WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 12, 2017 13
LETTERS AND COMMENTS OP-ED
It’s time to end gerrymandering
BY CONGRESSMAN TOM SUOZZI
Gerrymandering is a funny
word. The eff ect partisan gerrymandering
is having on our
nation and our democracy, however,
isn’t funny at all. The reason for the
partisan divide in America today
can be attributed, in large part, to
partisan gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering is the way the
lines for congressional and other
legislative seats are drawn. The
problem is that those lines are
often drawn by state legislatures
to increase the party in powers advantage
and to protect incumbents.
That’s why Congress has only a 15
percent approval rating, but 98
percent of members of Congress get
re-elected.
Of the 435 seats in Congress,
roughly 30 of them are listed as
competitive on a regular basis. That
means if you are a Democrat in a safe
Democratic seat, or a Republican in a
safe Republican seat, you are safe. It
is near impossible to lose the general
election. Therefore, the only way you
can lose your seat is to lose the primary.
People who vote in primaries
are few and far between — less than
10 percent of the registered voters.
Additionally, the people who vote
in Republican primaries are usually
to the far right and in Democratic
primaries to the far left. The elected
officials from each party often spend
all their efforts trying to please that
small group of people that vote in the
primaries. That’s why it is often so
hard to get elected officials to work
in the middle. There is something
not right about that.
How, in a democracy, is that acceptable?
Gerrymandering takes power
away from the voters and places it
directly in the hands of politicians.
I want to help fix this. Last week, I
joined former Republican Governor
of California Arnold Schwarzenegger
at the Supreme Court in support
of the plaintiffs in Gill v. Whitford,
a gerrymandering case from
Wisconsin. I also signed an amicus
brief, along with current and
former members of Congress on
both sides of the aisle, backing the
plaintiffs’ case.
The plaintiff s from Wisconsin argued
in front of the High Court
that Republican lawmakers have deliberately
gerrymandered the state’s
districts going back to 1972. A lower
court agreed, ruling that the current
plan is indeed “an aggressive partisan
gerrymander.” Now, we wait to
see how the Supreme Court will rule
in a case that will have major consequences
going forward. To be sure,
Republicans are not the only ones that
gerrymander. It’s something to which
both parties must plead guilty.
The Gill v. Whitford case could
have a significant impact in New
York, which according to one independent
analysis, has an average
gerrymander score of nearly 67.
Although New York approved a bipartisan
politician-led commission
for both congressional and state
legislative redistricting in 2014, this
commission would still enable legislators
in Albany to have too much
power in drawing their districts.
The ideal standard is an independent,
citizen-led commission that has
clear criteria and keeps communities
of interest together. Other states,
such as Arizona and California, have
already led the way in creating independent
redistricting commissions.
Stripping power from the voters
and handing it over to politicians was
not the system our Founding Fathers
envisioned. Every person has a right
to know that their vote will not only
count, but will carry equal value to
a vote from a neighboring district.
It is my hope the nine justices of the
Supreme Court will put the people
first and make sure that every vote
indeed counts equally.
Congressman Tom Suozzi represents
the Third Congressional District of
New York covering northeast Queens,
northern Nassau and northwestern
Suff olk counties.
BOULEVARD
BIKE LANES MAKE
NO SENSE
I read in your paper the two columns
against these bike lanes coming
to Northern Boulevard. I am against
these bike lanes and I give kudos
to these two people that wrote out
against them.
What sense does it make to put bike
lanes on dangerous roads like Queens
Boulevard, and now Northern Boulevard.
These are major thoroughfares
and bicyclists do not have to bike on
these roads. With the side streets
being safer, put the bicyclists on them.
Not all drivers are to blame for bike
deaths. Cyclists as well as drivers run
red lights, do not signal when changing
lanes, but they cannot hear horns
honking at them because they have
earbuds in their ears. They do not
have rearview mirrors and they do
not wear helmets.
Has anyone heard one congressman,
one council member, one politician running
for offi ce, anyone in this administration
speak out against these bike lanes?
I have not heard of one person saying
anything. Did they go to their constituents
in their districts and ask them what
they thought about these bike lanes?
Kathleen Schatz, Rego Park
Editor’s note: It should be noted that
not every bicyclist wears earbuds while
riding, and not every bicyclist rides
without a helmet. We urge every driver
and bicyclist to obey traffi c laws and
travel safely.
TAKING
OUT SUBWAY
SEATS
ISN’T
THE ANSWER
Removal of corner seats on A,
E, F and R line subway cars to
accommodate more riders is the
equivalent of putting lipstick on
a pig. Homeless people gravitate
to both the E and R lines since
the routes run 100 percent underground,
providing consistent
warmth in the winter and cool in
the summer. Now, they will gravitate
to the middle seats, depriving
regular riders.
Let MTA Chairman Joe Lhota,
Board members, agency presidents
and other staff lead by example.
Give up your seats at future MTA
Board meetings. Try standing for
one hour like riders do and see how
you like it.
MTA needs to fi nd $17 billion of
the $20 billion needed to bring the
subway signal system up to a state
of good repair. Purchase 1,000 new
in addition to routine replacement
subway cars to expand the existing
fl eet. Support the larger car
fl eet with new and additional yard
and shop space. This will provide
a real solution to increase capacity
necessary to deal with all the new
riders.
Larry Penner,
Great Neck
It looks almost like a scene
out of a postcard from New
England, but this January
1940 photo was taken at
a farm formerly located at
the corner of 70th Drive and
Walnut Street in Forest Hills.
The barns disappeared long
ago, and the area is now
developed with residential
housing. Send us your
historic photos of Queens
by email to editorial@qns.
com (subject: A Look Back)
or mail printed pictures
to A Look Back, ℅ The
Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell
Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361.
All mailed pictures will be
carefully returned to you.
A LOOK BACK