Redistricted

Our US Constitution mandates a census for the purpose of apportioning legislature representation, misused since the early days of our republic with favorable and unfavorable sequelae that have accrued over time.  States have legislatures too.  Our state uses the Federal Census in its districting.  One of the rewarding projects I have undertaken of late has been to serve as my election district's representative to the Democratic Party.  Good people on the committee, nearly all younger, I assume a little less prosperous, and perhaps a little left of where my worldview stands.  They seem committed to the underserved, which is good, not terribly analytical, which may not be good.

Proposed redistricted maps came out, placing my home smack it the center of a different district, a notably more prosperous population of professionals and tract housing.  Looking at the demographics, we have slightly more Asians than Blacks, which I assume reflects employment of scientists and a priority for the top schools when deciding on a home purchase.  There are no religious demographics included but the new district pretty much absorbs most of our state's Jewish citizens.  

I'm a little sad about being displaced, as I really liked the other people on the Committee and the elected officials who nearly always attended our Zoom meetings.  Whether a homogeneous or a diverse voter base is preferable, I'll leave to the political scientists. These new borders seem to create a district of what some call Bobo's, people like me, those educated, prosperous Americans who invest in the education and security of our kids, those people George Packer in his landmark article How America Fractured into Four Parts https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/george-packer-four-americas/619012/ called Smart America.  The other district, my current one by number, has a much higher Black representation, less wealth, and aspirations more reflective of the article's Just America.  The current rep, a Black fellow with a good heart and impressive energy, has done his best to legislate mostly small projects that truly enhance the lives of those people, leaving the larger projects with broader impact to our State Senator whose origins and agenda are that of Smart America.  Yet despite the economic divide of who lives within Election District 7 now, there doesn't seem to be much conflict.  Even if bounced from the monthly meetings once the new districts take effect, these are good people to help out when it comes time to support candidates.  As it is now, they schedule all civic events on shabbos.  Perhaps the new district, where there is more of a critical mass of Sabbath observers, will offer other alternatives.