"The goal is to split the fewest number of Seattleites, not to split the fewest number of Magnolians, and a data analysis shows the RJS map achieves that goal better than the Commission’s map."

Can you guys fix your link? You are currently linking to https://github.com/tannewt/seattle-redistricting/tree/main/reports, which contains hundreds of reports, raw data, comments, and so on. As a result, it's impossible to tell what specific report you intended to share with readers.

Fremont claims to be a lot of things (like “The Center of The Universe”) but I’ve never seen it referred to as “marginalized.”

@2 exactly. What they really mean by equitable are districts that solely favor renters and their choice of minority (Asians don’t count you know). I’ve never really heard of a renter in Fremont that is marginalized or even low income. Aren’t they just tech bros?

"renter-heavy Fremont"

Where in the world is this characterization coming from? District 7 (Magnolia) is 56.1% renter occupied, while District 6 (Fremont) is just 43.1% renter occupied. https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/OPCD/Demographics/AboutSeattle/Housing%20Characteristics%20CD.pdf

Another guest rant fails in credibility by fewer than ten reader comments.

People are getting sick of this crap. It's all about power grabs for one special interest or another.

I am deeply disappointed that you'd want to perpetuate this awful, broken Council district system instead of pushing for a return to 9 (or even better 11 or 13) at-large seats.

An awful, Trumpy Republican Faye Garneau pushed through this terrible ballot initiative. Let's undo it.

@4, @6: Apparently, to the authors of this post, renters in Magnolia do not actually qualify as “people.”

Expanding on my @4, I pulled this from the authors' data set:

District Rental Housing Units
1 14747
2 13065
3 31615
4 22821
5 18128
6 20163
7 35858

https://github.com/tannewt/seattle-redistricting/blob/main/reports/consultant1.md

Fremont has always been a working class neighborhood since its founding in the 19th century. And yes, there has always been rental housing as it was affordable (used to be more affordable, which is why so many artists lived there) and there has been a significant increase in rental housing in recent years due to rexoning and corresponding growth in the Fremont Hub Urban Village. And yes, there is low income housing provided by SHA, CHH, and multiple others (the Fremont Neighborhood Council even sponsored an affordable housing project 15 years ago.) And Fremont is increasingly diverse (including PGM, civil servants, creative sector, and workers in the tech industry—but not exclusively). Moving Fremont to D7 is totally swaying to influence of Magnolia and putting Fremont in a District with Queen Anne, Belltown, SLU and part of Magnolia where it will be a small voice that will not get the attention of the D7 Councilmember. Seattle redistricing justice is correct—who would have thought in Seattle that we need redeistricing justice advocates but clearly we do! Fremont was split into two districts when redistricting began in 2013, at one point the current Commission was going to split it into three districts. The Commission needs to revisit its charter and act with justice and equity and listen to the greater community—not select voices. SRJ has been a strong and active voice in redistricting since it began! They have been successful in advocating for justice in south Seattle, but are being ignored when it comes to Fremont!

Agree with @Anthropromise Me. Districts have created accounctability and better representation. This was not the case before 2013 where some Council Members were guided by their own opinions and did not always listed to the people. In my opinion, Council Districts definately have made council representation more equitable, more democratic, more accountable.

@13 "The Commission needs to revisit its charter and act with justice and equity and listen to the greater community—not select voices."

That is exactly what they are doing. What you are advocating for is letting a small activist movement disenfranchise the majority of residents in D6 (as noted above D6 is majority homeowner) to benefit their preferred group. This isn't justice or equity, it's blatant politics.

Fremont in the same sentence as Yesler Terrace. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. The Facebook and Google employees in Fremont are just so, so underprivileged. This alone kills any credibility the authors might have had.