Wednesday, January 27, 2010

You can take it with you

(anchor) So, Commissioner Brook, whad'ya think of the local population surge?
>Well, it's some good work on our part. The population's grown so much I think next Census we're getting a third senator on the Hill.
>(Laughter from crowd)
>(mummered by intern): you mean another congressman .
>No, I'm serious!
>(anchor) so that's why they call you babblin'.

It's close to Census time and it's been said that there has been a 'major tectonic shift' in the population base. Take, for example, the measure of the mean center of population. For the 1790 census, this was Chestertown, MD, on the eastern shore. It continued moving southwest at 8 oclock, just about the trajectory of I-70. The measure is near Louisville, KY now. The MCP continues to move south. This brings up the point of reassignment of congressmembers. I suppose this is done as little as possible, because someone loses their job. Except by a stroke of luck, it'd be hard to get that newly vacated position.

There are about 500,000 constituents per congressmember. Thus, it is pretty obvious that Michigan, with 15 reps and 9 million people, is bloated compared to DC with 0. Face reality, there is something called a declining state. Err, New York's bloated too, with 23/19mil. North Carolina has 13 for the same about 9 million, and Maryland 8 for its 7 million. Federal presence buys favors but not seats.

So who's getting those rust belt seats? Again, the southeast. Virginia (disclaimer- grown by feds), and the rural south like South Carolinaland. There is also Nevada, and Utah naturally. Depending on political climate, DC could be given one, constitutionally or not.

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