Yesterday we participated in our Co. Leg.'s Redistricting Steering Committee mtg. (come to next one-- Tues. May 3rd 4:30 pm on the sixth floor of our County Office Building 22 Market St. Poughkeepsie)!...
Now-- with all due respect to the good folks of SUNY-New Paltz's Center for Research Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO), I humbly do submit to you that a new map for our Co. Leg. districts can be drawn without needlessly pitting Sandy Goldberg vs. Rob Weiss in the same districtz(!), without pitting Steve White vs. Rob Rolison in the same district(!), without pitting Jim Doxsey vs. D.J. Sadowski in the same district, and without pitting Suzanne Horn vs. Michael Kelsey in the same district (frankly)...
[...yes, believe it or not, the folks at CRREO have already presented us all with a hypothetical plan!...]
However-- I will say this-- I give a lot of credit to CRREO's Research Associate Josh Simons-- because he's offered us the opportunity to use their reapportionment software there to draw our OWN map(s)!...
So-- who's down for this?...
Let me know!....(asap)...
Tomorrow morning I'll be in front of our County Office Building at 22 Market St. in Poughkeepsie-- willing to carpool over to CRREO offices (7th floor of Haggerty Building on SUNY-New Paltz campus) to meet Josh Simons at 10 am there-- he's made commitment to let us play w/software to make our map(s)!...
[there are a number of options for redistricting software for our county; Josh/CRREO are using http://www.ESRI.com ; http://www.MoonShadowMobile.com is what Co. Leg. Clerk Patty Hohmann recently found (more inexpensive alternative?)....and Ulster Co. Leg. Reapportionment Committee folks are usiing Autobound -- http://www.citygategis.co/autobound9.htm (more expensive?)]
If you care-- you'll be there tomorrow 9:30 am in front of 22 Market St. Pok. to carpool over there!...
[pass it on]
Joel
444-0599/876-2488
http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com
p.s. Don't forget-- crucial "Fair Redistricting" forum comin' up tomorrow Thurs. Apr. 28 7 pm at Friends Meeting House at 249 Hooker Ave. in Poughkeepsie with expert speakers Dare Thompson (Pres. of Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters) and Barbara Bartoletti (Leg. Dir. for http://www.LWVNY.org )!...
p.p.s. Again-- we need any of you that might be interested to let us know asap if you might be interested in being part of a Citizens Redistricting Committee for Dutchess (similar to state-level Citizens Redistricting Committee Common Cause is putting together)-- and-- we need you to let us know asap if you might be interested in joining us for a rally asap in front of Saland/Miller's offices at 3 Neptune Rd. in Poughkeepsie (just north of Red Lobster off Rt. 9) for independent redistricting-- come on, folks!...
[Uls. model: http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/reapportionment/index.html http://www.CitizensRedistrictNY.org ]
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[recall below sent out previously on all this]
It's one thing, for instance, for me to ask (as I have repeatedly) Co. Leg. Chair Rolison why he can't simply follow the good example of Ulster County, NYC, and 18 states across the country, and make the county's redistricting software available to Dutchess taxpayers for citizens to come up with own plans...
[as in Ulster Co.: where residents there have been able to do this at county Planning Dept. offices there; for instance, Ulster resident Michael Baden (not officially part of Reapportionment Comm.) made map]
It's another thing altogether for YOU folks to come out in force and mobilize in numbers to (politely) pose the very same question to Rolison-- as a group (not just as one person-- as I have done repeatedly)...
So-- ball's in your court, folks...(feel free to email him directly-- at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!).
Fact: The NYC Council and its Redistricting Commission have decided to make available to NYC residents redistricting software at quite a few public locations throughout the city, according to Common Cause NY Executive Director Susan Lerner in her speech to us recently in Rhinebeck-- and "in 2002, at least 26 states made demographic or political data available and accessible, and at least 18 states provided public access to computers or redistricting software."
[see: http://www.brennan.3cdn.net/7182a7e7624ed5265d_6im622teh.pdf -- from p. 41 of the Brennan Center for Justice "Citizen's Guide to Redistricting"; for more on this see http://www.brennancenter.org ]
Email all 25 of us at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for the same courtesy to be extended here!...
[weeks ago I asked Chair Rolison this personally and by email-- he has refused to make commitment]
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[["Ulster Has Plan for Redistricting" by Michael Novinson (Thursday's Times Herald-Record)
http://www.features.rr.com/article/02JV0inaBgcLT?q=Ulster ]
[recall below info/update on this sent out to you all last Sun. Apr. 10th]
Join LWV's Barbara Bartoletti and Dare Thompson for crucial redistricting forum Apr. 28!...
[it's not every day NYSLWV Leg. Dir. Barbara Bartoletti comes to Pok. to speak-- start spreadin' word!...J]
[and again-- see http://www.CitizensRedistrictNY.org -- great model/example for us here in Dutchess-- and PLEASE let us know if you'd like to serve on our CITIZENS Redistricting Committee for our county!]
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From: Dare Thompson
Subject: Fair Redistricting meeting, Thu. April 28, 7 pm, POK Friends Mtg House
Please hold the date of Thursday, April 28, 7 pm for a meeting on redistricting that the League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region is sponsoring at the Poughkeepsie Friends Meeting House, 249 Hooker Ave.
Barbara Bartoletti, the state League's volunteer legislative director for the past thirty years, will fill you in on the latest developments on redistricting legislation at the state and talk about what Dutchess can do about the partisan redistricting process locally.
If you've heard Barbara before or caught her on TV, you know she's a very seasoned and entertaining good government lobbyist.
Meanwhile, those of you who have Assemblyman Joel Miller, please contact him to ask that he support fair redistricting legislation as other Assembly members from this area (Cahill, Kirwan, and Molinaro) have done. We are particularly pushing Gov. Cuomo's bill, which is A 05388, since it has the most support, but a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffries (A03432) is also good.
[ed. note-- call Miller, Saland, Ball, Bonacic, all state legislators toll-free on this-- at (877) 255-9417!]
A bigger stumbling block is the state Senate. They've passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Bonacic which would provide a fairer (though not great) process of redistricting but it would require a constitutional amendment, thus putting off change for another decade. This lets those who pledged to support fair redistricting off the hook unless we raise a hue and cry. Let your senator (probably Saland or Ball) know that this won't do. Written letters (on paper) are best, phone calls next best, emails okay if that's all you have time for.
I hope to you on the 28th when Barbara can give us the latest news. The state legislators know that they need to polish their image - now's the decade to push this issue really hard!
Dare
PS - If you want to see what our non-partisan commission is doing in Ulster County, go to http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/reapportionment/index.html
Dare Thompson, President
League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region
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[recall below sent out on this Mar. 30th; sadly, Rolison/GOP have yet to agree to share software-- why?]
Re: redistricting-- NYC, Ulster, 18 states make software available-- letter to Rolison here...
[just sent this to Co. Leg. Chair Rolison-- email him-- and us all: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!]
[...if enough of u send emails to Rolison and GOP on this they just might share redistricting software!...]
[fair redistricting IS crucial-- equal population, minority representation, contiguity, compactness, making sure all communities of interest are fully and fairly there, making sure prisoners are only counted as part of their HOME population-- in order to stop politicians choosing voters, eliminating incumbents/challengers, packing partisans, diluting minority votes, and splitting communities-- all this!]
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From: Joel Tyner
To: roli213@aol.com
Subject: Rob-- let's follow Brennan Center/NYC model-- make redistricting software available....
Hi Rob...
The New York City Council and its Redistricting Commission have decided to make available to NYC residents redistricting software at quite a few public locations throughout the city, according to Common Cause NY Executive Director in her speech to us last Thursday in Rhinebeck-- and "in 2002, at least 26 states made demographic or political data available and accessible, and at least 18 states provided public access to computers or redistricting software"...
[see: http://www.brennan.3cdn.net/7182a7e7624ed5265d_6im622teh.pdf -- from p. 41 of the Brennan Center for Justice "Citizen's Guide to Redistricting"; for more on this see http://www.brennancenter.org ]
This is also being done, in effect, just across the river in Ulster County, through its nonpartisan Commission on Reapportionment, as Mid-Hudson League of Women Voters President Dare Thompson told me recently (she's a member of that Commission-- and the software is being made available to her, to share at will with members of the public interested in coming up with their own redistricting plans)...
[see: http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html -- mtg. minutes from their Feb. 16th, Feb. 9th, Jan. 26th, and Jan. 19th meetings are all there online-- we have much to learn from Ulster's Commission there]
Hopefully you agree with me that the taxpayers of Dutchess County are entitled to the same thing here-- the right to at least a copy or two or three of the same redistricting software the County Legislature's redistricting committee will be using-- and the right to go to several public locations throughout the county (as in NYC) to research this and come up with their own plans (the better to advise us with)...
[...and again-- about twenty states across the U.S. have been doing this for many years; we need to too!]
We only redistrict once every ten years here-- let's get it right-- for the sake of all of us...
Joel
444-0599
p.s. Also-- please let me know asap when/where our first mtg. is, k?...thx....
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Again...
Thx TONS to all of you out there who came out to our forum last Thurs. night at Rhinebeck Village Hall with Susan Lerner & Dare Thompson-- Susan Lerner: Common Cause NY Executive Director; Dare Thompson: Mid-Hudson LWV President, Cablevision, our County Legislature's Minority Leader Sandy Goldberg, former Co. Leg. Bill McCabe, former Co. Leg. Clerk Barbara Hugo, former Hyde Park Town Boardmember Doris Kelly, former GOP Rhinebeck Town Boardmember Paul Niedercorn, Dick Hathaway, Fred and Jean Doneit, Mark Stern, Jeff Romano, Jillian Egan, Frances Sandiford, Rich Carlson, Judy Malstrom, Lee Jameson of Stuyvesant, and Bill Parker of http://www.CCScoop.com !...
But last Thursday night was only a start...
If we're truly going to get off the ground a county-level Citizens Redistricting Committee for Dutchess (similar to what Common Cause is doing on state level), Thurs. night really was ONLY just a start!...
[see http://www.CitizensRedistrictNY.org for state-level version of this we need to copy for Dutchess]
We need as MANY of you as possible to come out to join us for our follow-up meeting on all this-- tonite: Weds. Mar. 30th at 5:30 pm at the Palace Diner at 194 Washington St. in Poughkeepsie!...(pass it on)...
Check out http://www.CitizensRedistrictNY.org -- Common Cause is setting up a statewide Citizens Redistricting Committee because GOP Senators like Saland have reneged on promise they made last fall to put into place independent redistricting now (we need your help to do the same for Dutchess!)...
[Common Cause are among the undisputed experts in NYS on this; if they're doing this we need to too]
So-- please let us know if you'd like to be on a Citizens Redistricting Committee for Dutchess County!...
[canNOT over-emphasize how important this is; even if we don't get what we want we need to push!]
[Dem Co. Leg. caucus has appointed yours truly to be point person on this countywide-- need your help; note as well too tho-- GOP Co. Leg. leadership not allowing Dems to appoint anyone else to committee!]
Also-- check out http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/legislature.html -- Mid-Hudson LWV Pres. Dare Thompson is member; minutes for Ulster Commission on Reapportionment are all online at the official Ulster County Legislature website-- model for Dutchess(!)....(heck might freeze over, sadly, before GOP do this here)...
For much more on all this see http://www.EndGerrymandering.com -- and these four websites as well:
http://www.AmericansforRedistrictingReform.org ; http://www.ElectionLawBlog.org ;
http://www.BrennanCenter.org/content/pages/redistricting_for_advocates ; http://www.FairVote.org .
[also see http://www.RedistrictingGame.org -- who out there could help us set up local wifi challenge?]
Recall-- in January this year the GOP Co. Leg. majority decided to actually override Steinhaus' veto of their effort to gerrymander co. leg. districts(!)...(repealing Dem law)...
[remember-- back in '09 former Dem Co. Leg. majority passed McCabe law for independent redistricting]
Fact: "In over 2500 general election races in the past 24 years, a challenger has beaten an incumbent only 34 times, and the difference in enrollments between the two major parties is close enough in only 25 of the 212 legislative districts (11 percent) to permit competitive elections on a frequent basis."
[from Common Cause NY info @ http://www.CitizensRedistrictNY.org ]
[NYTimes Feb. 23: "Pledge? What Pledge?" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23wed3.html ]
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From http://www.PoughkeepsieJournal.com Dec. 17th...
[GOP already now have 18 of 25 seats, folks-- "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."]
[Lord Acton is just as pertinent here and now today as he was back then-- wake up, folks!]
Bring fairness to Dutchess redistricting
DECEMBER 17, 2010
The majority of Dutchess County Republican legislators made a perfectly dreadful decision by opting to scrap an independent review of how legislative districts should be redrawn.
This review had no downside for anyone who cares about a fair and clean process. Lawmakers owe it to the public to reconsider this position, especially since they took this vote about 1:30 a.m. after saying hours earlier that the matter was not on the board's agenda that night.
Democratic leaders, with some Republican support, passed legislation last year aimed at lessening the politics that inevitably goes into any redistricting plan. Democrats controlled the Legislature back then and voted to create an independent, nonpartisan committee that would decide where the legislative boundaries ought to be. That way, fears of gerrymandering - watching politicians themselves set up political boundaries to possibly gain an electoral advantage - would be abated.
Legislative districts have to be redrawn every 10 years based on the most recent census data.
But, after lawmakers finished worked on the approximate $403 million county budget last week, a majority of Republicans voted to repeal the 2009 law, replacing it with one that puts decisions on redistricting straight back in the hands of a legislative committee that will have a GOP majority.
The 2009 law called for the creation of a five-person redistricting commission of two Democrats, two Republicans and a fifth member to be chosen by the other four. None of those serving on the commission was going to be permitted to hold political office or to be a member of a political party committee.
But the majority of GOP lawmakers balked, arguing, in part, that the Legislature shouldn't abrogate its responsibilities by deferring to a commission. Some also argued, in a bit of twisted logic, that a citizens commission might lead to more political hostilities and could actually slow the redistricting process.
To that, we offer several points:
Legislators still were going to have a final say on redistricting under the 2009 law, though one would have hoped they would have abided by the commission's recommendation unless they could show a compelling reason to do otherwise.
Throughout the country and the state, there have been excellent efforts to set up redistricting commissions, to give a little distance between the process and the lawmakers who might benefit by the results. Throughout this year's campaign season, for instance, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and his New York Uprising political action committee pushed for such redistricting reforms, too.
Some might have forgotten the painful redistricting process in Dutchess after the 2000 Census. In all fairness, that reapportionment committee also had the task of drawing boundaries for 25 districts instead of 35 because residents had voted in 1997 to reduce the number of legislators. Nevertheless, the process got bogged down repeatedly, with political sniping between the two parties. The initial redistricting plan failed back then, leading to weeks of legal disputes and costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
Last week, the six Democrats on the Legislature - Minority Leader Sandra Goldberg, Assistant Minority Leader Dan Kuffner, Steve White, Barbara Jeter-Jackson, Joel Tyner and Allison MacAvery - had every good reason to vote against repealing the wise 2009 accord. They were joined by Conservative James Doxsey, and, to their credit, three Republicans - Legislative Chairman Robert Rolison, Angela Flesland and Marge Horton, in opposing the Republican plan.
But the change passed, with 14 Republicans voting in favor -Suzanne Horn, Dale Borchert, Donald Sadowski, Kenneth Roman, Robert Weiss, Donna Bolner, Joseph Incoronato, John Forman, Gary Cooper, Benjamin Traudt, Gerald Hutchings, John Thomes, Alan Surman and Michael Kelsey. (Republican James Miccio did not attend the meeting due to a death in the family.)
We urge lawmakers who voted for this repeal to reconsider - and for all lawmakers to find a reasonable path for redistricting that gets the job done but gives an independent commission the chance to take politics out of the equation as much as possible.
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[recall this beautiful Daily Freeman editorial on all this]
EDITORIAL: Dutchess darkness
Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
It's not unusual for thieves to practice their craft in the dead of night, the better to get away with it.
Presumably, this explains the timing of Republican members of the Dutchess County Legislature, who voted at 1:45 a.m. Dec. 8 to take back control of the process for drawing new election district lines.
The vote came after six and a half hours of wrangling before a final vote on the 2011 Dutchess County budget.
Republicans argued that allowing a citizen commission to draft the lines of county legislative districts under a 2009 local law somehow would turn redistricting into "a partisan political thing," as Legislator Michael Kelsey, R-Pleasant Valley, put it.
Somehow, they argued, putting themselves in charge of redrawing the lines for themselves would be the more responsible thing to do.
This doesn't meet the laugh test.
To put it bluntly, they're lying. There is nothing about drawing political lines for yourself that serves the public interest. It is self-serving, pure and simple.
Gerald Benjamin, a SUNY New Paltz professor, notes that citizen commissions help keep the redistricting process honest, even if the legislative body ultimately must approve any plan.
"Self-interested behavior is present when people's careers, lives and status are at stake," Benjamin said. "Not only is that the case, but people believe that's the case, so it brings a level of cynicism to the process."
"To argue that (citizens) commissions are partisan is absurd," he said.
Benjamin is in a position to know. Not only did he help author the Ulster County Charter, which includes a provision for a citizens redistricting commission, but he also is a former Republican chairman of the Ulster County Legislature.
The failure to delegate the nuts and bolts of the redistricting process, Benjamin said, "diminishes public confidence and responsibility for the Legislature and representative form of government."
The matter now is in the hands of Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus, who must hold a public hearing before acting on it.
Steinhaus, who has run for office all of his adult life in countywide elections that know no gerrymandering, should veto the repeal of the law and put redistricting back in the hands of a citizens commission.
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[here below-- what first Dem Co. Leg. majority in 30 years passed last year-- that GOP repealed in Jan.]
[yes-- Rolison and Flesland this year voted to repeal this-- even tho back in 2009 they co-sponsored it!]
RESOLUTION NO. 209167
RE: LOCAL LAW NO. 4 OF 2009 A LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE DUTCHESS COUNTY CHARTER AS IT PERTAINS TO SECTION 2.01, COUNTY LEGISLATURE; MEMBERSHIP; ELECTION; TERM; REAPPORTIONMENT
Legislators MCCABE, HIGGINS, WASSELL, TYNER, FETTES, NASH, KELLER-COFFEY, JETTER-JACKSON, KUFFNER, MACAVERY, MANSFIELD, DOXSEY, FLESLAND, and HORTON offer the following and move its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Legislature of the County of Dutchess adopt Local Law No. 4 of 2009, which has been submitted this day for consideration by said Legislature.
LOCAL LAW NO. 4 OF 2009
RE: A LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE DUTCHESS COUNTY CHARTER AS IT PERTAINS TO SECTION 2.01, COUNTY LEGISLATURE; MEMBERSHIP; ELECTION; TERM; REAPPORTIONMENT
BE IT ENACTED by the County Legislature of the County of Dutchess as follows:
SECTION 1: LEGISLATIVE INTENT:
Each citizen of Dutchess County should be assured equal and fair representation on the County Legislature. The Dutchess County Legislature provides for a reapportionment process, after each federal census that should fairly revise the boundaries of Legislative Districts recognizing the criteria of: 1) population equality; 2) contiguity; 3) unity of villages and towns; and 4) compactness. The process for reapportionment should be accomplished in a timely and fair manner. The County Legislature has determined that Section 2.01 of the County Charter of the County of Dutchess should be amended to provide for a Reapportionment Advisory Committee.
SECTION 2: AMENDMENT TO THE DUTCHESS COUNTY CHARTER:
Section 2.01 of the Charter of the County of Dutchess shall be amended to read as follows:
Section 2.01. County Legislature: Membership; Election; Term; Reapportionment.
(a) There shall be a County Legislature composed of Legislators elected from single member districts prescribed in such local laws of reapportionment as may from time to time be applicable. Each Legislator shall be deemed a County Officer and shall be elected at a general odd-numbered year election for a term of two years. At the time of nomination and election, and throughout the term of office, each Legislator shall be and remain an elector of the district from which he or she is elected.
(b) Hereafter, the County Legislature, by local law subject to permissive referendum, shall reapportion its membership within nine months after the publication of each federal decennial census in a manner consistent with constitutionally and legally accepted principles of legislative representation, but in no event shall the number of Legislators exceed twenty-five (25).
(c) Dutchess County Legislative District Boundaries shall be recommended by an advisory committee consisting of five (5) members, two of whom shall be appointed by the Majority Caucus and two of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Caucus. Upon the affirmative vote of no less than three such advisory committee members they shall select a fifth member to serve as its chairperson. No more than two members shall be of the same political party. No member of the advisory committee shall be employed by or hold any elected or appointed office and no member shall be an officer of any political party. The Legislative staff shall provide technical assistance for the committee sufficient to support its reasonable and necessary activities. Vacancies on the committee shall be filled in the same manner that the initial appointment was made. No member of the committee shall run for the Legislature within two years after serving as a member of the committee.
(d) The Advisory Committee shall consider as criteria the constitutionally and legally acceptable principles of representation, and it shall consider the following factors:
1. Population Equity.
2. Contiguity.
3. Unity of Villages and Towns.
4. Compactness.
(e) The Advisory Committee shall be formed no later than two (2) months after publication of each regular federal census. The Advisory Committee may conduct meetings and hearings at any place in Dutchess County as it deems necessary, shall keep records of its proceedings, and shall report from time to time to the Chairman of the County Legislature detailing the state of its progress. Within six (6) months of publication of the results of each regular federal census, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the County Legislature its recommendations for changes in the boundaries of Legislative Districts. The Advisory Committee's recommendations shall be in the form of a plan of redistricting. The Advisory Committee may submit one or more plans for consideration by the County Legislature, and a majority of the County Legislature may reject, adopt, or amend and adopt, a submitted plan. A majority of the County Legislature may also return a plan to the Advisory Committee with a list of objections for the Advisory Committee's consideration in forming a revised plan. Should the County Legislature return a plan to the Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee shall have one (1) month to submit a revised plan. Should the Advisory Committee fail to submit a plan within the deadlines contained in this paragraph, the Advisory Committee is discharged and a majority of the County Legislature may adopt a plan of redistricting notwithstanding any work product or recommendations of the Advisory Committee.
(f) The members of the Advisory Committee shall serve without compensation and shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authority. Each Advisory Committee shall expire thirty (30) days after the County Legislature has approved revisions in the boundaries of the Legislative Districts. If appropriate and legal revisions of the boundaries of Legislative Districts are not adopted by the County Legislature within nine (9) months of the publication of the results of the federal census, then the County Attorney is directed to make application to a court of appropriate jurisdiction for the appointment of a Special Master to prepare a redistricting plan for the Legislative Districts containing substantially equal citizen population and such other factors as required by law.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Charter to the contrary, such local law of reapportionment shall not be subject to disapproval by the County Executive but shall be subject to permissive referendum.
SECTION 3: SEPARABILITY:
If any part or provision of this Local Law or the application thereof to any person or circumstances be adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part of the provision or application directly involved in the controversy in which judgment shall have been rendered and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this Local Law or the application thereof to other persons or circumstances, and the Dutchess County Legislature hereby declares that it would have passed this Local Law or the remainder thereof had such invalid application or invalid provision been apparent.
SECTION 4: EFFECTIVE DATE:
This Local Law shall take effect upon compliance with the applicable provisions of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
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From http://www.PoughkeepsieJournal.com -- yesterday's editorial...(call Saland/all: 877-255-9417!)....
End the redistricting charade, senators
[AGAIN, FOLKS-- WHO'S DOWN FOR RALLY IN FRONT OF SALAND'S?!?]
It is disingenuous, at best, for any state lawmaker to hide behind a protracted process that could delay a fair and frank redistricting effort now, but that is precisely what is occurring in New York.
And three state senators from this area are guilty as well and have to end this charade.
District lines for state and congressional seats have to be redrawn every 10 years based on new census data; the state has an obligation to the public to do this right.
Historically, though, the process has been torturous and fraught with the worst in back-room politics. As a result, the public usually ends up with odd-shaped, bizarre political boundaries drawn, in part, to protect incumbents - and to give both Democrats and Republicans "safe" districts that are counter to fair and competitive elections.
This time, it has to be different. We urge three state representatives from the mid-Hudson Valley - Republicans Steve Saland of Poughkeepsie, Greg Ball of Patterson, and William Larkin of Cornwall- to get behind the drive to have impartial congressional and state district lines drawn as soon as possible. To date, these lawmakers have reneged on a pre-election pledge to support independent redistricting.
Their actions are indefensible. Their pledge was made to New York Uprising, led by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, and the public took them at their word. Consequently, these lawmakers have now landed on New York Uprising's "Enemies of Reform" list for failing to follow through.
The area's other state senator, John Bonacic of Mount Hope, is not listed as an enemy because he is a co-sponsor of one of the two bills introduced in the state Senate to create an independent redistricting commission. Bonacic also backs a sound, long-term fix to the redistricting issue: Amending the state Constitution, something the other three support as well.
But changing the Constitution is a long, convoluted process. Legislation would have to be approved by two consecutive legislatures and then by voters. This couldn't be completed until 2013 at the earliest, and redistricting is supposed to be done before then and will set the boundaries in place for the next 10 years. Thus, a constitutional change wouldn't really apply until after the 2020 census was completed.
The public can't wait that long for reform.
There's no reason why lawmakers couldn't pass a stop-gap measure, appointing an independent commission this year to get to work on redistricting.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed legislation to that end. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and more than half of the members of the Democrat-led Assembly have signed on to it. Cuomo says he will veto any redistricting plan passed by the Legislature that doesn't include a way to stop the lines from being drawn in a partisan fashion.
Remember, even with an independent commission, legislators wouldn't be relinquishing their authority to approve the redrawn map. Anything rejected would have to go back to the commission for amendments until a map was approved.
But this would shift the burden on lawmakers to make an objective, public case for change; they wouldn't be able to carve up the map in a series of closed-door meetings and trades that run counter to open government.
Supporting a reform effort that would have no real effect for 10 years clearly doesn't cut it. The senators must act with the sense of urgency that this issue demands.
What you can do
To contact the senators:
Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie
Room 503
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2411
Email: saland@nysenate.gov
http://www.senatorsaland.com
Sen. Greg Ball, R-Carmel
817 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3111
Email: gball@nysenate.gov
http://www.ball.nysenate.gov
Sen. William Larkin, R-Cornwall
Room 502
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2770
Email: larkin@nysenate.gov
http://www.larkin.nysenate.gov
