Valley presence needed at state redistricting table

The Bakersfield Californian Editorial
November 21, 2010

It's great that California's first-ever Citizens Redistricting Commission, its mission newly endorsed and fortified by a pair of victories on Nov. 2, has selected the first eight of 14 members. The eight names were randomly drawn Thursday from a list of finalists that emerged from a pool of nearly 31,000 applicants.

However, we're disappointed to not see a single name from the Central Valley, a region with many income levels, ethnicities, faiths and political beliefs.

But it's not too late. Three Democrats, three Republicans and two others chosen in a lottery-style drawing will appoint six more Californians to the commission by Dec. 31, from a pool of 28 finalists.

Diversity and geography will figure heavily into the choices. We hope at least two of the selections are from the valley, giving this vast region a pair of seats at the table.

The job: Redraw boundaries for legislative, congressional and Board of Equalization districts in a fair and sensible way.

The goal: Do away with a number of absurdly gerrymandered lines that have been dictated by politicians and well-paid consultants to protect incumbents and parties from serious election challenges.

The outcome will shake up the long-standing centers of power in California, introduce competition and give voters more power in their own government. The Central Valley deserves to be part of that.