As Chris Satullo says in this fantastic column, the forces of the status quo are once again looking to kill reform efforts. Read his column:
A bill to curb gerrymandering is in trouble in the Pennsylvania legislature. Gerrymandering is the dark art of drawing electoral districts to stack the deck in favor of incumbents and the party in power. Pennsylvania is the second-most-gerrymandered state in the land.House Bill 2420 “is a key pillar of fundamental, transformational reform,” says Barry Kauffman of Pennsylvania Common Cause.
So, of course, friends of the status quo are trying to bury this bill in committee.
The main thing that can save this reform is – you. Your voice, dinning in key lawmakers’ ears, could get this bill to the House floor, where it has a chance of passage.
Would your phone calls and e-mails really matter?
It is not that the public doesn't care about redistricting
The problem is that the public doesn’t know WHY it should care about redistricting.
The League of Women Voters, Common Cause, etc., need to explain to the people of PA in easy-to-understand terms why the current system of redistricting is a problem. They need to show the voters how funny the current district look. They need to explain that neighborhoods are split under the current redistricting plan.
-blackrobe
Politicians live this stuff
Politicians live this stuff 24 hours a day and are continually trying to manipulate anything to get the advantage…unethical or not. Carpenters, students, policemen, the common man have other lives to lead and a million problems to deal with everyday that the political games like redistricting is just another story they might hear on the 6 oclock news. Might hear!!! The fact is this ranks as one of the most powerful tools the in office party has to stay in power and manipulate all that happens in committee. The “common man” must be involved, but you are so right when you say the people just don’t know. Its comes close to a full time job to stay informed and involved.
JP
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