This computer programmer solved gerrymandering in his spare time

Washington Post ^ | 2014-06-03 | Christopher Ingraham

[justlurking]

Yesterday, I asked readers how they felt about setting up independent commissions to handle redistricting in each state. Commenter Mitch Beales wrote: "It seems to me that an 'independent panel' is about as likely as politicians redistricting themselves out of office. This is the twenty-first century. How hard can it be to create an algorithm to draw legislative districts after each census?" Reader "BobMunck" agreed: "Why do people need to be involved in mapping the districts?"

They're right. These programs and algorithms already exist. Brian Olson is a software engineer in Massachusetts who wrote a program to draw "optimally compact" equal-population congressional districts in each state, based on 2010 census data. Olson's algorithm draws districts that respect the boundaries of census blocks, which are the smallest geographic units used by the Census Bureau. This ensures that the district boundaries reflect actual neighborhoods and don't, say, cut an arbitrary line through somebody's house.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Examples of Xtreme Gerrymandering:

[Doomonyou]

The Constitution calls for one representative for every 30,000 citizens. We should have 10,000 representatives. This would eliminate gerrymandering. It would eliminate lobbying - you can’t lobby 5000 required for a vote. The reps would live in their districts and vote by the internet

And they get paid the mean average income in the country or state.)

[Secret Agent Man]

one rep per 750,000 citizens. the 30,000 may have been original but it isn’t that now.

[JSDude1]

Gerrymandering is fine, many times these “independent panels” are code for leftist packed bureaucratic committees. No thanks, and since WE have to contend with so called “majority-minority” districts (by law) that means that WE must gerrymander too, sorry the anti-gerrymander bunch are just pie-in-the sky naive people!

[zeugma]

You left out the most important information.

How does that redistricted Texas map vote compared to how the current district map votes?

Number of GOP congressmen - up or down?

I really don't care. If we agreed on an algorithm, and the application of said system to validated census data would always generate the same map, I don't care who 'wins'.

[tenger]

Jonah Goldberg's already written about the need for a bigger House at least once here.

[Blue Highway]

yeah gerrymandering is like the rent controlled buildings of politics. Shady, slimy and should be illegal!