Amendments 5 & 6

Curb Tailor made Voting Districts

First, a little trivia: Massachusetts Gov. and former U.S. Vice President Elbridge Gerry in 1812 signed into law a district that was said to look like a salamander. That's where the term gerrymander took root.

I've been talking heavily about Amendment 4 but today let's address Amendments 5 & 6. Several years back when Dr. Harold Levin was active around town, and in the Lake Worth Democratic Club, he petitioned strongly for these amendments. 5 & 6 are exactly the same other than number 5 addresses the Standards for the Legislature to follow in Legislative Redistricting and number 6 addresses Congressional redistricting.

Article III, Sections 20 and 21. Summary:
Legislative and congressional districts or districting plans 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. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.

Gerrymandering may be used to achieve desired electoral results for a particular party, or may be used to help or hinder a particular group of constituents, such as a political, racial, linguistic, religious or class group. Various groups are opposed to Amendments 5 & 6 such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florid. This alone is a good enough reason to vote YES on Amendments 5 & 6.

The effect of gerrymandering for incumbents is particularly advantageous, as incumbents are far more likely to be reelected under conditions of gerrymandering. That's why we have the same politicians getting elected year after year and why Ron Klein has an advantage in District 22--a long skinny north-south stretch through Florida, cutting out big sections of key towns through which it runs. And the House of Representatives maps such districts to protect incumbents. See Map of District 22

“Amendments 5 and 6 would set guidelines and standards for compact and fair district lines, and thereby prevent the drawing of lines that divide communities and connect areas that have little in common," said Don Conway of the Coffee Party.

Get rid of gerrymandering and then candidates and elected officials might actually have to listen to the voters instead of taking them all for granted by having a ready-made, built-in constituency.