[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” min_height_medium=”” min_height_small=”” min_height=”” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_column_spacing=”” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” spacing_medium=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” spacing_small=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_dimensions_medium=”” padding_top_medium=”” padding_right_medium=”” padding_bottom_medium=”” padding_left_medium=”” padding_dimensions_small=”” padding_top_small=”” padding_right_small=”” padding_bottom_small=”” padding_left_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” border_sizes=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_right=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_vertical=”” box_shadow_horizontal=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” z_index=”” overflow=”” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” skip_lazy_load=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” render_logics=”” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_background_color=”” sticky_height=”” sticky_offset=”” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” type_medium=”” type_small=”” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ dimension_spacing_medium=”” dimension_spacing_small=”” dimension_spacing=”” dimension_margin_medium=”” dimension_margin_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_medium=”” padding_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” hover_type=”none” border_sizes=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_radius=”” box_shadow=”no” dimension_box_shadow=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” background_type=”single” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” render_logics=”” filter_type=”regular” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]Republicans in red shirts turned the Independent Redistricting Commission satellite meeting at the Tucson Convention Center into a raucous pep rally. The IRC was holding a tele-hearing on its new grid maps on September 29.
An estimated 30 Democratic speakers attended vs the “red shirt” clown show of 26 speakers (most of whom just read the same message again from the previous public hearings in August).
“Oh, they did their best to intimidate and take over the room,” said Susan Bickel, Chair of the LD9 Democrats. “Of course, they showed up en masse to register first and then take the seats facing the camera. This prompted VC Watchman to say ‘it looks like a sea of red.’ That delighted them and they hooted and hollered to be recognized in that way. After all, that was their intention.
“What no one else viewing the meeting from the camera angle could see was that our speakers and supporters sat on the other side….. the LEFT side, by the way….. out of the camera’s view. We were there. We were prepared, we were respectful and we waited our turn. When our turn came, the “red shirts” were gone and so we moved to be seated in front of the camera. And then we spoke.
“Our speakers were amazing. They represented almost every LD in Pima County. We had representation from the Tohono O’odham Nation, LGBTQ community, the Hispanic community, Labor, and every age group. Our speakers spoke to the agenda and offered cogent and specific comments supporting the wonderful maps created by our Pima County mapping team. They presented arguments for inclusion and redrawing the maps to ensure communities of interest are represented.
“The other side, well, not so much. I attended a wrap-up meeting with Franny Sharpe, Deputy Political Director, of the Arizona Democratic Party and about 15 others on Thursday evening. Everyone commented on the racist messaging, the blatant political speech. Franny said she had never heard such disrespect for diversity and inclusion. Yes, apparently that is the best the other side can offer. Indeed, GOP chair Shelly Kais quite simply shouted “we want maps that that fairly represent us and we aren’t going to take this partisan gerrymandering anymore!!!”
Their fear and anxiety was on full display.
“It was a dissatisfactory experience,” said Diane Neville, Chair of the LD10 Democrats. “Tucson speakers were lumped with speakers from Scottsdale, Anthem, and Cave Creek.” The Commission took six speakers at a time, first from Scottsdale, then from Tucson, then from the next satellite location. “In Tucson alone, 79 people signed up to speak. You can imagine how long the meeting went on. As the hours ticked by many people left,” she said in the district newsletter.
“The Democrats speaking in Tucson asked for fair and competitive maps. The Republican speakers wanted nothing to do with Tucson and wanted to have districts that were homogenous. The red shirts whooped and cheered for their speakers like it was a sporting event,” she said.
While there were quite a few Democrats at the meeting, the red-shirted Republicans, unfortunately, outnumbered Democrats by a wide margin.
Democrats were wearing marks; most of the other attendees were not. Very few of the maskless people complied when Independent Redistricting Committee staff passed out masks and explained that masks were required in City of Tucson facilities.
Frank Bergen, an LD10 Democratic precinct committeeman for Precinct 199, sent the following comments to the Commission. Bergen is a retired civil servant and mostly retired Episcopal priest who has lived in Tucson for 25 years.
“I was at the 9-29 meeting in Tucson but after 3 1/2 hours had to leave before my name was called to present my testimony. For want of access to a more direct way to insert my testimony I’m including here my post-meeting reactions/reflection.
“I write shortly after returning home from a meeting of the Independent Redistricting Commission. My reactions: surely Tucson deserves better than being a satellite location for a meeting held in Scottsdale. The Tucson attendance seemed to be three times that in Scottsdale.
“To my surprise half the room was filled with 150 red-shirted folks brought by the Pima Republican chairwoman (Shelley Kais) who later gave, instead of testimony, a rousing campaign speech castigating the City of Tucson for its mask mandate. She should have been ruled out of order but no Commissioner was present to do so.
“I was disheartened by the oft-repeated statement: “We have nothing in common with them,” which I’ll leave you to translate for yourselves. I was heartened by the woman in Scottsdale who spoke of the Senate President (Karen Fann) as the legislator you may get when a district is uncompetitive. I was heartened by (Democratic activist) Barbara Tellman‘s presentation of a legislative district map that appears to meet all the applicable criteria. Commissioners, come back to Tucson. Please.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]