So, Democrats want Republicans to reveal whatever "secret plans" they have for consoldiated government that might work to the disadvantage of Democrats. What are we talking here, tanks rumbling down Calhoun Street? A roundup of all Democrats and dropping them off handcuffed and blindfolded in Terre Haute without any money?
I'd bet there are a dozen plans being formulated for how restructrured government might look. I did one myself. They will all be "secret" until they are unveiled as the process unfolds. That process, spelled out by state legislation this year, has so many requirements for public input (including a referendum at the end) that not the tiniest detail will end up unknown, and it will take long enough that all the competing ideas will be discussed so thoroughly everyone will get sick of them.
One of the many aspects of restructuring that will get long and thorough consideration is how to constitute a new city-county council that might be devised. Do we do, for example, want pie-slice districts radiating from the center of Fort Wayne, trying to make each district have about the same proportion of city, suburban and rural constituents? Or do we want some districts that are primarily urban and some that are primarily rural? Should there be a district or two trying to guarantee minority representation, or one or two trying to guarantee agricultural representation?
All the plans out there and all the possible ones are just starting points. What secret could anybody possibly have now that is going to stay a secret very long? Just because the Freedom of Informationa act exists does not mean that every use of it is a good one.
