Thursday, February 10, 2011

At least someone has a spine

From Queens Latino:

When discussing issues important to Latinos in New York one topic that often gets overlooked is “redistricting.” Redistricting is the process in which census data is used to redraw the lines and physical boundaries of electoral districts within a state. The way in which these lines are redrawn affects districts and what elected officials will represent us at all levels of government.

Unfortunately this is a highly politicized, and polarizing topic and some elected leaders prefer to keep the community “in the dark” about this subject. For some of our politicians the process is used as an incumbent protection program designed to keep them in office rather than to change these lines to increase Latino representation. As a result the people that are hurt by these backroom deals by elected officials are Latinos.

Moreover, some of these opportunists use a corrupt practice called ”gerrymandering” – attempting to get a political advantage by creating boundaries that favor incumbents or that keep emerging ethnic groups out of power. So that in many cases despite the growing number of Latinos where we may be able to create two Latino districts they will divide the boundaries of a district in half to protect an incumbent or their own position. As a result Latinos, the group with the fewest representatives in elected office in proportion to its numbers in the population are maneuvered out of power.


Incumbent protection?? Gerrymandering?? Why, Honest Joe Crowley would never partake in that!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sure Latinos

Lets stop gerrymandering districts for those tiresome loser Archie Bunkers.

Lets gerrymander a district .... for us!

Helen said...

It's been done before. Nydia Velazquez was gerrymandered into Crowley's district years ago.