gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) (06/06/90)
>119: This one almost had me convinced. But then I noticed that the > "independent commission" doesn't make up the plan; they must be submitted > by the public. Creating a plan takes lots of resources; data; computer > time. Not everyone can create a plan. I can forsee only a few sectors > with the power to do so. Why don't we get together and write some free public domain software for redistricting, that runs on common computers (IBM PC, Unix, Mac). The data is available and it's public domain (a hundred people can pool money to buy one copy and then post it to the net). I bet we would get a lot of individuals, small private interest groups, and students who would come up with interesting redistricting plans. And if the plans for YOUR area were really bad, even YOU could play with the data and submit a better one. There is already commercial software for this, used by the pols; if the companies supplying this software saw a large market (us), perhaps they'd drop the price. Think anybody can get a foundation grant for this software if 119 passes? Maybe from the League of Women Voters or the Friends Service Committee? -- John Gilmore {sun,pacbell,uunet,pyramid}!hoptoad!gnu gnu@toad.com Drug laws = drug lies. Just say "know".