All last week, Mayor Greg Ballard’s communications director Marc Lotter stonewalled my requests for data on the population of the precinct revisions Republicans paid a king’s ransom to political operative David Brooks to create.
Lotter’s stonewalling is part of the Ballard administration’s continuing policy of denying Indy’s Black media with timely information. (Punishment for our temerity not to laud Ballard’s re-election?)
But after emailing Lotter and City-County Council Secretary Melissa Thompson saying the Brooks/Ballard redistricting plans had incorrectly calculated minority populations; late Friday Thompson promptly provided the data Lotter had refused to provide.
Thompson also made public details on the Brooks/Ballard plan, revealing their redistricting scheme isn’t just bad; it may violate the Federal Voting Rights Act.
On Dec. 1, Brooks, who received 225,000 pieces of silver for his betrayal of Indianapolis citizens, discussed his redistricting plan at a public meeting.
The documents Brooks displayed contained data labeled “AP Black.” I’d never heard that demographic term, so I asked about it.
Brooks replied “It means All Persons Black.”
I said, “David, does AP Black mean all persons counted by the Census as Black alone and in combination with other races?”
Brooks looked dumbfounded. I repeated my question twice more before he admitted “Yes.”
“David,” I replied, “Congress says states can’t use the Black alone and in combination data for redistricting. Most local areas haven’t done it as well. What you’ve done is unprecedented.”
Some background. In 2000, the Census Bureau allowed persons to indicate what race(s) they were. You could be Black, white or any combination of races.
For reporting purposes, the Census Bureau provides data on one race alone (Black alone, white alone, Asian alone, etc.). To include those who chose more than one race; there was a race alone and in combination calculation.
It’s confusing, I know. So in 2001, Congress said states could only use race alone categories for congressional redistricting. States and virtually every local government also use that criterion for redistricting.
Brooks, though, used the impermissible race alone and in combination data to calculate the racial impact of his map. Mayor Ballard ignorantly signed off on Brooks’ incompetence and possible illegality.
Brooks was stunned and angry when I told him what he did was wrong and possibly illegal. His ignorance was compounded by another bizarre statistic he used called “NP White” which he says counts all non-whites. But his numbers don’t match the 2010 Census data.
Meanwhile, Brooks, the hard nosed Republican partisan operative, used the redistricting process to strike at persistent Democratic council critics of Ballard and Republicans.
The map seemingly targeted Democratic Councilors Angela Mansfield, William “Duke” Oliver, Brian Mahern and Councilman-elect Joe Simpson.
Mansfield was placed in incumbent Jose Evans’ Northwestside district.
A bizarre jagged line cut Oliver out of his longtime district representing the Forest Manor and Martindale-Brightwood neighborhoods; placing him in a new district which goes from the Meadows up to Glendale.
By cutting Oliver out his district, the Brooks/Ballard plan placed Mahern, a critic of the mayor during the campaign, into a Black-majority district that stretches from Mahern’s near Southeastside neighborhood, through the near Eastside, Brookside Park, Martindale-Brightwood and Forest Manor.
Meanwhile, another geographic gerrymander took newly elected Councilman-elect Simpson from the district where he was elected, into a barely Black-majority district from the UNWA area, the art museum/Michigan Road area, through the Grandview Drive corridor to 73rd Street.
A bedrock redistricting policy is protecting and preserving “communities of interest.” The Ballard/Brooks map carves Indy neighborhoods up like Thanksgiving turkey.
Irvington dismembered into three districts. Forest Manor carved up like meat loaf.
Speedway’s small 11,812 population justifies wholly including it into one council district, but Brooks/Ballard divided it in two. They did the same to the 14,192 residents of Beech Grove.
The Brooks/Ballard map disenfranchises Black residents within Lawrence. The current council map incorporates virtually all of Lawrence into one district.
The Brooks/Ballard map eviserates Lawrence into two districts. The 2010 Census reported Lawrence’s Black population is 25.8 percent. By dividing the town cleanly in two, Brooks/Ballard denies Black Lawrence city residents the opportunity to elect a councilperson of their choice. A Voting Rights Act violation.
So much for Brooks/Ballard following Supreme Court policies of protecting “communities of interest” with their plan.
As you read, the Brooks/Ballard map is structurally flawed and violates federal law. So, why do I insist this is also the mayor’s map? Because he loves it.
Sunday’s Indianapolis Star quoted the mayor as saying the proposed map “looks fair.” If the mayor actually examined the map and believes that, then his answer is cynical.
If he relied on staff reports to form his opinion, then he is dangerously deluded.
Either way our city and community are harmed by the Brooks/Ballard plan.
See ya’ next week!
