Valley residents take reins of redistricting

SACRAMENTO -- A state official will be in Fresno this morning recruiting members for a commission charged with redrawing California's political boundaries -- a once-a-decade task that for the first time will be led by average citizens.

But while the 14-person panel must include an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, today's outreach will be decidedly partisan. The moderator is from the Fresno Democratic Central Committee, and it was promoted by Democratic clubs.

Unfair? No, says the State Auditor's office, which is leading the effort to assemble the commission.

"We're happy to go to any event sponsored by any party affiliation. We're not discriminating at all," said State Auditor Elaine Howle, whose public affairs director will be at today's event.

With a limited budget, the office has not organized its own tour. Rather, officials are mostly relying on invites from local groups. In Fresno, they have been invited by Democrats -- but not by Republicans, the auditor's office said.

Today's event at California State University, Fresno, is open to the public.

Howle said her office has reached out to Valley Republicans in other ways, such as a recent appearance on the Bakersfield-based radio show of GOP state Sen. Roy Ashburn.

So far in the GOP-leaning Valley, more Republicans have shown interest than Democrats. As of Friday, 173 residents from Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties have applied and cleared the initial eligibility hurdle. Of those, 92 are Republicans and 53 are Democrats. The rest are from other parties or independents. Of all the applicants, 82% are male.

Voters created the process in 2008 by passing Prop. 11, which took the job away from lawmakers. The measure only applies to state legislative and Board of Equalization districts.

The auditor's office began accepting applications Dec. 15 and will stop Feb. 12. The pool will be winnowed to five Democrats, five Republicans, and four nonpartisan or minor-party members. In 2011, the commission will use new Census data to remap the boundaries.

In the Valley, a lot is at stake. With population rising, there is a chance the region between Sacramento and Bakersfield could pick up a new Assembly seat, said political analyst Tony Quinn. "Where exactly? That you just can't say," he said.

Still, Fresno County applications are slightly lagging. The county is home to 2.22% of the state's registered voters, but residents make up 2% of the eligible application pool so far.

One civic leader says the state has not done enough to publicize recruitment. "I think this lack of resources is apparently constraining their ability," said Pete Weber, who is active with the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. The bipartisan task force is tentatively planning to host the auditor at an upcoming informational session.

Weber has done his own recruitment, but said it's difficult to find people who fit the criteria. Residents are ineligible if they or immediate family members have donated $2,000 or more to a political candidate in any of the past 10 years.

Some residents are concerned about the time commitment, Weber said. The commission will be charged with setting its own agenda. At times, members could face 20-to 40-hour work weeks, the state auditor's office said.

Other critics say the application pool lacks diversity. It "looks like the board of directors of an Alabama country club circa 1964," said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic strategist.

As of Friday, 76% of applicants were white. Of all registered voters, 65% are white, according to a recent Field Poll. Regulations say that the 14-member commission must reflect the state's "racial, ethnic, geographic, economic and gender" diversity.

To attract more minority candidates, the auditor's office and a public relations firm have reached out to newspapers that serve ethnic communities. But the auditor is operating on a shoestring budget.

Howle asked the Legislature for $2 million, but got $500,000 last year.

In his budget plan, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed $5 million for the effort in 2010-11, but it still requires legislative approval.