March 8, 2005
To the Editor:
Joe Sciacca’s column, “Redistricting
is best left to the politicians,” (Herald 3/5/05) suggests that it’s
better to let legislators manage Congressional and Legislative
redistricting because they’re more accountable, but then goes on to
say that voters don’t hold them accountable anyway. He offers no
solution to that failure other than to keep the status quo. However,
states like Iowa and Arizona have been successful in creating
equitable plans through the commission process for some time.
This year’s Senate Bill No. 12
combines the best of parts of the Iowa and Arizona concepts by
creating an independent Massachusetts redistricting commission to
redraw our electoral map. It does, in fact, retain direct involvement
of the Legislature by giving lawmakers two opportunities to accept or
reject the commission-developed plan. Through that process, lawmakers
can still be held accountable by voters for their votes for or against
a well-reasoned plan. Furthermore, that plan would be developed in a
fully public, transparent process by commissioners who, unlike
legislators, have no personal stake in the outcome.
Fifty-five members of the Massachusetts House and Senate have already joined me in co-sponsoring the commission concept. The bill has the support of groups such as the NAACP, New England Area Conference; Common Cause Massachusetts; the League of Women Voters Massachusetts; MassVOTE; and Mass Voters for Fair Elections.
It’s a common sense plan that
minimizes the chance for back room deals and special protection of
favored lawmakers that can corrupt the process. It deserves to be put
in place for Massachusetts and finally put the ghost of Elbridge Gerry
to rest!
Senator Richard T. Moore
Uxbridge
