Panama City News Herald:
End Ink Blots
Editorial Board
Panama City News Herald
Apr 22, 2010
Florida’s November ballot will feature two constitutional proposals that would significantly tie lawmakers’ hands in exercising one of their most potent powers: gerrymandering.
Not surprisingly, Republican leaders are reaching for the scissors.
Amendments 5 and 6, citizens initiatives also known as “FairDistricts Florida,” would require the Legislature to draw compact congressional and state districts that conform to pre-existing political and geographic boundaries only. Currently the only restrictions are that districts be contiguous and follow federal law. That gives lawmakers plenty of leeway to create computer-generated districts full of politically like-minded voters that become “safe seats” for one party.
The result, here and around the nation, has been a plethora of oddly shaped districts that were contorted to pick up the kinds of voters their creators wanted. For example, Florida’s 11th Congressional District includes much of Tampa, but jumps the bay to include a splotch of St. Petersburg. The neighboring 10th District is cut in two by a swath of the 9th (although technically the 10th remains whole if you include barrier islands).
These Rorschach ink blots have little or nothing to do with representing the diverse interests of communities and everything to do with electing certain politicians. Both major parties engage in the practice, often plumbing the depths of political opportunism and cynicism. For instance, white Republicans and African-American Democrats have in the past bargained to create majority-black districts with safe seats and white districts favorable to the GOP, while diluting the strength of white Democratic voters.
That’s one reason why incumbents enjoy such high rates of re-election. It also contributes to the nation’s polarized politics — politicians in safe districts can pander to their constituents and take hard lines on issues without much fear of paying an electoral price.
FairDistricts, though, would change that in Florida. It expressly forbids drawing districts merely to “favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party,” which is as it should be. Seats would become more competitive and lawmakers would be forced to become more responsive to their diverse districts instead of taking them for granted.
However, seeing as how the Legislature will tackle redistricting after the 2010 Census is taken, and that both chambers surely will remain under Republican control, and that Florida almost certainly will gain one congressional seat, GOP leaders don’t want to lose the opportunity to redraw the political map in their favor for the next decade.
Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, and incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, have proposed identical resolutions that essentially would negate Amendments 5 and 6 and maintain the status quo. They say it’s essential to protect “racial and language minorities” and “communities of interest.”
Yeah, right. What they really want is to protect their power while marginalizing certain blocs of voters.
The Legislature should thwart this effort by Haridopolos and Cannon to water down Amendments 5 and 6 and give voters in November a genuine opportunity to effect real change in redistricting.