Letter: New district maps are more logical than the old

Raju Ceerla
The Signal
October 17, 2011

In response to Jim Holt’s article, “Group seeks to toss out electoral maps,” Oct. 13:

The old 25th Congressional District boundaries begin from just south of the Santa Clarita Valley, travel eastward to Lancaster, and then along the back sides of Kern, Fresno and Modesto counties, rigged to enhance the number of conservatives in 25th District.

What the new boundaries do is cut those portions off, add them to their respective counties and make the Santa Clarita District 25 more logical, more Santa Clarita.

The Fairness & Accountability In Redistricting group is not looking for a more sensible district. They just want the erratic system we had before.

We have to remember that the commission was voted in by the people. For the group to say this is not backed by the people of California is misleading at best.

This group has nothing to do with fairness and accounting. Here’s a good local example: The 25th Congressional District lost about 200,000 residents, mostly from the farming/ranching areas of Kern, Fresno and Modesto counties. I assume this is typical of what has happened to the new district maps, which does not sit well with the Republican Party.

On the other hand, we have Latino groups trying to rig the new district maps to get a majority in some areas.

I wonder where this new process will end up at. From what I have read, the Redistricting Commission is a fairly balanced mix of people from all walks of life.

I’d assume, notwithstanding all the lobbying efforts made by such groups as the conservative “Fairness and Accountability Group” and Latino groups, the commission most likely did a pretty good job of being independent in this new redistricting process.

After all, we, the voters, overwhelmingly voted and put them there to do a job for us: independent redistricting.

And as a side note, these new maps will most likely withstand a judicial challenge.