Redistricting > Central District Deserves Representation
Open Letter to the Pasadena Redistricting Task Force:
My wife and I relocated from the NY/NJ area to Southern California in 2010, and we consciously chose the Playhouse District for our residence after evaluating a number of communities in the region (from Santa Barbara to La Jolla). Specifically, we were attracted to Pasadena by the opportunity to enjoy a walking “urbanesque” lifestyle featuring the kinds of cultural events and commercial amenities offered by Downtown Pasadena. For those in Pasadena who were involved in forging the 1994 General Plan, we salute your vision and appreciate the groundwork you laid to provide us with this wonderful community!
As you can imagine, our lifestyle is now dramatically (deliciously!) different from the suburban setting we left behind – and it has become clear to me that the concerns, needs and priorities of Downtown residents are distinctive from those of other Pasadena neighborhoods.
Bottom Line:
The current splintering of the Downtown into four (4) Council Districts denies us appropriate democratic representation. Despite our aggregate mass (nearly 20,000 residents – 14% of the total population), the current jurisdictional boundaries relegate us to a small, nominal percentage of any individual Councilmember’s constituency base – and this Balkanization of the Downtown area systemically ensures that the concerns, needs and priorities of Downtown residents are treated as a relatively minor blip in any given Councilmember’s overall field of vision.
The current redistricting effort provides a “once in 10 years” opportunity to remedy this injustice. Please help ensure that this matter is treated fairly.
Thank you,
// Greg Gunther
