| Tweet |
| Share |
Article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel - 10/03/2010
Voters should not be confused by two measures that both deal with how legislative districts are drawn, but that are separated on the Nov. 2 state ballot.
Proposition 20 would add congressional districts to the purview of the 14-member citizen panel and take it away from the very politicians who benefit from non-competitive districts.
Proposition 27 would kill the commission and return the power to draw California's legislative districts to legislators.
The citizen's committee was created by a 2008 voter-approved measure, passed because one-sided districts carved by politicians from both major parties have given rise to one-sided partisanship that has resulted in a polarized state government. More than 31,000 Californians applied for the commission, which will work with new census data to form more equitable districts.
Politicians naturally have been unhappy about losing this power. The Democratic Party, the majority party in our state, is mainly bankrolling Proposition 27, which would end the commission before it has even started. Why? Because some politicians could lose their seats. Others might be forced to run against credible opposition candidates, which could mean they would have to move more toward positions benefiting all Californians, rather than narrow party or special interests.
Sadly, the two Democrats who represent Santa Cruz County in Congress, Anna Eshoo and Sam Farr, have contributed $10,000 toward the 27 campaign....
Nearly every legislative and congressional seat in California today is considered safe for incumbents or for one party or the other. Incumbents have an almost insurmountable advantage, which means they get returned to office repeatedly. While state term limits helps bring new blood to Sacramento, there are no limits on the number of years someone can serve in Congress.
Taking the power of redistricting away from politicians won't change this significantly, but it will mean a few more competitive races. This in turn should mean a few more moderate legislators who are willing to work with other like-minded representatives to solve our state's massive problems. The same holds true for congressional districts.
Vote Yes on Proposition 20 -- and vote No on Proposition 27.
 | .png) |  |  |  |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment