Redistricting, filled with the poison of political protection,
has ruined representation for the South Valley region.
That’s not good for democracy, accountability or any of the
communities in South Valley. Our region’s fragmented districts for
state assembly, state Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are
evidence enough of that.
Redistricting, filled with the poison of political protection, has ruined representation for the South Valley region.

That’s not good for democracy, accountability or any of the communities in South Valley. Our region’s fragmented districts for state assembly, state Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are evidence enough of that.

Instead of shared representatives for our region, which has many issues in common, our political voice is diffused among four congressional districts, two assembly districts and two state Senate districts.

Instead of exercising regional clout, South Valley’s political voice is reduced because each community is a small part of a much larger district that doesn’t share its issues and concerns.

Retiring state Sen. Bruce McPherson is right: Redistricting is a conflict of interest for legislators. That’s why redrawing state legislature and United States congressional district boundaries after each census is a job they shouldn’t be allowed to do any more.

Boundaries aren’t drawn to favor one party over another; rather, they’re drawn to favor incumbents. As one wag said about the current redistricting situation, “In gerrymandered election districts, the voters don’t choose their politicians – the politicians choose their voters.”

If a district is drawn with 55 percent of the population registered as members of the incumbent’s party, the incumbent can rest assured of an easy ride to re-election.

Because incumbents like the current system in which they can virtually guarantee themselves re-election, regardless of the ridiculous boundaries that requires, they refuse to reform the redistricting process.

That means California’s initiative system is the only solution. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, McPherson and South Valley leaders should work together to craft a reasonable proposal – perhaps a nonpartisan panel of judges, perhaps another solution – to put sanity back in the redistricting process and take the job out of the hands of legislators.

This strikes us as the perfect issue for Schwarzenegger to put his considerable political clout behind. It’s not a partisan issue; it’s not a special interest issue; it’s just about what’s right and what’s best for Californians.

Clearly, the current system is broken. Legislators have demonstrated time and again that they will not put aside their own self-interests to draw fair, reasonable boundaries that group neighboring communities with in-common issues.

So, let’s take the job away with a well-considered initiative to replace the current redistricting process.

The next census is a short six years away. We must fix this problem before South Valley and the rest of California suffer more indignities of gerrymandered districts just so that incumbents can have job security.

Redistricting is ripe for reform, and the time is now.

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