Selection process was fair, enlightening

Teresa Espana
The Fresno Bee
December 18, 2010

I had the opportunity to get a first-hand look at how California's Citizens Redistricting Commission has come to life. I was a finalist for the 14-member panel that will draw political boundaries for upcoming legislative and congressional elections.

It was an honor to be an applicant and finalist from Fresno. State Auditor Elaine M. Howle and her staff have skillfully led our state toward the establishment of the first-ever Redistricting Commission. I also congratulate the 14 commissioners.

The State Auditor and Bureau of State Audits staff were charged with making real the Voters FIRST Act ballot proposition passed by voters in 2008.

The measure called for the creation of an independent citizens panel that would be responsible for redrawing legislative district boundaries. The decennial practice of redistricting is meant to safeguard the democratic concept of "one person, one vote."

I've had significant contact with the Bureau during my year-long candidacy. I've admired the manner in which the office facilitated the mind-boggling assignment of processing 31,000 applications in the first round. The next round (each grew more complex as time passed) comprised 5,000 applicants. The pool was cut to 120 in August, 60, 36, and then, most recently, 28 candidates.

At each step in the application process, I was treated fairly and with enormous dignity and respect. I was heartened by the authenticity and enthusiasm of the staff. They understood and appreciated the details and implications of the process. They handled their responsibilities with extraordinary talent, flexibility, patience and grace.

My impression of state government has been forever transformed.

I am grateful to the many independent and nonprofit organizations that helped draft the Voters FIRST Act and supported the application process. It was their stream of emails that motivated me to submit my name.

I was moved by the challenge to become a "voice at the table." I am similarly grateful to the many individuals who observed and commented on the process.

I also thank the Bureau's selection committee -- comprised of Nasir Ahmadi, Mary Camacho and Kerri Spano -- for serving the state so well with their intelligence, integrity, dedication, and professionalism.

I was encouraged by the open-minded selection process that valued diverse experiences and abilities. My own skills and interests were honed in California's public school systems. I earned university degrees in the social sciences, fine arts and humanities.

In my current professional role as a community college instructor, I am committed to the idea of academic freedom, a freedom that comes with tremendous responsibilities. The experiences in my humanities classrooms have deepened my appreciation and respect for different systems of social organization and expression.

My students teach me to approach the world with a more open mind. Together we learn to negotiate the world's complexities, ambiguities, and contradictions.

I am grateful to be part of an educational system that teaches us to dialogue and move forward through the "genius" of collective thinking and problem-solving.

The next phase of the redistricting process provides an excellent opportunity to turn the state into a giant classroom where we can respectfully and creatively discuss ideas for fair and equal representation.

I encourage all Californians to become engaged. Every voice matters!

Teresa España is a part-time instructor at Fresno City College.