Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
For those of you who have been following Steve Muratore's must-read The Arizona Eagletarian blog and Blog for Arizona for information about redistricting in Arizona, the Arizona Republic today revealed a new resource for information is joining the fray: the centrist think tank the Grand Canyon Institute "announced its 'Keep Redistricting Independent' campaign. It will consist of news releases and fact sheets that, it says, will provide accurate information about the redistricting process."
The Grand Canyon Institute web site grandcanyoninstitute.org describes the think tank this way:
Grand Canyon Institute (GCI) is a private non-profit corporation that provides non-partisan research and voter education activities as a centrist research center for the benefit of policy makers, media, and the general public. We serve as an independent voice reflecting mainstream American values and a pragmatic approach to addressing economic, fiscal, budgetary, and taxation challenges confronting all Americans with a special emphasis on Arizona issues.
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[Its] Board of Directors includes a bi-partisan group of former state lawmakers, economists, community leaders, and academicians. Over time, the board of the nonprofit will expand and be composed of an even more diverse, broad based, bi-partisan group of business, community, and academic leaders who share the Institute’s vision during the 21st Century.
The Board of Directors consists of former state Sen. Carolyn Allen (R); historian and author Jack August, Jr., Ph.D. (D), ASU economics professor Jeff Chapman, Ph.D. (D); civic leader Tom Chapman (R); former state representative and senator and Chief of Staff for Finance and Budget to the Governor, George Cunningham (D); former state representative and senator and Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services and Health Policy Advisor to the Governor, Susan Gerard (R); former state representative and senator Pete Hershberger (R); former mayor of Phoenix, Paul Johnson (I); former member of Senator Barry Goldwater’s staff and Arizona Director of Weights and Measures, George Seitts (R); and ASU professor of political economy and public policy, Dave Wells, Ph.D. (D).
This is a formidable bipartisan line-up as opposed to the partisan FAIR Trust (the Arizona Republican Caucus) in the redistricting process.
Here is GCI's Keep Redistricting Independent page:
More than a decade ago, Arizona voters overwhelmingly approved a decision to take partisan politics out of the process our state uses to draw its legislative and congressional districts. Unfortunately, the hard-won, independent process created by Proposition 106 is the target of coordinated attacks specifically designed to plant misinformation and undermine the credibility of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Not only do these attacks threaten the independent process, but they also threaten Arizona’s economic future.
More than ever before, the stability of our government and political process is critical to our economic success. Unstable political institutions create uncertainty in the private sector and discourage investment. Just recently, when Standard & Poor’s downgraded the federal government’s credit rating, it cited the political instability of our government institutions as a key factor. Specifically, S & P said, "the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges."
The Grand Canyon Institute has launched the Keep Redistricting Independent effort to provide Arizonans and the media with a reference guide complete with accurate, sourced information about the AIRC and the redistricting process, and to correct misinformation in the public record.
Check out these resources.
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