TEXANS - MoveOn is asking for your help.

[Imalittleteapot]

Dear MoveOn member in Texas,

A few months ago, Texans and their Democratic representatives stood up to Tom DeLay's power-grab of a redistricting plan. It was a tremendous victory, but now DeLay is at it again -- he's pressuring the Legislature again to eliminate Democratic Congressional seats and replace them with Republican ones. His gerrymandering plan will carve up communities around Texas in order to further his unambiguous goal: "I'm the majority leader, and we want more seats." (Rep. DeLay quoted in the New York Times, July 1, 2003)

Please take a moment NOW to help ensure that the Texas Legislature spends its time on the important problems facing the state -- rather than wasting time and millions of taxpayer dollars on DeLay's lifetime tenure bid.

First, call House Speaker Tom Craddick today at:
512-463-1100
or 512-463-0056

Tell him you don't support the redistricting plan and you'd like to
see the Legislature get to work on real issues.

Then, if you're represented by any of the Representatives below,
please give them a call too, with the same message:

Rep. Ron Wilson
Capitol: 512-463-0744
District: 713-885-0102

Rep. Kenny Marchant
Capitol: 512-463-0468
District: 972-418-6100

Rep. Joe Crabb
Capitol: 512-463-0520
District: 281-359-1270

Rep. Phil King
Capitol: 512-463-0738
District: 817-596-4796

Once you've called, please let us know at:
http://moveon.org/txcalls.html?id=1492-646093-.JVAziXxNkI0dGKtvMuL4w

The most powerful thing you may be able to do is attend one of the Senate hearings on the plan that are going on around the state this week. You have a right to attend the hearings, sign in as a witness, and let your opposition to redistricting be known. The Senate Jurisprudence Committee will be meeting at the following times andplaces:

Date: 07/07/2003
Where: Corpus Christi
Time: 03:00 PM
Solomon Ortiz Convention Center, 402 Harvard Dr.

Date: 07/08/2003
Where: Dallas
Time: 03:00 PM
University of North Texas at Dallas, 8915 S. Hampton Road Room 224

Date: 07/09/2003
Where: Waco
Time: 01:00 PM
Baylor University School of Law, 1114 South University Parks Drive,
Room 127

Date: 07/10/2003
Where: Austin
Time: 01:00 PM
Texas Capitol Annex E1.012 (E1.016 is overflow room).

Thank you for all that you do. Together, we can ensure that the Texas
Legislature stops this power-grab and gets back to work.

Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
For MoveOn.org PAC
June 7th, 2003

P.S. For more on the redistricting fight, check out the following
article:

ACROSS U.S., REDISTRICTING AS A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE
By David M. Halbfinger
July 1, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/national/01TEXA.html

Here's an excerpt:

"For most of the past century, redistricting has been a fairly
predictable though often contentious ritual. Every 10 years, state
legislators would use the new census data to redraw Congressional district lines, and the party in power would usually manage to draw maps that gave it an advantage.

Now, thanks to a determined effort by United States Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, with the quiet support of the White House, that tradition may be crumbling, as legislatures draw new districts whenever they have a partisan advantage.

Today, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature opened an
extraordinary special session devoted solely to redrawing the state's 32 Congressional districts. If Republicans succeed in doing so, they could remove five or more Democratic congressmen and help their party consolidate its hold on power in Washington."

[tpub]

1. I assume

it's kosher to forward this (word-for-word) to friends in Texas who may not be members of MoveOn...

[Imalittleteapot]

2. Yes. Please forward.

thanks.

[muchacho]

3. thanks

eom