Prop. 11 stirs debate

Political bodies love nothing better than a debate over issues as arcane as reapportionment.
Witness the Los Angeles City Council.
It just spent the better part of 45 minutes arguing over whether it should take a position on Proposition 11, the measure dealing with creating a reapportionment commission to take the drawing of political boundaries away from the state legislature.
The council ended up voting 10-3, to oppose the measure _ with arguments by two former state legislators _ Councilmen Richard Alarcon and Tony Cardenas _ arguing the measure would disenfranchise minority voters. Councilmen Dennis Zine, Greig Smith and Bill Rosendahl said they favor the measure.
"This is nothing more than the governor attempting to elect his own party," Alarcon said.
But several others pointed out most of the gains for minorities has come when the districts were redrawn by the courts.