On 17/06/2013 04:11, e27002 wrote:

On 16 June, 17:50, JNugent wrote:
On 16/06/2013 13:39, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
On 2013\06\16 01:26, Recliner wrote:

As you say, the city of LA has a strange, gerrymandered shape.

Except it isn't gerrymandering, because the shape is not controlled by
government but by public choice. On Entourage, one of the characters
tried to sweet-talk the mayor of the neighbouring city (played by the
Homer Simpson actor) to enlarge the city to include his house.

In Britain by comparison, the borders of local government are all
controlled from above, and bits of Lancashire and Yorkshire have been
reassigned to universal local chagrin.

If it's controlled by politicians from the affected districts, then it's
gerrymandering.

Adjustments of city boundaries in the USA are decided by the state
government, not by the cities themselves. State boundaries are adjusted
by the national government.

Are you sure? I can recall localities petitioning County Judge/Chief
Executives for City Status in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This
varies to according the Laws of the State in Question.

City status is not the same as an adjustment of boundaries (which latter
must entail a loss or gain for someone else).