Area Cities to Speak Against Congressional District Breakup

Area cities will likely speak out against a recent proposal that in three.

The Four Corners Transportation Coalition — made up of representatives from cities near the border of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties — decided Tuesday to draft a letter to the California Redistricting Commission to state shared goals with cities across county lines that currently have shared Congressional representation.

The current 42nd Congressional District includes Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, and parts of Orange County down to Mission Viejo and is a seat currently held by Rep. Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar).

Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar delivered a presentation to the Coalition Monday to discuss the implications of the new boundaries.

A new district including Diamond Bar and Walnut groups the cities in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley, Aguilar said, and would likely put Miller at an electoral disadvantage against Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) by placing Miller's hometown of Diamond Bar in a district that tends to vote for Democrats and has a 49 percent Asian population.

As of the 2010 Census, Diamond Bar's population is 52.5 percent Asian; 63.6 percent of Walnut's population is Asian.

At Monday's meeting, Diamond Bar City Manager Jim DeStefano said that Rep. Miller has been a champion of the Coalition's transportation goals, which most notably include the "Big Fix" for the 57/60 interchange through Diamond Bar.

"One advocate for (the Coalition) was Gary Miller in Congress and now we've lost that level of continuity," Coalition Chair and Chino Hills Council Member Gwenn Norton-Perry said. "This served a multitude of counties well and that progress that we achieved was lost or could be."

Steve PonTell, a strategic consultant for the Coalition, was tasked with drafting the Coalition's letter to the state redistricting commission to express that "Diamond Bar has more in common with Chino Hills than with Glendale."

"Proximity matters," PonTell said, "and crossing county lines can make it difficult to get things done, but this might be an exception to look at."

Redlands Mayor Aguilar said that one additional draft of the redistricting maps will be issued in July and final drafts will be created in August after continued public input.

"The Commission will not cross city and county boundaries unless there is a community of interest testimony," Aguilar said. "To the extent that you view yourself as having some common interest, it would make some sense to comment…."

The redistricting commission will have three meetings in the region before the second July drafts of the district maps are made.

Upcoming Public Input Hearings for the Citizens Redistricting Commission:

• Friday, June 17: 6-9 p.m. at Rio Hondo College's Wray Theatre, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Free parking in Lots A, B, & C and limited handicapped parking in Lot D.
• Saturday, June 18: 2-5 p.m. at Cal State Fullerton's Mackey Auditorium, 800 N. State College Blvd, Fullerton.
• Sunday, June 19: 2-5 p.m. at the County of San Bernardino Government Center, 385 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino.