

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