The Lafayette City-Parish Council will consider six competing redistricting plans for the council and school board during a special meeting Monday. Like legislatures and councils around the country, the redistricting process is requiring following the decennial U.S. census, and in the case of Lafayette Parish, acutely necessary due to population shifts over the last decade.
With population migration to the southeast, where Youngsville especially and Broussard as well have enjoyed robust growth since 2000, districts representing that area of the parish are currently over-populated. District 9, which represents most of Youngsville as well as a large swath of unincorporated Lafayette Parish and a slice of the city of Lafayette, has more than 31,000 people. That’s about 15,000 more than District 3, an inner-city, black-majority district.
Working with a Baton Rouge demographer over the last few months — Lafayette demographer Mike Hefner also provided pro-bono consulting — the six plans are roughly the same in that they’ve been drawn to take in approximately 24,000 residents each, give or take a few percentage points. The federal Voting Rights Act requires Lafayette Parish to maintain two majority-black districts, which each of the plans does with districts 3 and 4, held respectively by Councilmen Brandon Shelvin and Kenneth Boudreaux.
However, due to the imperatives of the federal law, the majority-black districts will necessarily have to expand to take in more residents while the districts in south Lafayette Parish — 7, 8 and 9 in particular — will have to contract due to population density. That means that thousands of Lafayette Parish residents, regardless of which plan is adopted, will find themselves in a new district. Whichever plan is embraced by the council, it will still need to get the blessings of the U.S. Department of Justice as well as the state.
Walter, you need to cover real news. There are real things happenning around the country, such as how the republicans are giving the rich all of our resources and how Scot Walker and John Kasic is trying to wipe out the middle class.
Theind is not worth the paper its written on, and it is certainly not worth the electricity needed for online print.
Don't print the above comment-we wouldn't want people to express their dissappointment.
... written by Walter Pierce , April 11, 2011 - 06:27 pm
We cover news, politics and culture in Lafayette, Docy, not Wisconsin and Ohio.
... written by Docy B , April 11, 2011 - 06:29 pm
You need to cover the national scene. Unless Lafayette is planning on secession, the national conversation does affect Lafayette.
... written by Walter Pierce , April 11, 2011 - 06:40 pm
That's what The New York Times, CBS, Newsweek, Politico, etc. are for, Docy.
... written by Docy B , April 11, 2011 - 06:57 pm
Maybe I don't want to get my news from The New York Times, CBS, Newsweek and/or Politico. I should be able to get the Lafayette and Louisiana's take on the issues.
... written by Walter Pierce , April 11, 2011 - 07:11 pm
I'll convene an emergency meeting of the editorial board to consider your demands, Docy. In the meantime, I'm sending positive energy your way.
... written by Docy B , April 11, 2011 - 07:16 pm
Alright, I just want to be tuned in on what my freinds and neighbors are thinking about the issues of the day.
... written by ragin_cajun , April 11, 2011 - 09:46 pm
"Unless Lafayette is planning on secession" That's exactly what Lafayette is planning on doing. It'll be on a ballot this year. If you'd read the local news, you'd know that.
... written by Walter Pierce , April 11, 2011 - 09:49 pm
Nicely played, ragin!
... written by Docy B , April 11, 2011 - 10:06 pm
Listen, crawfish, get pass your race hate and help fix america.
Walter, you suppose to be impartial.
... written by Gaius Cilnius Maecenas , April 11, 2011 - 10:23 pm
I see no one has added to Walter's article here! If there are six plans, one would think that there ought to be some interest in these matters. I see no reason why Lafayette city and Lafayette parish are not contiguous. It is such a small portion of land. Think what could be saved by consolidation and integration of public services! We have so much re-duplication in our local governmental structures. These observations merely reflect spatial density & territorial topology perspective.
It has been my experience that the smaller the governmental entity and the more local character---the more corrupt system!
... written by Docy B , April 11, 2011 - 10:46 pm
Gaius Clitius, you're right. I think big government is good for the country right now. I think we should demand that every woman be forced to carry her pregnancy to birth. I also think that every doctor should be forced to read the prepared statement of the legislature indicating the danger of abortion.
I also think that we should cut taxes for the job creators (the rich). Social security and medicare should be either block granted or phased out.
I also agree with the honorable David Vitter that the charity hospital should be a 75 bed hospital vice 424.
Good for you my friend, Gaius Clitius, we agree.
... written by Gaius Cilnius Maecenas , April 12, 2011 - 12:49 am
Docy B, You are not making sense to me here. I do not know if you are attempting to be humorous at my expense. I passionately believe in women to have control over their own bodies. I certainly believe that government has the moral obligation to protect their female reproductive rights! It is the fools at the local level who fight these matters! I am a man, but I have read too many brilliant lady philosophers to entertain your vulgar feelings ["Clitius" for "Cilnius"].
To redress your inhumanity towards ladies, may I suggest you read Mary Wollstonecraft's (1759-1797) treatise, "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" (1792); she was the brilliant daughter of the equally brilliant father, the English philosopher William Godwin. Furthermore, since we are in a living, aristocratic French culture here in the Hub city of Lafayette, may I suggest you read the French treatise of Simone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (1908-1986), Le deuxième sexe ["The Second Sex"] (1949). She was the lover of Jean-Paul Sartre, France's greatest philosopher of the 20th century. These two treatises will rear you out of barbarism to the competent level of a functioning human being!
... written by ragin_cajun , April 12, 2011 - 02:31 am
"get pass your race hate"
Not an ounce of wit or humor in that. Completely unnecessary. No doubt sent from your iPhone....
... written by ANDY HEBERT , April 12, 2011 - 02:14 pm
“ARTICLE II. CITY-PARISH COUNCIL Section 2-02. Reapportionment. … the council by ordinance shall, if necessary, alter, change or rearrange council district boundaries so as to provide for population equality among the districts…”
“…PROVIDE FOR POPULATION EQUALITY AMONG THE DISTRICTS…”
Why does this only apply to the Parish registered voter “population”? Where is the City of Lafayette registered voter “population equality”?
Please print the number of registered City of Lafayette voters in each district as established by this plan, not just the Parish voters.
City of Lafayette … Taxation with unequal representation can be corrected.
... written by Docy B , April 12, 2011 - 06:35 pm
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, I apologize for my brilliant sense of humor on a subject that you care so much about.
What frys my gizzard is when poor working class folks like Ragin Cajun and Walter Pierce who rail against BIG GOVERNMENT and taxes and then vote imbecils who goes about the business of placing government in the bed room, doctors office, take rights away from workers, and give trillions in tax breaks to the rich.
To me, its hilarious that the top 5 percent-the rich- have the bottom 95 percent-everybody else-voting against their own economic interest.
Mark my word, when the peasants get wind of the republican big lie, they will be run out of office with pitchfork and torches.
Obama is the man for this job, at this time but without this congress.
... written by Gaius Cilnius Maecenas , April 12, 2011 - 08:07 pm
Docy B,
I could not agree with you any more. Your lucid observation that 5% of the super rich Republicans have bamboozled 95% of the lower & middle class Republicans [voting against their own economic interest], using the dupery of petty morality and religious nonsense or brainwashing, is essentially correct.
But do remember, this rabid Republican crowd has already destroyed our society---now time and mathematics delivers the fell blow!
You write badly, so I could not understand your ideas well. Thank you for clarifying them. I am in general agreement with the thrusts of your sentiments.
P.S. I do think you are beating up on Walter unduly here. "ragin_cajun" (sic) is another matter! Walter is on a higher plane of intelligence and wit, than r_c I am afraid.
... written by Docy B , April 12, 2011 - 08:53 pm
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas,
I've read enough of r c's postings to know that this is an extremely well informed person. He just needs to rid himself of the burden of hate. For example, he refuses to accept the fact that Obama has been cutting taxes for the middle class. He insist that the rich should be given trillions in tax breaks. Now, if he is rich then its ok allbeit unpatriotic to exempt rich people from paying taxes.
Walter, on the other hand refuses to investigate Rep Rick Hardy taxes. Everybody in Hardy's district knows full well that he has never paid taxes on the employees that he hired to work for him in his lawn care and house painting business.
Walter gets pretty upset just by the mere mention of Hardy's tax cheating ways.
Having said that, Walter seems to be moderately intellegent.
... written by ragin_cajun , April 13, 2011 - 01:39 am
Man, to see me and Walter lumped together like this is certainly a surprise. I'm sure Walter is mortified :)
On the other hand,to see GCM pose as an educated man of the world, but then boorishly insult a person's writing skills, is NOT a suprise.
But to my real point.....I don't actually insist that the RICH be GIVEN trillions in tax breaks. That mischaracterizes my position, and my point of view, on taxation and government interference.
What I insist upon is this--that ALL people, everywhere, be free to dispose of the fruits of their labor without some monarchy/oligarcy/despot/tyrrant/bureaucrat/neighbor demanding a share of it which they did not actually earn.
The government "giving them tax breaks" is a euphemism.
... written by Gaius Cilnius Maecenas , April 13, 2011 - 03:27 am
Docy B:
I am carrying on a philological debate with 'r_c' on another blog [guns & ten commandments], so I find his mind sloppy, careless, and superficial. But you know him, so I will trust your judgment.
However, as you well know, the "burden of hate" is a spider's web filled with dirt & poison. Humane discussion demands we conduct ourselves as bees---sweetness and light [honey & wax---the gifts to man and his gods (man, honey; gods, candles in temples for light)!
As for Representative Rick Hardy not paying taxes on his work force, he has the law on his side. As long as he declares them as independent laborers, he is not required to pay taxes on them. These sort of people come and go [lawn care & house painting transient laborers]! This common exploitation of labor is quite common in Louisiana. This is how much family wealth is achieved! Why we have the deplorable conditions of poverty that we do.
Since Walter knows how to spell *intellegent correctly as "intelligent", he is indeed much more intelligent than r_c. Here your judgment errs, I fear.
... written by Docy B , April 13, 2011 - 07:53 pm
What I insist upon is this--that ALL people, everywhere, be free to dispose of the fruits of their labor without some monarchy/oligarcy/despot/tyrrant/bureaucrat/neighbor demanding a share of it which they did not actually earn.
Then you agree with Bush giving the surplus that Clinton left to the rich.
Fruits from labor-to whom much is given, much is expected.
r.c., it is economic patriotism for rich. multi-millionaire and billionaires to share the sacrifice relative to their wealth. When I hear you talking like you do, I'm reminded of how greed and hate govern your life.
Obama's plan to cut 4 trillion makes for good common sense. That Ryan plan speaks more of hate and evil than of concern for the country.
BTW, how much gold did you buy from Glen Beck today?
... written by ragin_cajun , April 13, 2011 - 08:19 pm
Docy B --
"to whom much is given, much is expected"
Ya know, if you compare that line from Kennedy to this one.."From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"...that's another one I heard, too. You like that one, too, Docy?
"Obama's plan to cut 4 trillion makes for good common sense. That Ryan plan speaks more of hate and evil than of concern for the country." Ya know Docy, I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you, here. I don't really care WHOSE plan they use in Washington anymore, or what they cut. So long as they start cutting spending, it makes no difference to me where.
There's not a single thing in the federal budget that doesn't need to be cut, and I won't speak a word to protect one penny of federal spending. Cut the military, the oil subsidies, the farm subsidies, corporate welfare, planned parenthood, npr, faith based initiatives, anti-terror, CIA, anything, anywhere, cut the spending.
... written by Docy B , April 13, 2011 - 08:36 pm
r.c.
Then we agree that we should increase revenue by asking the rich to share proportionately in the sacrifice?
... written by ragin_cajun , April 13, 2011 - 10:50 pm
no, we don't agree. How do you get "increase revenue" from "cut spending"? I answered your question, so answer mine.
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"? Does that sound like a fair statement of your position?
... written by ragin_cajun , April 13, 2011 - 11:07 pm
Docy --
Tell you what I would do, though. Federal spending has doubled in the last 10 years. If Federal spending were cut in half in the next 3-5 years, then I'd consider a tax increase if the revenue were used to pay down debt.
But I'd HAVE to see prolonged commitment to spending cuts and fiscal discipline.
... written by Docy B , April 14, 2011 - 12:58 am
r.c.,
We get revenue by collecting taxes. We can make some cuts in gov't spending but in order to pay down the debt we would have to basically have to cut every program that makes America what it should and always be.
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"? Does that sound like a fair statement of your position?
I knew it would not be long before you come out of your marxist lennonist, communist, socialist placenta.
We are America. We are unique in that when the country is in trouble (trouble that bush caused)we don't feed our old folks, our young folks, our less fortunate to the beast. We marshall our resources to protect and defend all that is America.
Now, I know that on Sunday I will see you in church. You will have your head bow, with hands in the air asking for gods blessing. You'll be doing that with an evil heart.
I'll be present,one of many, to be sure, only we'll be there asking god for guidance on how to help this land keep its promise.
So r.c., cuddle up at night with your hate, selfish, evil, greedy security blanket since it makes you feel good about yourself.
... written by ragin_cajun , April 14, 2011 - 11:54 am
" in order to pay down the debt we would have to basically have to cut every program that makes America what it should and always be. "
Well, Docy. That's where you and I differ. You think that government programs make America "what it should and always be". You think that Society should yoke its must productive and successful members so that millions of government workers can centrally plan and control what Society will be.
I deeply resent that. No man has any right to the property of another, not for any reason. This is a foundational principle that is not negotiable. I believe that my rights, my property, and my life are not to be disposed of at the whim of a bureaucrat, or voting block, for any reason.
Now I know that all that is probably not going to reach you, so let me put this in a way that I think might make sense to you. Populations are made up of individual members. If you decide that individual members' lives and rights don't matter, then ultimately the entire population begins to not matter. This is all about rights.
There is no right to a government benefit that someone else has to pay for. In fact, the REAL purpose of government is to secure and protect the RIGHTS of individuals, not the NEEDS of individuals.
On Sunday, you will not see me in Church. I do not attend.
... written by Docy B , April 14, 2011 - 05:08 pm
In fact, the REAL purpose of government is to secure and protect the RIGHTS of individuals
So paying reparations to the decendants of slaves would suit you just fine, right? I mean, after all, the government can buy gold from glenn beck.
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas,
You were right, r.c. is a nutbag.
... written by LAFAYETTE NATIVE RESIDING IN CA , April 14, 2011 - 10:03 pm
ragin cajun, is that you foaming from the mouth again with that crazy nonsense. You need to stop "da crazy".
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Theind is not worth the paper its written on, and it is certainly not worth the electricity needed for online print.
Don't print the above comment-we wouldn't want people to express their dissappointment.