Ask and ye shall receive
Monday, Mar 31, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Earlier today, I received this solicitation from the Yes for Independent Maps coalition…
Rich:
We know you’re busy. You are probably doing three things while you read this (hopefully driving isn’t one of them). So we’ll be brief: Today is the last day of the fundraising quarter, and I am writing to ask you for a contribution.
We know you support this campaign. So please head over to our website (click here) and make a $5 donation so we can continue to do what we do.
This is the paragraph where we usually include something compelling about why Independent Maps matter. Today, I’ll just say this is a big deadline for the campaign and we could use your support.
Lots of campaigns are going to ask you for money today. I bet none will ask like this.
Onward.
Michael Kolenc
Campaign Manager
About half an hour later, the coalition reported a $500,000 contribution from former NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Maybe his $500,000 is more like what five bucks would be to the rest of us mere mortals. /snark
- John A Logan - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 11:27 am:
Holy Jerry Mandering! $500,000 dollars.
- OneMan - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 11:33 am:
Just looking at the A-1s you see an interesting mix of folks on both sides as it were….
- Irish - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 11:33 am:
If the GOP wins in 2016 will he ask for it back?
Or will he donate 1 mil to the group pushing gerrymandering.
- MOON - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 12:02 pm:
There is no such thing as Independent Maps
- LincolnLounger - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 12:06 pm:
There are in Iowa. A computer draws them.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 12:15 pm:
It’s sad that Illinois is so structurally un-democratic (look how hard it is to put a voter initiative on the ballot), it takes un-democratic measures like an out-of-state gazillionaire’s half-million contribution to level the playing field. But to Irish’s comment 1) Bloomberg is hardly a “Republican” by today’s GOP standards, 2) support for anti-gerrymandering initiatives doesn’t split along party lines: it’s basically “Combine vs. Reformers” with some minorities concerned that gerrymandering is still needed to protect their rights siding with the Combiners.
- MOON - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 12:20 pm:
LINCOLN
Who created the computer program in Iowa.
To think whoever created it did not have built in bias is ignoring reality.
- Anon - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 12:36 pm:
Given how well gerrymandering worked for the GOP nationally in 2012, isn’t there a touch of hypocrisy for IL Republicans to denounce IL Dems for doing what their GOP colleagues used so effectively in WI, PA, OH, VA, MI and FL? Here’s the key quote from a long AP analysis published today about why the GOP will keep control of the House in 2014:
“In 2012, Republicans maintained a 33-seat majority in the House, even though GOP candidates as a group got 1.4 million fewer votes than their Democratic opponents… It was only the second time since World War II that the party receiving the most votes failed to win a majority of House seats, according to statistics compiled by the House Clerk.”
- wordslinger - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 1:07 pm:
Bloomberg’s worth about $27 billion. Half a rock doesn’t rattle him.
I was at CBOT and the Merc when he came in with the terminals. Dow Jones, Reuters, Thomson could have squashed him like a bug; they already had the content which he built from scratch.
He just stole a march on the tech.
- Soccermom - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 1:24 pm:
Anon is right. I’ll be for a “fair map” when they have them in Wisconsin and Kansas.
- GwmGOP - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
The “We Know You Support This Campaign” part feels a bit cryptic.
- Ahoy! - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 1:32 pm:
– I’ll be for a “fair map” when they have them in Wisconsin and Kansas.–
Why does this matter for Illinois House and Senate districts? This does not apply to Congress.
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Mar 31, 14 @ 6:03 pm:
As much as I prefer a fair map type proposal, I believe it has zero chance of being adopted.