GOP Maps Better Than Current Maps!

The Herald Times recently did a one hundred and eighty degree about face by admitting the new GOP proposed Council district maps were a significant improvement over the current maps. This article validates everything the GOP has been working on by letting the people decide for themselves without the influence of political propaganda. Now that the average citizen has had an opportunity to look at the two maps side by side anyone with half of a functioning brain realizes just how gerrymandered the 2001 Democrat maps were. The outcry from within the Republican Party to correct these maps went on for far too long. The new maps have a significant reduction in the population deviation and make huge leaps in improving compactness. As for the recommendation of map one that would pit two seated Council members against each other over map two that separates the two of them it would appear the HT favors on the side of the voters by supporting map one.

Pat Williams the lone Democrat on the three person Redistricting Committee once again offered her biased views on the subject by indicating she was unaware of a reason to redistrict and further adding she was disappointed that it wasn’t being done with a bipartisan committee like it was done in 2001. First of all its doubtful anyone in the Democrat camp would have complained since the maps were drawn in their favor in three of the four districts, that’s a widely known and accepted fact. The Republicans have been peeved since 2001 but no one in the Party wanted to take on the responsibility to correct it until now. As for the bipartisan committee in 2001 that is as laughable as Bill Clinton’s “define sex” question. In 2001 there were two Democrats and one Republican, which was Jim Fielder, and he had the same amount of input then as Pat Williams had this time around. As for the comments about the mid-decade redistricting setting a bad precedent, it’s widely known that it would be extremely difficult for the Democrats to improve on these maps and that’s why they were making such a big deal about it now. If they make some attempt at redistricting again anytime soon and they cannot make valid argument for their attempt at an improvement they will only be setting themselves up for a legal battle they know that can’t win.

At this point the Democrats will have to retreat and lick their wounds as they have lost all hope of convincing the public of their position on redistricting now that the HT slammed the door in their face. Politics is like chess; some play it better than others and in this instance the Republicans played it like a master. Move after move, timing and strategy were all on their side. Now it’s up to the Commissioners to follow through with what they started and like the HT apparently most people agree with option one for the County Council districts. Politics is politics and the Democrats have had winner take all attitudes for some time, its time the Republicans learn to reciprocate. Former Chairman John Shean was apparently offered little help from the former leadership and in a short while he was able to rebuild the structure of the Party from the ground up. Now, with that foundation in place, the new Chairman will have that advantage should he choose to utilize it. The Republicans in Monroe County are slowly learning you can’t be complacent and play fair when your opposition chooses not to.