Minority political groups urge mayor to veto latest council redistricting plan

Groups representing blacks, Hispanics and Asian-Americans are calling on Mayor Menino to veto - again - a City Council redistricting plan they say unfairly packs too many minority residents into a single council district - the one currently represented by Charles Yancy (Dorchester, Mattapan):

District 4 remains nearly 95% people of color, thus diluting the potential impact of minority votes elsewhere. This second map vote is akin to a double-fault in tennis and Boston would benefit from a map that truly puts the city "in play" for people of color.

In addition to expression disappointment in the plan sprung yesterday by councilors Tito Jackson (Roxbury) and Matt O'Malley (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury), the Coalition of Color says it wants Councilor Bill Linehan (South Boston, South End, Chinatown) replaced as chairman of the redistricting committee with "a new chair who can restart and reenergize the redistricting process in order to deliver a map that will not gerrymander, will not crack District Two {Linehan's district], and will not pack District Four."

Coalition members: Asian American Resource Workshop, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Boston Chinatown Resident Association, Castle Square Tenants Organization, Chinese Progressive Association & Chinese Progressive Political Action, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, Oíste, Project HIP-HOP, MassVOTE, NAACP Boston Branch, South Boston en Acción and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.