State Government

The art of the gerrymander, creating political districts for the purpose of electing those of your own political party has a long and rich history in my native state of Ohio. I came of age in Ohio in the 1970’s, when Democrats and Republicans accepted some moderate advantages from the district maps such that political power shifted back and forth between the parties. By the 90’s, the Republicans decided to sideline the Democratic party and all Democratic party voters, by using gerrymandering to ensure Republican victories in the polls no matter how the voters cast their ballots. Consider the evidence.

Elections Vote Counts by Party

* Third party votes not listing in this table – source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Ohio

Ohio Elected Officials during Presidential Election Years

Year	Ohio Governor	Ohio House	Ohio Senate
2020	Mike Dewine (R)	61 62%(R)/38 38%(D)	24 73%(R)/9 27%(D)
2016	John Kasich (R)	65 66%(R)/34 34%(D)	23 70%(R)/10 30%(D)
2012	John Kasich (R)	59 60%(R)/40 40%(D)	23 70%(R)/10 30%(D)
2008	Ted Strickland (D)	53 54%(R)/46 46%(D)	21 64%(R)/12 36%(D)
2004	Bob Taft (R)	61 62%(R)/38 38%(D)	22 67%(R)/11 33%(D)
2000	Bob Taft (R)	59 60%(R)/40 40%(D)	21 64%(R)/12 36%(D)
1996	George Voinovich (R)	60 61%(R)/39 39%(D)	21 64%(R)/12 36%(D)
1992	George Voinovich (R)	53 54%(D)/46 46%(R)	20 61%(R)/13 39%(D)
1988	Dick Celeste (D)	59 60%(D)/40 40%(R)	19 58%(R)/14 42%(D)
1984	Dick Celeste (D)	59 60%(D)/40 40%(R)	18 55%(R)/15 45%(D)

Data in this table – source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_Ohio

Republican Ronald Reagan won Ohio as as well as the presidency in 1984 – only the Ohio State Senate had a Republican majority in that same election – 18R/15D 55%/45% somewhat less than the percentages of Republican to Democratic voters in that election – of course, not all Ohio State Senators were up for election. All other offices in Ohio were held by Democrats; from the Governorship, to both US Ohio Senators, and a slight majority of US Ohio Representatives – 11D/10R. The Ohio State Senate would never be controlled by the Democratic party again – except for a 2 year period 2009-2010.

By 1996, even though William Clinton won Ohio and the presidency, all state offices in Ohio were controlled by the Republican party. The Ohio Senate: 21R/12D 64%/36%, the Ohio House: 60R/39D 61%/39%. Even though there were more Democratic party votes statewide in both the ’92, and ’96 elections, we have these uneven results in the party officials elected to office. This was a direct result of the Ohio Republican party control of redistricting after the 1991 census and ensured that more Republicans would be elected to office through a more aggressive gerrymander than was customary in Ohio Politics up to that time. ¹

There have been two more attempts at redistricting reform in Ohio – in 2011 and 2020, both have resulted in either the same gerrymandered or worse results. The last set of maps used in the 2020 elections were so bad that the Ohio Supreme court ruled them unfair, but according to the rules of the last round of redistricting reform – could not produce a fairer map for consideration. And the flawed districts we have in Ohio continue to be used. ²

Once again, redistricting reform is on the ballot in Ohio. Republicans could not keep this issue from going directly to the voters, however through their control of State offices notably the highly partisan Republican Frank LaRose as secretary of state; and control of the Ohio Supreme court, managed to slander the new reform as gerrymandering in the ballet language itself. This arrogance and contempt for the voters of Ohio, even the members of their own party is reason enough in itself to never again elect Republicans to office in Ohio.

1. Slide 3, https://my.lwv.org/sites/default/files/leagues/wysiwyg/[current-user:og-user-node:1:title]/ohios_gerrymanding_problem.pdf ↩︎
2. This American Life Podcast: Mapmaker, mapmaker make me a map ↩︎

July 24, 2023

Justice John Roberts,

It has been several years since I’ve written to you. I had never imagined that the Supreme could achieve such a nadir in reputation, but then I also never imaged to what lengths the “conservative” justices of your court would stoop to return our United States to the 19^thcentury. If all the so-called conservative justices had done was to misconstrue textual interpretation of the law with cherry picked historical analysis; your associates and yourself would have gotten away with your crimes against Reason Herself. It is not jurisprudence or Congress which protects our Republic and our People from your kind Sir, but your own corruption, greed, and arrogance that in the end will be your downfall.

The instrument of your faction’s downfall, gifts (bribes?), luxury vacations, trips on private jets, yachts, sweetheart real estate deals, overpriced book deals and speaking engagements from your friends. It seems that many Supreme Court Justices have forgotten what every toddler learns by the age of two – just how to say “no”. Supreme Court justices who have also forgotten how to recuse themselves from any cases which affect those same beneficent friends.

I have mocked you in the past for your carefully cultivated ignorance of how our American society works, of our history of racial animus and discrimination, and even of your own past*. I do still marvel at your ignorance and the hardness of your heart, but I also weep for damage, you and the conservative majority continue to do to our fellow citizens. Your saving grace is that our fellow Americans are not a subtle people. Your public positions on so many issues and your fellow conservatives’ sensitivity to criticism make you perfect “heels” in the parlance of professional wrestling. You make the case against yourselves much better to the public that I or anyone else ever could.

God save our United States and your Honorable Court,

Douglas Mitchell

*Attachment: Letter to Chief Justice John Roberts – December 15, 2015

December 15, 2015

Chief Justice, John Roberts, Jr.
The Supreme Court of the United States
One First Street N.E.
Washington, DC 20543

Chief Justice Roberts,

I had the misfortune this week to read the text of the oral arguments presented to your court for ABIGAIL NOEL FISHER, v. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS – from Wednesday December 9th 2015. You may remember me. I’ve written to you before. One of your comments in these oral arguments, struck me as most instructive about why we need more diversity in classrooms in our United States. ( page 55 of the transcript. )

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: What ­­ — what unique — what unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?

Please compare with another quotation of yours from an opinion article you wrote at the age of 17 (1972) for your high school paper about admitting girls to the then all-male La Lumiere School, in La Porte, Indiana.

I tend to think that the presence of the opposite sex in the classroom will be confining rather than catholicizing,” he wrote. “I would prefer to discuss Shakespeare’s double entendre and the latus rectum of conic sections without a [b]londe giggling and blushing behind me.

Your seventeen year old self knew that his literature and geometry classes would be very different learning environments if the unique perspectives of female students were introduced into his classes. It is however, very unfortunate how in the conservative mind the fear of change itself can defile the reasoning ability of even the most brilliant of students.
What could you have accomplished if you had had the benefit of these different perspectives?

What could you have accomplished without your fear of those who are different?

Instead of your establishing the legal precedents for the Corporate Feudal State which will reduce most of the people of the United States to serfdom; you might have expanded civil liberties in our United States. You might have become a great public defender, a great prosecutor, or even a great legislator.

It is my hope that as our chief ‘Justice’ you may some day bring justice to the people of our United States.

Respectfully yours,

Doug Mitchell

In 2013, I started this blog. I was concerned about President Obama not closing the military prison in Guantanamo Cuba, and terrible legal precident being set in Supreme Court decisions. It started as a blog of my letters to our leaders, in government and the private sector. It became over the last 6 years more my place to post my sermons, poetry, and short stories.

This weekend, I tried to upgrade my blog to the current version of Word Press. The upgrade was a disaster. I was left with a blog that would not display old postings, and which would not accept new posts.

So I have established a new blog hosted with Word Press. I will be reposting my short stories and poetry to start with.