A few thoughts on the maps

Once again, the ‘honorables’ in Raleigh get to decide WHO gets the, ahem, “honor” of their, um, “representation” for the next two years or so.

So far, the proposed maps are ignoring the old saw about linking together counties with common interests.  These maps are being drawn solely for the purpose of keeping certain politicians safely employed so they can continue to manipulate the bureaucracy and red tape for the benefit of those who have made and continue to make a fortune from such activity.

Here’s the proposed NC House map.  There are no significant changes that we can see for our home base of Moore County.  It looks like we have the same trio representing pretty much the same areas they represented in 2022 and 2023. (Though, there is no good reason for splitting our county three ways.  We did fine in one district for so long.  But, apparently, the bosses in Raleigh needed our dependable Republican votes distributed into at least two other neighboring districts.)

Here’s the proposed NC Senate map.  This brings significant change for us in Moore.  Our current district includes all of Moore and a smidgen of Cumberland county.  However, the new map gives us all of Moore plus 50 to 75 percent of Cumberland.  That’s a lot of new territory for Republican incumbent Tom McInnis. 

Here and here are the proposed congressional maps. (For comparison, here is where we are NOW.) “Experts” are already predicting up to three new Republican congress-critters from our state.

One has Moore back in the 8th district and in a configuration quite similar to the one we’re in now.  (We’re still stuck with lil’ Richard.  He moved, if you remember.)   It would include: part of Chatham, Lee, Harnett, part of Cumberland, Stanly, Montgomery, Moore, and Sampson. 

We now are in the 9th with the following counties: Randolph, Chatham, Moore, Lee, part of Harnett, part of Cumberland, Hoke, part of Richmond, and Scotland. 

Another proposed configuration has us in the 9th looking somewhat like the old 6th district when Howard Coble represented us. It would include: most of Guilford, Alamance, part of Chatham, Randolph, Moore, Hoke, and a piece of Cumberland. 

One of the congressional maps has the 3rd district stretching from The Outer Banks at the Virginia border, south to Hyde county, and west to Raleigh-adjacent Nash and Franklin counties.

That same map has a good chunk of Wake county in the same district as coastal Carteret county.

Stuff like that is crazy. Selfish, too.  Politicians and moneyed interests protecting themselves.