Give Minorities Fair Shot at Board

Every 10 years, after the federal census, the Board of Supervisors redraws boundaries. The lines on the map do much more than keep the county’s five districts evenly balanced.

How district boundaries are drawn can determine who runs for office, how much representation the county’s growing minority population will have and even influence the outcome of major issues, such as the ultimate use of the former Marine Corps air base at El Toro.

That can happen because Supervisors Cynthia P. Coad, Jim Silva and Tom Wilson are up for reelection next year to their last possible board terms because of term limits. And in 2004, Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Chuck Smith will leave the board.

For instance, lines could be drawn to remove some South County anti-airport cities from Spitzer’s district, possibly changing board alignments such as the present 3-2 board majority on airport issues.

So, term limits introduce a new factor in redistricting. There will be an entirely new county board by 2006. New district boundaries drawn now could create new voting blocs that will affect future critical issues.

There is also strong pressure from community groups that want a better chance of electing a Latino to the board. Their odds of achieving that could be improved greatly if Santa Ana, instead of being split between three supervisorial districts, as it is now, is kept in one.

About three of every 10 residents in the county are Latino. But in Santa Ana, Latinos make up 76% of the city.

Non-white ethnic groups, in fact, make up more than 88% of Santa Ana and 43% of the county’s 2.8 million residents.

Asian communities, with 12% of the county population, also want more representation. Based on population alone, minorities should have two of the five board seats.

Supervisors have created a Redistricting Committee and will use the Center for Demographic Research at Cal State Fullerton to help redraw supervisorial districts.

The county board will make the final decision. Unfortunately, the result often involves heavy political considerations, divisive controversy and lawsuits before new lines are finally set.

Public hearings will be held in the spring before the August deadline for final adoption. Supervisors should draw logical boundary lines that preserve the “communities of interest” of each district and not splinter cities.

It’s also vital in today’s more diverse Orange County for the supervisors to work more closely with minority groups to ensure that new district boundaries give them a greater voice and a fair opportunity to be elected to countywide boards.