Proposition 50 is about consolidating power

In 1980, Democrats controlled both houses of the legislature and the governorship but were feeling vulnerable after former Gov. Reagan had won California by a landslide in the 1980 presidential election. Democratic Congressman Phillip Burton and state Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Newsom’s political mentor, devised a redistricting plan that would result in five new safe Democratic seats. Congressman Burton would boast that the bizarrely shaped map, which included a 385-sided district, was “My contribution to modern art.”

Republicans successfully placed a veto referendum on the primary ballot and California voters overwhelmingly rejected the legislature’s redistricting plans in the June 1982 election. Not listening to the voters, Democrats turned to the activist California Supreme Court. It ordered the rejected districts to be used in that November’s election. Democrats won 60% of the congressional seats despite only taking 49.9% of the statewide vote, hardly an accurate representation of the electorate.

Gov. Brown responded by calling an extraordinary legislative session, amending a previously passed bill with the redistricting plan that had just been rejected by the electorate, and signing the redistricting plan into law hours before being replaced by Republican George Deukmejian.

So, when Gavin Newsom says only Democrats can protect voter integrity, don’t believe him. Prop. 50 is all about consolidating power. Vote no.

John Marty

San Bruno