In the election of Athens-Clarke County Commissioners in 2018 (odd numbered districts voted that year; even numbered districts would vote in 2020), the victors included: Tim Denson (District 5), Russell Edwards (District 7) and Melissa Link (District 3). All three Commissioners are prepared to run for re-election this year (2022). Of course, any other resident can also run for election in these commission districts.
What if we do not want Denson, Edwards and Link to run this year for re-election in their districts and do want to sow chaos among Athens-Clarke County voters?
We can:
Change the commission districts of 67% of all the voters in Athens-Clarke County;
Disenfranchise more than 25,000 voters by moving them from their existing odd numbered districts (vote this year) into even numbered districts (vote in 2024);
Redraw the commission district lines, so that Denson, Edwards and Link are moved from their present odd numbered districts (vote this year) to even numbered districts (vote in 2024). That will prevent them from running for office in their present commission districts and from running for office at all until 2024!
The redistricting map for Athens-Clarke County (House Bill 890) prepared by Athens state Representatives Marcus Wiedower and Houston Gaines and Athens state Senators Frank Ginn and Bill Cowsert, does all of the above!
The Georgia House passed the bill last week and the Senate will vote on it this week!
Please tell Senators Ginn and Cowsert you oppose this bill!
Otherwise, it’s, “The public be damned!”
Bruce Menke
Athens
If the Athens voters don't demand that Senators Ginn and Cowsert stop this attack on Athens commissoners, they will not do so. Because the attitude of these two senators is, literally, "The Public Be Damned".
I don’t get the headline “The Public Be Damned!” in relation to this story. What’s the correlation?