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Citizen Group Hosts Talk on RedistrictingBy WY Daily Staff Thursday, January 20, 2011 A citizen group is hosting a forum Friday to inform residents about the upcoming redistricting process. Triangle localities and the state General Assembly are gearing up to redraw districts this spring, a process that takes place following every U.S. Census. Districts both on the local level and the state level need to be drawn so that the number of people remains the same in each. Watch a short explainer video about the state process on the Virginia Public Access Project website.Friday’s meeting hosted by the James City County Concerned Citizens (J4C) will feature two speakers who will try to help clarify the process and the issues surrounding it for the public. Dr. Quentin Kidd, associate professor and government department chair at Christopher Newport University and director of the Wason Center for Public Policy, will discuss state and county redistricting procedures and the public mapping project contest for college students, which offers a chash prize for a college student who draws the best state redistricting map. Rebecca Hulse, professor of practice and coordinator of the Election Law Program at William and Mary’s School of Law, will discuss redistricting cases in the state courts. The forum will be held from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the James City/Williamsburg Community Center on Longhill Road in room C.
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Comments
dialogue, argument,Berkel ey, Lafayette, preserve,surpri se
apparently this comment engine does not allow the use of greater than and less than signs, so please insert a "not equal" between Southerner and Stupid.
Oh, and to your point of my piling on after you acknowledged your mis understanding. I submitted my original post before that entry was displayed. So, my bad...didn't mean to pile on...
But ok, I don't mind the dialouge. Words are cheap so I can afford a lot of them.
I appreciate that you don't let SNARK stop you. To the points of your arguement.
WRT expanding buildings prior to building new. Berkely Middle School was expanded in the mid '90's, Layfette around the same time and James Blair a year or so after. My point is the School System did expand prior to redistricting.
Next time you're driving around town ask yourself this question "where are all the Old houses?" by old I mean built in the 1930's '40's '50's. The answer is that they're there, there's just not that many of them compared to all the newer ones constructed form the mid to late '80s. This area suffered a title wave of growth.
The fastest growing component of the growth happens to be retirees, the largest are inter regional (VA Beach, Hampton, etc.) but many moving from the North East, PA, NY. The most vocal of whom remind their elected officials that their incomes are 'fixed' and their children are grown, hence... (this place was perfect when we decided to move here, don't you dare change a thing!) This is a component of the "no political will to change" part of my argument.
Anyway the latest news is that W-JCC will expand the new schools before building new ones. Every School built since Jamestown High (Built around '98) was designed with expansion in mind.
While spared directly from the last redistricting, I'm still dealing with the impact it had on my children. Though my oldest thinks it's cool to know kids at the other high schools. My experience is that it's not the kids who have trouble adjusting it's the Parents. Yes changing schools is hard but doable.
I think my position is more "there are larger community issues causing the need for school redistricting" rather than "head in sand". Redistricting is a symptom.
Regarding the size of the area it's all relative. Williamsburg is approximately 12sqmi James City 142sqmi. Was your NY hometown on a peninsula? Geography matters. One of the reasons we've grown the way we have is because of the desire to preserve open space where possible, preseves the Chesapeake.
Southerners = Kindness, well if we can keep covering up all our mess in the history books we'll finally be able to sell that pig-n-poke. Also FYI, Southerner Stupid.
On being a hypocrite. It shouldn't suprise you that I have a different opinion. To the extent that God takes request, I'd prefer he bestow blessings on everyone.
As to the religious accusations. I choose to respond with the words of a local song writer "...all I want from tomorrow is to be better than today..."
I look forward to your response.
Be Well.
Obviously New York is very large. I've zero clue why you would think our population was stagnant. If you reread the post; I stated our growth was addressed by expansion. If you didn't build so many schools in such a little area, yes I said little, you'd have the resources for a larger lunchroom!!
I love your head in the sand thought process. If it doesn't affect me, I don't care. SO ignorant!! My child has finally reached the high school, so we have no further redistricting in our future. Just because I'm no longer affected by this insanity, does NOT mean I no longer care about the children who continue to be affected by these decisions.
As for not reading the article before venting; I already owned up to the mistake, so it's kind of senseless to attack that one. The issue remains the same, regardless of where I posted it.
Thank you "Citizenry"! Being a New Yorker; I'm use to short, to the point, and rude. That's not a compliment to my state, of course. However, what I learned within my first six months of living here, is that my perception of southerners automatically equaling kindness, didn't apply to this city! There are way too many pretentious stick in the muds here, who certainly didn't get rich by sharing their wealth! Our taxes may have been more in New York, but I never flinched when my school district needed more money to educate ALL our children, provided they were making what I perceived to be wise choices. Something this district is NOT doing. I'm elated to hear you too would like to work toward beneficial change!!
Lastly, take a look at some studies before you try to tell me simply teaching my child to accept the realities of life is a good idea. Ask any child in the military how hard it is to change schools every couple of years. I'm positive they'll tell you it adds a lot of stressors and complications that they wish they didn't have. I think I'll continue the path I'm on, and provide stability in areas that he has a right to. There are plenty of teaching opportunities in our every day world that provide the ability to educate him on the proper way to navigate through change without it applying to his education.
Then, hide behind your religious statement in the end; had to be the BEST part!!!! It's hypocrites like you that keep me away from that nonsense! Thank you for confirming it has yet to change! Real Christians who actually walk the talk, not just talk the talk, would never have taken your approach with me. Condescending, judgemental, pretentious, greedy, unwillingness to help those around you regardless of your own personal stake in the matter; that all goes against your teachings, last I checked!
Please know that not all of us in the community provide beneficial information in as condescending manner as VPOLMAC.
Looking forward to working together to evolve our community.
OK, WMBG Resident now that you've got some more facts intoduced into the conversation, I'm all anxious to hear how your simple NY solutions will do our students some good.
One more thing. Your child lives in a world that will constantly be changing. There is no "stability". Allow me to suggest that you simply love him unconditionally and God will take care of the rest.
When the schools ran out of room, they ADDED on to EXISTING schools. They did not build an entirely new school, redistrict everyone, and increase our expenses as a result!
New schools mean $100's of thousands of dollars in administration costs alone, not to mention the additional cost in having yet another library, computer room, cafeteria, gym, etc. I really can't understand who in their right mind thinks uprooting our children just as they settle in is ok?! My child is not in the military, and lives in the same house he did five years ago. I provide all the stability in his world that I possibly can, yet you continue to undermine that effort with your constant irresponsible redistricting!! !!!