What if you had the ability to change the rules of “the game” anyway you wanted to ensure that you would win every time? What if you could move the “finish line” up or back to ensure that you would cross it first every time.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Sure it would as long as you were on the winning team…..but would it be fair? NO WAY!

Dianne Wheatley-Gillotti, President of the League of Woman Voters of Florida put it this way, “Every ten years legislators rig their districts to protect their seats and perpetuate their power. Together we can stop this unfair power grab now!” 

This happens in Florida and other states across the country with little opposition except for organization like FairDistrictsFlorida.org which is a nonpartisan state committee working to reform the way Florida draws legislative and congressional district lines by establishing constitutionally mandated fairness standards.

…AND MOST PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF THIS GOING ON IN THEIR OWN STATES!  

What is the purpose of gerrymandering or redistricting? 

Every ten years, after the census, the boundaries of our congressional, state house and state senate districts are redrawn. This was originally intended to be sure that districts are roughly equal in population — to make sure that every vote counts equally. But the process has been hijacked by self-interested politicians. 

Who makes the districting decisions? 

In Florida the legislature does. When the legislature passes a congressional or legislative redistricting plan, it’s just like other legislation. All representatives and senators vote on the plan. The party that controls the legislature controls redistricting. The plan that gets the majority vote becomes the legislature’s plan. No matter which party has control of the legislature, that party’s main goal is to protect its majority and the seats of its incumbents. This is called partisan political gerrymandering. It is like allowing the fox to guard the henhouse! 

EDITORIAL NOTE: I urge all to investigate any redistricting taking place in your state and contact any of the various voting organizations involved in confronting this issue. Otherwise, your vote is manipulated before you cast the first ballot! 

 AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

An observation on the effects of Gerrymandering in California - I live in CA District 1, under a Congressman who took a Saddam Hussein-funded junket to Iraq, and returned to spread Islamist propaganda. This falls somewhere on my scale between Useful Fool and Traitor, but he still brags about the …

State Supreme Court Hears Gerrymandering Argument - Thursday the Florida Supreme Court listened to augments over an anti-gerrymandering amendment. Gerrymandering is when lawmakers divide congressional and legislative districts unfairly to give their party an edge. …

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