Subject: Help Us Bring Back True Democracy -- Coast-to-Coast

From: "Chellie Pingree, CEO Common Cause" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 14:21:19 -0700

Dear Common Cause Activist,

We're continuing our coast-to-coast campaign for fair political representation-- fighting for redistricting reform.  I want to give you an update on our efforts in two key states, Florida and California, where we need your help.  In Florida, we need your  help with a petition drive to take the first steps to pass a constitutional amendment for fair political districts.  Meanwhile, in California you can help us get the word out on a report we released today that documents how incumbent politicians in Congress and the state legislature totally control which voters will be in their districts and suggests what we need to do to improve that system.

Redistricting Petition Drive in Florida: Florida is one of the most important fights and we have launched a drive to collect signatures for a ballot initiative to reverse the Republican gerrymander that has left millions of citizens without representation and without a chance of electing representatives of their choice.  We need your help in gathering nearly 200,000 signatures in the coming weeks to take the first steps to pass a constitutional amendment for fair districts.  If you live in Florida, help put an end to unfair districts by collecting 100, 50 or even 10 signatures to support this critical effort:

www.commoncause.org/RedistrictFlorida 

This is important and even if you don't live in Florida, we still need your help.  Please pass the petition on to your friends, family, anyone you know in Florida, and help put an end to uncompetitive, unfair elections in the Sunshine State:  

www.commoncause.org/ForwardFloridaRedistrictingPetition 

California Redistricting Report: At a Sacramento press conference tiday, we released a new report today on redistricting at a Sacramento press conference, entitled "Designer Districts: Safe Seats Tailor Made for Incumbents."  Our report compares the last three redistrictings in California and looks at how each one affected the competitiveness of elections in the state.  It shows, for example, that during the 1990 cycle, when an independent panel redrew the lines, the number of competitive races increased by more than 50 percent.  Click here to download and read our report:

www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=263727&content_id={DC8F8878-DBBE-4336-BF1D-E96FDAC5A2B8}&notoc=1

Please read our report and pass it on to everyone you know: www.commoncause.org/forwardCaliforniaReport.  Tell us what you think by posting your feedback on our blog at www.commonblog.com.

Thank you again for all you do for Common Cause.

Sincerely,

Chellie Pingree
President & CEO, Common Cause

Support Common Cause:
www.commoncause.org/Suppport 

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