The More Districting Changes, the More It...

The More Districting Changes, the More It Stays the Same

You know, of course, that this has all happened before.

As the San Diego City Council prepares tonight to possibly vote on a redistricting map, let’s look at history.

A San Diego legislative body, as required by law, goes to redraw boundaries to reflect population growth.

The ruling coalition, already prone to hardball politicking, produces a map of mysterious origins. Everyone else is shut out.

The map just happens to give a new politically hostile district to a legislator who is in disfavor with the coalition. The mess winds up in court.

A judge ponders. There seem to be only two equally unsavory alternatives: government by cabal or government by judge.

The Bernhardt-Filner-Hartley-Pratt-Wolfsheimer coalition? The Hartley Map? Bruce Henderson out in the cold? Judge Rhoades in the middle?

Yes and no.

It was also the San Diego Board of Supervisors in 1971. A map was drawn behind closed doors that seemed designed to end Jack Walsh’s political career.

The map turned Walsh’s San Diego-based district into a South Bay district. Only his Point Loma neighborhood remained. Walsh sued.

Walsh these days is 56 and doing quite well in real estate.

He looks at the current fight at City Hall with amusement. He says redistricting seems to bring out the worst in politicians.

“Nothing ever changes when it comes to redistricting,” he said. “As long as legislators are allowed to draw their own districts, you’re going to have self-serving decisions by the majority.”

On Dec. 30, 1971, a judge found in Walsh’s favor, ruling that the map put politics ahead of the public interest. The coalition appealed.

After being reelected in 1972 in the new district, Walsh dropped his lawsuit. In 1976 he lost by 218 votes to the mayor of Chula Vista.

Walsh says one good thing that came from his suit was that he found out how the new district boundaries had been drawn: on a service station road map.

Maybe someday we’ll find out how the Hartley Map was drawn.

You Shouldn’t Have

Take my item. Please.

* Bug off.

The Cooperative Mexican Fruit Fly Project of the state Department of Food and Agriculture is sending mementoes to reporters and others who have watched the Mexfly spraying in East County.

It’s a tiny paperweight, with tiny flies encased in plastic.

* A political poster spotted on a fence around a downtown construction site has pictures of Hitler, Joseph McCarthy and Jesse Helms.

The slogan: Visionaries of Their Time.

* Fight on.

After Times reporter John Glionna did a story on ex-pug Mike Adame and his youth boxing club in Oceanside, the club has gotten $2,500 in contributions and an offer of trunks and shirts for all combatants.

* Pay me now and pay me later.

State legislators get about $1,500 a month for expenses during the eight-month session, tax-free.

For some, it barely covers the cost of maintaining a second home in Sacramento. Others are more frugal.

Sen. Wadie P. Deddeh (D-Bonita) says he’s able to save $400 to $500 a month from his expense money. Under legislative rules, he can keep it as income.

* Only in San Diego.

Spotted at Pacific Beach: a Swedish tourist with his face smeared in sun ointments. Light blue with a bright yellow cross, like the Swedish flag.

Sure You Did

Medium well.

* Proof that surfers talk funny.

From an interview with San Diego super-surfer Joe Roper in Beach ‘n Waves magazine:

“In Hawaii, I started getting some photo coverage cause I was surfing Pipeline with a real casual style, soul arching off the bottom of the tube. Through my coverage at Big Rock and Pipeline, I gained a lot of awareness.”

* Headline in the Lakeside-based Animal Press: “Visiting Toads Can Be Special Little Guests.”

I particularly appreciate those little thank-you notes.