Knabe, meanwhile, has offered an alternative that tinkers with current boundaries to make adjustments for population changes.
Both maps with second Latino districts would shift lines so that millions of county residents would end up with different representatives. Knabe and Yaroslavsky oppose this approach. In his statement, Yaroslavsky said the plans would "radically redraw" the districts, "leaving communities fragmented and an estimated 3.5 million people suddenly represented by a supervisor for whom they never cast a vote."
The 62-year-old supervisor is a popular and powerful figure in his current district. He has represented the largely white and Jewish communities in the Westside and San Fernando Valley in some form as a Los Angeles city councilman and county supervisor since he was 26. He has a deep attachment to the region, priding himself on creating the Orange Line busway in the southern Valley and enjoying the limelight during the 405 Freeway "Carmageddon" closure in the Santa Monica Mountains.
In his statement, Yaroslavsky noted that he cannot run again and said he had no personal stake in the outcome. Instead, in an appeal to his constituents, he argued, "I'm utterly convinced that these redistricting schemes would significantly injure our ability to fight together to improve transportation in our communities, provide continuity on development issues, extend healthcare to our underserved population and protect the environment of the Santa Monica Mountains and the north Santa Monica Bay."
ron.lin@latimes.com
john.hoeffel@latimes.com
