ReDistricting affects Tenants: Don't dilute our power!

"Instead of allowing voters to choose their representatives, elected officials have chosen their voters. That's gerrymandering at its worst: an undermining of competitive democracy that protects incumbents and invites political complacency and even, in some instances, corruption." NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Albany Times Union

See also New York Times editorial, calling Proposal 1 phony redistricting "reform”

State deserves better than Prop 1

By Thomas P. DiNapoli, Commentary | October 29, 2014

On the ballot Nov. 4 is a redistricting amendment to our state constitution that would worsen an already flawed system for drawing state legislative and congressional districts.

I'll be voting "No" on Proposal 1. Here's why.

For decades, legislators have been able to draw districts to their own specifications, even going so far as to carve out the block where a potential challenger's home is located.

Instead of allowing voters to choose their representatives, elected officials have chosen their voters. That's gerrymandering at its worst: an undermining of competitive democracy that protects incumbents and invites political complacency and even, in some instances, corruption.

Prop 1, as the redistricting amendment is called, purports to create a bi-partisan commission that "establishes principles to be used creating districts" and will "hold public hearings on proposed redistricting plans." The intent sounds good but the reality is the opposite. The state Legislature can still reject any and all recommendations from this commission. In other words, the amendment is an easily manipulated mechanism for perpetuating the current system instead of reforming it.

It's no wonder the State Supreme Court ruled against the "independent" ballot language for this amendment.

I stand with good government groups like EffectiveNY, Common Cause, and NYPIRG and other elected officials in calling for real reform that would actually strengthen our representative democracy.

Across America, voting districts are adjusted every 10 years, following each new census, to reflect changes in population growth and demographics to ensure fairer representation. But when state legislators draw their own legislative districts, it's an invitation to manipulation. Like an Etch A Sketch toy, district lines can be quickly erased and new shapes are created to guarantee incumbency and limit competition.

This isn't the democratic process New Yorkers deserve. Those of us who want to serve in government must encourage scrutiny from voters and give them a choice in elections.

Yes, gerrymandering is a problem nationwide. But it is time for New York to lead and be a national model for addressing it. Prop 1 doesn't do that at all. It's a step backward and should be defeated.

Broad agreement exists that New York's process of redistricting, in which boundaries are drawn to create voting districts, needs to be transformed and substantially improved. But this amendment to the constitution is no way to effect real, lasting positive change.

Genuine reform would completely rewrite the state constitutional provision governing redistricting so that it is clear and unambiguous. But that is not what has been proposed.

We should never enshrine anything as compromised and confusing as Prop 1 in our constitution. Prop 1 keeps the existing constitutional language that has resulted in differing interpretations and lawsuits for the last three redistricting cycles. There are more appropriate remedies for fixing our current system—including passage of a law that would clearly set the number of districts for the State Senate.

The amendment on the ballot would maintain the worst aspects of the system we have now and prevent the strong action necessary to create a more fair and transparent redistricting process.Our state deserves better.

Thomas P. DiNapoli is the New York state comptroller.

http://m.timesunion.com/opinion/article/State-deserves-better-than-Prop-1-5856067.php