Editorial: Make lines make sense

Staff Reports
Naples News
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009

This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, says the coalition seeking statewide votes next year on Florida and federal legislative redistricting, adding: “These gerrymandered districts make no sense.”

AARP, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and others must have Southwest Florida in mind, as some of the east-west and north-south districts include as many as five counties.

The organizations are working with the Fair Districts Florida organization for a nonpartisan, equitable and open redistricting process.

Keeping the politics out of this inherently political process is easier said than done. But knowing when a district resembles an ink-blot test used for psychological testing is easy.

“All the Constitution requires now is that the Legislature draws districts that are contiguous and fairly equal in population,” says Sandy Parker, president of the League of Women Voters of Collier County. “The constitutional amendments we support would prohibit drawing districts to favor an incumbent or a party and would ensure that districts are compact, contiguous and make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries where possible. They would also require that districts be drawn so as not to deny a minority an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.”

Two votes are sought on two different amendments — one for Congress and one for Tallahassee. Some 676,811 signatures are required for each.

To help get these issues to a ballot and assure plenty of time for study and debate, print out and mail forms available online at www.lwvcolliercounty.org by clicking on “Act Now — Sign Fair Districts Petitions.”

For more information, call the league at (239) 263-4656 or e-mail lwvcc@lwvcolliercounty.org.

Parker says: “Help us bring fairness to redistricting and give voters a real voice in choosing their representatives.” That is a call worth answering.

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