Monday, June 29, 2015

Gerry Mander is Not a Guy

The Supreme Court has slapped down right wing Arizona republicans by ruling that independent commissions can set the redistricting lines for congressional and legislative districts.  This is a great thing.  Gerrymandering has kept right wingers, and left wingers, in office by designing districts only they could win, even if the districts defied all logic.

You can see this in one of our especially bizarre districts for the NM Senate.  District 39 winds it way from San Miguel County like a snake through multiple counties all the way to Ruidoso.  It is non sensical.  See it here.

For a good explanation of gerrymandering look here.

The City of Santa Fe recently handed over its redistricting duties to an independent commission and readily accepted their work and passed it.  Oh, if only we had some brave legislators in Santa Fe that would do the same.  The way is now clear.  We will see who in Santa Fe are self serving.  You will be able to make that judgement by the excuses they give for not letting such commissions function in a non partisan manner for the good of New Mexico.

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