Rebecca Armendariz Klein
Posted on 02/16/2004 2:14:37 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Of the many corruptions inherent in modern redistricting, none is more insidious than the destruction of communities of interest.
Take the 25th Congressional district. It's one of three congressional districts in the greater Austin area. That's the one that reaches from Southeast Austin down to McAllen.
The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, so while Republicans are fielding a well credentialed candidate in Rebecca Armendariz Klein, her odds of success in November are at best remote.
In all likelihood, this district will choose its representation to Congress in the primary just weeks away.
You might be forgiven if you didn't know that Austin's Lloyd Doggett was running against Judge Leticia Hinojosa of McAllen.
Hinojosa got a couple of days of media coverage in Austin when she announced her candidacy. Since then she has dropped from the sight of Central Texas voters.
And no, it is not a media conspiracy to help home grown Doggett. For Central Texas reporters, McAllen is hundreds of miles and a world away.
Hinojosa recently challenged Doggett's voting record noting that he voted for $1 million to study bird migratory patterns, but against the Driscoll Children's hospital in McAllen and other critical South Texas health care needs. This is a legitimate issue for a congressional district with the greatest part of its population near the border.
Doggett ducked the charge saying only that Hinojosa was shilling for Republican front groups and Tom Delay.
Of course, the reality is that until recently, he represented a district that some would argue does care more about the environment and migratory bird patterns than a children's hospital in South Texas. If Doggett wins this election, his voting priorities may well change.
Doggett has money and political organization. He will probably overwhelm Hinojosa in the primary and that may prove to be a good thing for Austin.
But you can forget any semblance of debate between the two communities. And for representative government, that is a disaster.
Political commentator Harvey Kronberg shares his thoughts on politics in Texas each Monday during On the Agenda. Kronberg is the writer, editor, publisher of the Quorum Report, Texas' oldest political newsletter.
Rebecca Armendariz Klein
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.