Fullerton City Council: Support Map 110!
Fullerton City Council
We call on the Fullerton City Council to choose Map 110 to become the next voting district in our city. A wide array of residents young and old and a diverse set of community organizations, led by Orange County Environmental Justice, AHRI For Justice, and OCCCO (Orange County Congregation Community Organization) have attended all of the Redistricting hearings and workshops and submitted Map 110, and on February 23, 2022, urged the Redistricting Advisory Commission (RAC) to recommend Map 110 as one of several to the Council for a vote. A majority of the RAC dismissed and denied it even though, by far, Map 110 had the most community input. Therefore, we the undersigned demand that the council listens to the community and votes for Map 110.
Petition by
To:
Fullerton City Council
From:
[Your Name]
Background, including the history of this council’s decisions, past council’s decisions, and the future of redistricting in Fullerton:
We knew that these problems would arise all along. Before the redistricting process even began, we urged the Council to establish an INDEPENDENT redistricting commission that would take all voices into account and not be swayed by the politics of the council members. Instead, the Council proposed to enact an Redistricting Advisory Commission (RAC) with a promise to affirm the district lines put forth by the commission. Now, the RAC has moved to advance three maps that were supported by a total of two community members. Meanwhile a majority of the RAC voted down the community-submitted map that had the support of 15 day-of testimonies, 20 submission testimonies, and an 18-page rationale for each community of interest and district (two of the seven RAC members voted to advance Map 110).
We urge the City Council to bring back this community-drawn map, map 110, since it is within their purview and ability to do so. This map keeps communities of interest together in the Korean community (including Korean businesses south of Malvern and north of Commonwealth), the AMEMSA and Muslim community within district 1, historical and renter-housing communities within district 3, affluent communities within district 2, Latino plurality districts in districts 4 and 5, and environmental justice interests in district 5. Furthermore, Map 110 carefully considers the topography and household income disparities in East Fullerton, such as the dramatic increase in wealth once you pass Dorothy Lane heading North and get to the hilly area of the city. We urge the council to not diminish the renter’s voices by cracking them apart with the vertical north-south configurations of districts.
Thankfully, the current Council is different than it was in 2015, when community members poured out with support for map 2B and they were still overlooked for a map that was supported by one slide-bar business owner. This is the Council’s opportunity to show the residents of Fullerton that they can have a voice in the city again. The Council can begin to make up for its mistakes in 2015, and change the political establishment in the city. We can deliver the city to working people instead of the special interests that have dominated our politics for over a decade.
We, the undersigned, call on the Council to bring back and adopt Map 110 at the March 8th hearing.