Beth Reinhard, The Miami Herald

June 15, 2009

Beth Reinhard
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza
Miami, Florida 33132-1763

RE: Redistricting – Your Page 1 editorial-lite this morning about the horror, the horror of the people choosing particularly if they choose the wrong thing.

Ms. Reinhard,

If, as you say, “the amendments represent the Democratic party’s best hope for loosening the GOP stranglehold” why should voters who favor the GOP support it?

If, as you say, “an unlikely alliance between African-American Democrats and Republicans forced the 1992 redistricting map that helped elect Florida’s first black members since Reconstruction and paved the way for the GOP takeover of the legislature…” why should African Americans re-route the very successful bus route they now control? How else would Florida’s favorite felon, Alcee Hastings, ever gotten to Congress? In the name of civil wrongs and civil rights a district was carved f out that would have elected OJ Simpson. Congresswoman Carrie Meek, and who says we can’t learn from the North Koreans, willed her seat to her son without dying.

The shrieking of altruists notwithstanding it would seem to that both parties have benefited from the arrangement. Both recognized that each other’s rational self interest did note interfere with theirs. Exactly what is the problem?

The language of the amendment – “Congressional and legislative districts may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice, - contradicts itself. Districts were drawn to give African Americans seats in the legislature and Congress. Which ones do we place in jeopardy? Should Judge Sotomayor’s belief that being a Latina should be a thumb on the scale when creating new districts?

You say that “while FairDistrictsFlorida is officially nonpartisan, its leadership and donors are mostly Democrats”. Further, you say “most of the money has gone to a California-based firm that deploys petition gatherers statewide”. There is a Russian proverb that tells us that just because the wolf shows you his teeth it doesn’t mean he’s smiling.

What’s wrong with a Florida firm? What’s wrong with a Florida firm that it is a testament to Affirmative Action? I am sure it would take the modern American Liberals in Broward County about an hour and a half to present – out of whole cloth, as if it appeared fully grown right out of Athena’s forehead – a minority owned firm. “Round up the usual suspects.” Women, minorities, women who are minorities, cross gendered, the usual “victims of life’s circumstances” would be first in line to work at such a firm. Doubtless, they would qualify for Federal Stimulus dinero.

When you hear someone say that it is non-political it’s time to count the silverware.

I was born and raised in Hudson County. My wife has family members in Cook County. The big decennial fight was who got which cemetery.

Baker v Carr, that’s the one that said cows shouldn’t vote, is still the law of the land, isn’t it?

Enforce that one.