Ta, Robyn. A dear, departed friend was all for making North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska into one big state. It would still have a relatively tiny population. Of course, it was a fantasy.
I don't think the 3/5th compromise in the Constitution was to increase the political power of rural districts but to reduce that power. The choices were between counting slaves as "people" or not counting them at all. Since they were obviously people (but not allowed to vote) counting them would give the slave state more power than they already had. By counting a slave as only 3/5th of a person they acknowledged that slaves were people but reduced their influence to setting the number of representatives sent to Congress.
Probably shouldn’t forget to unfuck the US Senate which awards two senators to Wyoming, population somewhere in the hundreds of thousands and two Senators to California, population a lot more than that.
Heh heh I doubt we get rid of the Electoral College; and the rural conservative-dominated Senate is going to be the check that prevents that.
The way around it unfortunately is "bluing up" these rural conservative hellholes. The advantage of that is maybe providing protection for the vulnerable minorities there but it takes a LONG time and independent wealth.
But this is in fact the design, the entire point of the United States originally, to only enfranchise certain landowners. We owe the very union of the states to the expressed ability to oppress the indigenous and Black people of North America.
Yes. Expect that to be fought tooth-and-nail too as that also disrupts the nationalist power structure (as right now they are relying on two populous and growing Sun Belt states in particular to help them keep control).
Another example: The Dakotas have a total population of about 1.6 million, and 4 senators. California has 39 million and 2 senators. How does that make sense?
I don't see how you can view the fact that a few thousand rural REAL MURICANS controlling around 12-18 Senate seats and a shitload of electoral votes as somehow unfair. Why, its the tyranny of the overwhelming majority I tell you. Think of the Founders.
I'm making this up, but I think that the Upper Alabama part of New York State, that's between Buffalo and New York City, relies on state prisons for half of its economy and its political power.
That's really not far off; there's a number of cities and villages that rely on that sort of economy and often staff their facilities with local residents.
A few years ago I heard that the largest union in California was the one for police and correctional officers. I tried to explain the significance of that to someone at work and got nowhere.
It's time for me to compose one of my scathing diatribes to Olympia, Washington. I am not at all supportive of this vile state law that prohibits convicted felons from casting their votes in the Evergreen State.
That is NOT acceptable. Unless the crime(s) were of a politically relevant nature there isn't any constitutional standing for denying a convict their vote.
It's really great for making a lot of captive cheap labor, and there's plenty of recycling through the prison-industrial complex since we make it very difficult for people to reintegrate into society.
Ta, Robyn. A dear, departed friend was all for making North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska into one big state. It would still have a relatively tiny population. Of course, it was a fantasy.
I don't think the 3/5th compromise in the Constitution was to increase the political power of rural districts but to reduce that power. The choices were between counting slaves as "people" or not counting them at all. Since they were obviously people (but not allowed to vote) counting them would give the slave state more power than they already had. By counting a slave as only 3/5th of a person they acknowledged that slaves were people but reduced their influence to setting the number of representatives sent to Congress.
Ta, Robyn. I didn’t even know prison gerrymandering was a thing.
Probably shouldn’t forget to unfuck the US Senate which awards two senators to Wyoming, population somewhere in the hundreds of thousands and two Senators to California, population a lot more than that.
Admit Puerto Rico and D.C. as states.
Heh heh I doubt we get rid of the Electoral College; and the rural conservative-dominated Senate is going to be the check that prevents that.
The way around it unfortunately is "bluing up" these rural conservative hellholes. The advantage of that is maybe providing protection for the vulnerable minorities there but it takes a LONG time and independent wealth.
But this is in fact the design, the entire point of the United States originally, to only enfranchise certain landowners. We owe the very union of the states to the expressed ability to oppress the indigenous and Black people of North America.
In addition to "bluing" them up, one could also expand the House of Representatives - which hasn't been done in decades.
Yes. Expect that to be fought tooth-and-nail too as that also disrupts the nationalist power structure (as right now they are relying on two populous and growing Sun Belt states in particular to help them keep control).
Another example: The Dakotas have a total population of about 1.6 million, and 4 senators. California has 39 million and 2 senators. How does that make sense?
California has 52 Representatives, each Dakota has just one......
That needs to change.
Not to make it sound worse, but CA has a larger population than the 15 least populous red states.
LA County alone has a larger population than most states.
My university department has a lot of white cishet neurotypical abled men who only got there through affirmative action.
It's a good step! Now we just need to get the prisoners to actually be allowed to vote if we want actual democracy.
I can't find any information about whether this change applies to prisons that identify as mental hospitals. Does anyone know if those are affected?
I don't see how you can view the fact that a few thousand rural REAL MURICANS controlling around 12-18 Senate seats and a shitload of electoral votes as somehow unfair. Why, its the tyranny of the overwhelming majority I tell you. Think of the Founders.
prison gerrymandering seems like a great incentive to plop down prisons in rural areas and make sure that urban areas are overpoliced.
I'm making this up, but I think that the Upper Alabama part of New York State, that's between Buffalo and New York City, relies on state prisons for half of its economy and its political power.
Delaware County has a county jail, but no prisons.
That's really not far off; there's a number of cities and villages that rely on that sort of economy and often staff their facilities with local residents.
A few years ago I heard that the largest union in California was the one for police and correctional officers. I tried to explain the significance of that to someone at work and got nowhere.
You're in the ballpark, though.
Now let them vote.
Let prison laborers unionize and pay them a fair wage.
“Perhaps someday we can […] finally have a government that actually represents most of the people who live here.”
Wouldn’t that be nice.
That's just crazy talk!
Sounds woke.
You’re goddamned right.
It's time for me to compose one of my scathing diatribes to Olympia, Washington. I am not at all supportive of this vile state law that prohibits convicted felons from casting their votes in the Evergreen State.
That is NOT acceptable. Unless the crime(s) were of a politically relevant nature there isn't any constitutional standing for denying a convict their vote.
I'd like to hear from those who insist there is no systemic racism in this country on this particular matter :/
Can you read a pie chart?
A. No
B. No, but in yellow.
Anyway
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2024.html
The largest group of people in prison are those convicted of violent crimes, serving time in State prisons, about 674,000.
The second largest group are those not convicted of a crime, incarcerated in local jails, about 448,000 people.
America, what a country!
It's really great for making a lot of captive cheap labor, and there's plenty of recycling through the prison-industrial complex since we make it very difficult for people to reintegrate into society.