Currently under discussion is a second Latino-majority district, which would divide the San Fernando Valley. In the opinion of Malibu officials, it would be a disaster for the city that would be cut off from other communities of interest, particularly those along the Pacific Coast Highway corridor.
There are political implications to be considered as well. Should the new district be created, Malibu would fall into Supervisor Don Knabe’s district, and he has a storied and sometimes combative relationship with Malibu. During the 1980s, fights between Knabe and the community ended up being the impetus for the city’s incorporation.
From the Malibu Times:
Malibu city officials are sounding the alarm over another redistricting controversy, this time at the county level. Just as new legislative maps were approved Aug. 15 at the state and national levels, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is required to redraw the boundaries for the county’s five supervisory districts by Oct. 31, following the 2010 U.S. Census.
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents Malibu, last week on his Web site condemned proposals by fellow supervisors Gloria Molina and Mark Ridley-Thomas as “a bald-faced gerrymandering that is completely unnecessary.”
Read the full article here.