✊🏾 Mondays with Morales: Westside Barrios: Uniting Against the Redistricting Storm

🏛️ City Hall Showdown: Will Thomure Ride with the Barrios? 💪 Community urged to engage in activism to preserve barrio boundaries 🔄 Echoes of past battles, like saving El Rio from privatization

Previous reference to Tucson’s continued attempt to break up the Westside Barrios:

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Tucson to reconsider Ward Redistricting Maps after angering Westside Barrios leading to protests at City Hall

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Memorandum from Tim Thomure discussed on 8/7/24:

Historically, one of those factors has been to “maintain established and recognizable ward boundaries with a minimum of disruption.” T.C. § 10A-44(b)(1)(B). When the 2022 Redistricting Committee delivered its report to the Mayor and Council in December, 2022, some of the Committee members noted that the factors/objectives that are described in the Code can be in conflict with one another. In particular, the factor/objective in subsection (b)(1)(B), directing the Committee to try to maintain established ward boundaries “with a minimum of disruption” can be in tension or conflict with the factor/objective in subsection (b)(1)(D), directing the Committee to “give preference to redistricting options that will advance “rough proportionality” of minority voting power.

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Recap: In 2022, the City of Tucson, through its Redistricting Committee, was trying to move some westside precincts from Ward 1 to Ward 3 to make the midtown ward more minority/Democrat. But doing so would have split off El Rio from Barrio Hollywood and Menlo Park!

One member of the committee trying to break up Westside Barrios was Patrick Robles, who is now the Southern Arizona Political Director of Kamala Harris for President.

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🏙️ Westside Barrios: Uniting Against the Redistricting Storm

¡Orale, mi gente! It's your compa Morales coming at you with another dose of that borderlands realness. Grab your cafecito and settle in, porque we've got some serious business to discuss. And trust me, this one's spicier than your abuela's chile colorado.

You know, sometimes I think the folks down at City Hall must be smoking some of that good Sonoran loco weed, because they're trying to pull a fast one on our westside barrios again. That's right, carnales y carnala - they are changing up redistricting procedures, and you know what that means. It's time for another round of "Let's See How We Can Mess With The Barrios."

Now, let me break it down for you. Our beautiful westside - El Rio, Barrio Hollywood, Menlo Park - these aren't just neighborhoods, mi gente. They're the beating heart of Tucson's Chicano soul. These streets have seen more history than a telenovela has drama. From the Chicano Rights movement to fighting off gentrification, our people have been holding it down for generations.

But apparently, some pen-pusher in a fancy office decided that our unity was just too damn powerful. They cooked up this plan - Proposal 2-b, they call it - that would cut El Rio out of Ward 1 like a surgeon removing a vital organ. Can you believe this chorrada?

The barrio wasn’t having it, so they protested it and won a small victory two years ago, but the city is back at it.

🗺️ The Great Map Debate: Who Wins, Who Loses?

Now, the city tries to feed us this line about "equalizing population" and "legal requirements." But let's keep it real - we've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. It's not about numbers, it's about power. It's about silencing the voices that have been shouting "¡Sí se puede!" for decades.

You know what this reminds me of? It's like when your tía tries to "fix" your abuela's recipe. She says she's making it healthier, but really, she's just taking out all the sabor. That's what these redistricting plans are doing - they're trying to take the flavor out of our barrios, to water down our political salsa until it's as bland as wonder bread.

But here's the thing, mis amigos - we're not going out like that. Our people didn't fight off bulldozers at El Rio just to let some bureaucrats with fancy maps divide us now. We're standing united, from the muraled walls of Barrio Hollywood to the green spaces of El Rio.

And let me tell you, this fight isn't new. Back in the day, when they, led by Regina Romero, tried to sell off El Rio to some fancy-pants private college, we stood up and said "¡No pasarán!" We've been fighting these battles since before some of these city planners were in diapers. And we're not about to stop now.

🔊 Barrio Voices Rising: "¡No Pasarán!"

You should hear the voices rising from our streets. It's like a symphony of resistance, a chorus of "¡No pasarán!" that would make Cesar Chavez proud.

Maria Gonzales, a guerrera who's lived in Barrio Hollywood longer than I've been alive, put it best: "Our barrios are not just places to live. They're the beating heart of Tucson's Chicano community. Splitting us up is like cutting off a limb from a living body. We won't stand for it."

Preach, María! This isn't just about lines on a map. It's about our history, our culture, our very identity. It's about the right to stand together, to fight together, to build a future together.

And don't even get me started on how this could affect our local businesses. You think that carnicería on the corner is going to survive if half its customers suddenly find themselves in a different ward? Or what about the panadería where your abuela gets her conchas every Sunday? These aren't just businesses, they're the lifeblood of our community.

🆕 New Sheriff in Town: Will Thomure Ride with the Barrios?

Now, here's where things get interesting, mi gente. We've got a new vato in charge down at City Hall - Tim Thomure, the new city manager. This study session was his first rodeo, and let me tell you, we're all watching him like a halcón.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hoping Thomure isn't puffing on the same wacky tobacky as the rest of the City Hall crew when he wrote his memo above. We need someone with a clear head who can see that splitting up our barrios is about as smart as trying to out-drink your tío at a quinceañera.

So here's my message to you, Mr. Thomure: We see you, ese. We're watching to see if you're going to jump on this "split up the westside barrios" train, or if you're going to stand with the people. Remember, a city manager who doesn't listen to the barrios is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

We're hoping you've got more sense than that, Thomure. We're hoping you'll see that our unity isn't a problem to be solved, but a strength to be celebrated. So what's it going to be, jefe? Are you going to be part of the problem, or part of la solución?

🌈 The Rainbow Coalition: Bridging Divides in Tucson's Political Landscape

But listen up, because this is important - this fight isn't just for us Chicanos. This is for everyone who believes in the power of community, in the strength of unity. We need to build a rainbow coalition, gente. Black, white, Asian, Native - everyone who believes in justice needs to stand with the barrios.

Because at the end of the day, this is about more than just ward boundaries. It's about what kind of city we want Tucson to be. Do we want a city that honors its history and celebrates its diversity? Or do we want a city that cuts up communities like a carnicero with a dull knife?

Think about it - today it's the westside barrios, but tomorrow it could be your neighborhood. This is about setting a precedent. It's about saying that in Tucson, we value community over convenience, people over politics.

And let's not forget, our strength has always been in our diversity. From the indigenous peoples who first called this land home, to the Mexican families who've been here for generations, to the newcomers seeking a better life - we're all part of the Tucson tapestry. And that tapestry is a hell of a lot stronger when it's woven together, not cut apart.

💪 La Lucha Continua: The Road Ahead for Tucson's Westside

So what's next, you ask? Well, mi gente, the road ahead isn't easy, but then again, when has it ever been for us? We've faced down bulldozers and bureaucrats before, and we'll do it again.

We need to be flooding City Hall with calls, emails, and letters. Let them know that the westside barrios are watching, and we're not going to stand for any mapita machinations.

And to all my young folks out there - this is your fight too. I know you might think politics is just for the old folks, but trust me, these decisions will affect your future. So put down the TikTok for a minute and pick up the torch of activism. Your abuelos and abuelas fought these battles so you could have a better life - now it's your turn to stand up for the barrios.

Remember, mi gente - united we stand, divided they redistrict us. So let's stand together, fight together, and keep our barrios whole. Because at the end of the day, our community isn't just lines on a map - it's the beating heart of Tucson's soul.

This is Morales, reminding you that la lucha sigue - the struggle continues. But so does our strength, our pride, and our unbreakable spirit. From the shadows of "A" Mountain to the bustling streets of South Tucson, we are one community, one voice, one fuerza.

Hasta la victoria siempre, Tucson. See you in the streets, at City Hall, and anywhere else our barrios need defending. Paz y poder!

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