Smoke and Mirrors in Wes Moore's Kangaroo Court
As it always is with Democrats and redistricting, the results are already baked in the cake
Wes Moore’s Governor’s Redistricting Kangaroo Court Advisory Commission is holding its first hearing this week. And you will never believe when and where it is;
That’s right. The first hearing is at 4 PM on a Friday afternoon, in the middle of November, on Zoom, right after the federal government is poised to reopen, during the release of 23,000 documents from the Epstein Files
This is the kind of redistricting hearing that we are used to seeing from Maryland Democrats. Back in 2011, the O’Malley Redistricting Commission announced the cancellation of the August 30th, 2011 redistricting hearing due to the impacts of Hurricane Irene, only to announce that day it was BACK on and now being held in Annapolis. Something that was not only memorialized in my testimony, but in the Maryland Reporter:
The Annapolis hearing kicked off with a harangue from Brian Griffiths, president of the Maryland Young Republicans, who complained about the hearing’s timing and called the current congressional district maps “disgraceful.”
“Unfortunately, neither I nor a majority of the people of Maryland have any confidence in this commission or this governor to do the right thing,” Griffiths concluded.
Despite Griffiths’ belligerent tone, other witnesses echoed his complaint about the gerrymandering of Anne Arundel County into four oddly shaped congressional districts. Several said they wanted the entire county in one district, giving it the chance for a resident congressman as it had for decades.
And I could, realistically, copypasta my 2011 testimony into this Friday’s hearing. Having a hearing on a Friday afternoon, announced days beforehand, during a busy time of the year, only reinforces the notion that these districts are already drawn, already ready to go, and that these hearings are merely held to give the appearance of public participation that the results are already baked into the cake. Which they are, because this Commission is merely a kangaroo court being held as an exercise in smoke and mirrors to distract you from the fact that Maryland Democrats couldn’t care less about your opinion. That this sham is not about Maryland and providing a voice to Marylanders, but about Wes Moore’s crass political ambition and national Democratic politics.
If you want to give the Commission a piece of your mind (which I strongly encourage you to do) sign up here.
Unrelated to the current commission, I was amused that while searching for old statements about redistricting, I found this nugget from my letter I sent to Senator King’s committee back in 2021 regarding legislative districts.
I had no clue that I was quoted In re 2022 Legislative Districting but there it is. I don’t know what’s more amusing, my inclusion, or the fact that the inclusion necessitated a footnote.
Also, enjoy this 2021 interview on the topic.