Give NC voters more say
Published February 9, 2015
Editorial by Wilmington Star-News, February 8, 2015.
Our democracy is founded on the right of the people to choose the people who represent them, through fair and free elections. But politicians have long used gerrymandering to limit competition. North Carolina lawmakers have the power to end the practice – if they put the voters' interests above their own.
The GOP-led N.C. House previously approved a proposal to take the task of reducing political motivations for redrawing legislative and congressional districts following the 2020 Census, but the Senate failed to follow suit.
A new effort was launched last week when four House members announced bipartisan legislation that would give the task of redrawing legislative and congressional voting districts to professional staff bound by a stringent set of criteria that does not take into account political affiliations or incumbency. The force behind it includes an odd coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers and an assortment of often-adversarial advocacy and lobbying groups.
Last year, according to the coalition known as End Gerrymandering Now, 47 percent of state legislative races were uncontested. Voters don't have much choice when there is only one name on the ballot. Another 40 percent of races were so uncompetitive that the victor won by double-digit margins.
Gerrymandering, in other words, has given the voters less say in who runs their state. A poll last year found that 70 percent of North Carolinians favor a more independent redistricting process, but this is not a new effort.
One of the sponsors, Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, first introduced a comparable measure 25 years ago. The latest rendition is based on a model used in Iowa since 1980. Legislators wouldn't get a crack at the maps; that task goes to professional staff, a bunch of computers, Census data and a bipartisan advisory committee appointed by the legislature.
Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, gave the proposal a lukewarm reception. He doesn't believe politics can be removed from the process, and to a degree he is right – the General Assembly makes the final decision. But Republicans sang a different tune when they were victims of Democrat-controlled gerrymandering all those years. They sued on several occasions to change the lines. This time around, Democrats led the challenge; it was unsuccessful.
There is no reason to go through this after every Census. Legislative districts should be compact, keep counties together whenever possible and not be subject to the political whims of the party in control.
Most of all, the people deserve a system in which their vote counts.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20150208/ARTICLES/150209726/1108/editorial?template=printart
February 9, 2015 at 8:08 am
Frank Burns says:
It would be appropriate to examine the elimination of gerrymandering 20 years from now after the GOP has some experience with the system. For too long this was a Democrat initiative to benefit their party. It's our turn now.
February 9, 2015 at 10:41 am
Norm Kelly says:
Just started to read this editorial. Of course, this immediately brings a very important question to mind. Where were you when the demons ruled Raleigh? Can you show editorials you wrote during that 100 year period whining that the demons were using gerry for their own purposes? Are you just coming around to gerry being a problem now that demons are in the minority? How about voter ID laws: where do you stand on that? If you truly are concerned about every person being able to cast a MEANINGFUL vote, do you support requiring ID so we know who is actually voting? Or do you also consider voter ID laws a racist tactic implemented by Republicans?
Let's remember a little history, as it may be very useful. This latest round of redrawing voting districts was UPHELD at every level of review. That is of course, except for libs who have an axe to grind. And the Rev Buffet Slayer, but he is irrelevant.
If gerry gives voters less say in who runs the state, how exactly did Republicans take over Raleigh? Weren't the prior round of redistricting completed by the demon party when they ruled Raleigh? Didn't this happen in 2000, after that census? Yes, the demons who ruled Raleigh were in charge of gerry when voters took the opportunity to remove them from office. And it was the 2000 redistricting plan drawn by demons that was rejected by the courts. It was NOT the redrawing completed after the 2010 census that was rejected by the courts.
'A poll last year found that 70 percent of North Carolinians' were irrelevant. The ones who are relevant are the ones who VOTE legally! Poll all you want, but it doesn't matter until those legal residents who choose to vote actually vote. And some of us find it interesting that libs only care about polls that support THEIR agenda. When a poll shows that the occupier is governing against the will of the people, libs claim the poll was rigged. Or the results are racist. Cuz it's virtually impossible for libs to get away from the 'racist' rant! When VOTERS chose to place Republicans in virtual complete control of Congress, it was definitely NOT that voters were asking congressionals to get along. Voters chose to put Republicans in charge of Congress because the majority of those who chose to vote want to stop the rapid advance of socialism in our nation; want to stop the agenda of the current unqualified community organizer occupier!
'the people deserve a system in which their vote counts'. Yes, this is true. Again, where do you stand on voter ID? Does your desire to have every vote count only involve gerry? Or should only legal, registered, living residents of the state be allowed to cast a vote, meaning that every vote does count? You see, the new voter ID law in NC does not go far enough to make sure that every vote counts. When the unqualified community organizer occupier unilaterally changes the law so that illegal aliens are allowed to get state issued picture ID, then we have no way of knowing that illegal aliens are helping to decide the direction of our state or nation. So OUR STATE needs to make a law that counters the illegal activity of the occupier, that allows us to properly identify illegal aliens who are not allowed to vote. Every illegal alien who is allowed to illegally vote means that a legal citizens' vote is meaningless. Do you grasp this? Our state needs to have ANOTHER form of picture ID that prevents illegals from voting. We have picture IDs issued that show the owner is under age. We need to have a form of picture ID that identifies the owner as an illegal alien who is not eligible to vote, not eligible for health insurance subsidies under socialized medicine, not eligible for food stamps, not eligible for subsidized housing, and not eligible for any other government subsistence programs that take money from producers. Yes, legal citizens deserve a system in which they can trust their vote counts. And part of this requires that we be able to identify those who are voting illegally. Including purging voter rolls of those who have moved and those who have died. Do you approve? Or are you a typical lib that believes outdated voting rolls are not a problem, dead people voting is not a problem, and illegal aliens voting is not a problem?
Let's see how serious libs are about taking gerry out of the picture. Again, you first. If legal voters decide to give power/control back to the demon party, you will be in charge of drawing districts next; after the next census cycle. If you are in control at that point, let's see if you continue to want to remove gerry from the process. You first. So far libs/demon party have not been serious about removing gerry. Libs only want to remove gerry from the process when in the minority and angry with voters. If libs/demons are serious about gerry, you first. Otherwise, the same applies to you that you all said about Republicans when we were in the minority. Elections have consequences. We won. You are the minority. Start acting like the minority, and sit in the corner quiet. How does it feel now that those words are sent your way? Don't like it? Just wait until you are in the majority (God forbid) and we get to see how serious you really are about caring about the reaction of the minority party when they start complaining. Until you are back in control, quit your whining. It's embarassing!
