REDISTRICTING
There are many ways you can help with the “Fair Redistricting” campaign. This page will direct you to all the different ways you can participate. Make contact and let your voices be heard. Listed first are the newspapers followed by our State officials. Lastly on this page are points you can use when writing or calling to make clear why we want to “Bring Dunkirk back to Calvert” and "Make Calvert Whole".
Maryland, like all states, must draw new Congressional districts (U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 2) and State Legislative districts (Maryland Constitution Article III, Section 5) based on the principal of one-person one-vote following the decennial Census of the United States.
You can write letters to the editors of the local newspapers and online news sites.
Maryland Independent
Fax Letters to the Editor to 301-645-2175, mail them to Letters to the Editor, Maryland Independent, 7 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf, MD 20602, or e-mail them to abreck@somdnews.com.
The Enterprise
Fax Letters to the Editor to 301-737-1665, mail them to Letters to the Editor, The Enterprise, P.O. Box 700, Lexington Park, MD 20653, or e-mail them to rboyd@somdnews.com.
The Calvert Recorder
Fax Letters to the Editors to 410-535-5883, mail them to Letters to the Editor, The Calvert Recorder, P.O. Box 485, Prince Frederick, MD 20678, or e-mail them to clovejoy@somdnews.com.
Letters may also be dropped off at the office at 135 Main Street in Prince Frederick.
Bay Weekly
www.bayweekly.com/content/letter-editor
You can write or email any or all of the government officials listed below. We have listed their mailing addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers.
It would also be very useful to write to any/all of the state legislators as they are the ones who will be voting on the new districting. Go to the state website http://mlis.state.md.us/Other/Roster/House.pdfand find the delegates' addresses and other contact information. Or if you prefer to send them an email go to http://mlis.state.md.us/mgaweb/mail32.aspx choose your delegate and type in your letter and then send.
Governor Martin O’Malley
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925
410-974-3901
1-800-811-8336
www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/
Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925
410-974-2804
1-800-811-8336
www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/ltdefault.asp
Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr
President of Senate
State House, H-107
Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991
(410) 841-3700, (301) 858-3700
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3700 (toll free)
e-mail: thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3910, (301) 858-3910
James E. Proctor, Jr.
House Office Building, Room 121
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3083, (301) 858-3083
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3083 (toll free)
e-mail:james.proctor@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3459, (301) 858-3459
Joseph F. Vallerio, Jr.
House Office Building, Room 101
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3488, (301) 858-3488
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3488 (toll free)
e-mail: joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3495, (301) 858-3495
Mark N. Fisher
House Office Building, Room 217
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3231, (301) 858-3231
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3231 (toll free)
e-mail: mark.fisher@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3335, (301) 858-3335
Anthony J. O'Donnell
House Office Building, Room 212
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(301) 858-3314, (410) 841-3314
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3314 (toll free)
e-mail: anthony.odonnell@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3451, (301) 858-3451
REDISTRICTING TIMETABLE
The process has started and will continue through next Spring.
See http://planning.maryland.gov/redistricting/
- Congressional will be first – it must be settled and in place in time for the Congressional Primary on April 3, 2012.
* The Hearings are this summer; and a special session in September will determine boundaries.
- Legislative Districts are second.
* The Hearings are this Fall; a regular General Assembly will take up issue beginning in Jan 2012
Why does this matter to Dunkirk Concerned Citizens Association?
We are in District 27A and our votes are overpowered by Prince George’s county voters. Let’s bring Dunkirk/Owings/Huntington back to Calvert County! Calvert County’s population is 88,737. The population needed for one delegate is 40,938. We should have two delegates representing our interests; we do not!
Current Calvert County Legislative Districts:
27A - Northern Calvert County (Dunkirk/Owings) tied to Prince George’s and represented by Proctor and Vallerio
27B – North Beach/Chesapeake Beach, Prince Frederick, down to St. Leonard and represented by Fisher
29C – Southern Calvert, St. Leonard, Lusby Solomons, and crossing over into St. Mary’s County represented by O’Donnell
The Maryland Constitution supports our desire to be fairly represented: “Each legislative district shall consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and of substantially equal population. Due regard shall be given to natural boundaries of political subdivision.”
The time is now for communities to express their desire for common sense district boundaries that are drawn according to constitutional and charter requirements rather than political agendas. It is the difference between the voters choosing their representatives in a fair election and politicians choosing the voters they wish to represent through gerrymandering.
Why are we represented by two people who do not live here? The areas are vastly different because:
Calvert County Prince George’s County
Population: 88,737 Population: 863,420
Rural/Country Metropolitan/next to DC
Transportation by cars/buses/boats Cars/buses/subways/trains/ planes
Economy: farming/water/ Government/tourism/sports/mercantile government/ Power plant/military
Recreation: water/tourism Major league sports/city life
Schools: In top 10 in state In bottom 10 in state
Crime: low Crime: high
Issues pertaining to Calvert Issues pertaining to Prince George’s
Gambling Traffic/beltway/301/ICC
Septic Issues Sewer
Preserving our farms Disappearing
Keep Calvert Country Metro area
Development under control Development out of control
What can we do?
We can raise awareness.
We can raise our voices.
We can apply pressure at all levels for fair redistricting; no back room deals.
We can form a non-partisan DACCA Volunteer Redistricting Issue Committee to take the ball and run with it.
DACCA can provide seed money for mailings, bumper stickers, solicitations. We can provide a section on DACCA’s website: www.daccamd.com
All we need now is volunteers… Please help however you can.