A “Dallas County gerrymander” per a court watcher. Dallas County Commissioners’ Court voted to gerrymander JJ Koch out of his seat and then heard comments about the vote afterward. Dr. Elba Garcia called the process “tainted” and was clearly unhappy with both process and result.
Dallas County Gerrymander
The gerrymander does not seem to extend to Constable or Justice of the Peace precincts. The map there was passed as Map A Revised.
Other Side Dallas will update with a finalized Commissioner’s Court map when available.
No voting for you says Dallas County Elections staff after not allowing a Dallas County registered voter to participate in the nonpartisan election during Early Voting session Friday, October 29, 2021.
Earlier this year hearings were held on Senate Bill 1 (SB1) and House Bill 3(HB3) which Democrats said would make voting harder, but this appears to be poorly trained staff following last year’s departure of Toni Pippins-Poole, a John Wiley Price disciple whose administration was mired in similar accusations.
No Voting For You Despite Public Pledges Otherwise
The county elections department website says in its mission statement it is to “accurately maintain voter registration records,” but it seems difficult at best.
Dallas County Elections staff stated they could not make an accomodation for a voter they admit should have been given a provisional ballot.
A staff member with JJ Koch said that voters who experience problems voting should first demand a provisional ballot. Additionally voters can make a formal complaint here which will be responded to by the full Dallas County Commissioner’s Court.
It was attacked by County Judge Clay Jenkins as potentially illegal and now Texas has agreed.
In a strongly worded email to Commissioners, Texas health officials said, “While we ask hub providers to ensure the vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider,” wrote Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
She continues, “If Dallas County is unable to meet these expectations, we will be forced to reduce the weekly vaccine allocation … and no longer consider it a hub provider.”
In addition to the state action at least two attorneys were preparing motions to stop the new vaccine rollout.
COVID19 Politics At 1500 Marilla
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Johnson sent a terse memo to City Manager TC Broadnax regarding city vaccination rollout and individual council members seeking vaccine registration hubs.
The Mayor’s memo was immediately attacked as another COVID19 politics power grab by Adam Bazaldua in both personal posts and posts to the Other Side DallasFacebook group.
The two City Council colleagues have been described by another City Council member as “the two boys in the sandbox who can’t get along because neither gets enough attention” from their mother.
“They both just complain about the other and neither does his homework,” the source said.
Dallas County Commissioner’s Court recently authorized what amounts to COVID19 Discrimination in their vaccination distribution plan. Commissioners openly stated the decision was based on race in designating eleven zip codes to receive the vaccine on a priority basis.
On February 1, 2021 those eleven zip codes – 75149, 75150, 75210, 75211, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75227, 75228, 75241, and 75243 – will receive the vaccine. Persons outside those zip codes will not.
Judge Clay Jenkins stated this “will stop shots for everyone else for ‘foreseeable future’.”
The decision is based on data from Parkland Hospital and a new layer on top of existing prioritization. Parkland Hospital reported hundreds of tests stolen this summer due to poor security procedures prior to Dallas becoming a pandemic hot zone.
COVID19 Discrimination
Jenkins also said, “I’m sure we’ll hear from the state of Texas and every suburban city in Dallas County as well as parts of the city not in those 10 ZIP codes.”
