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Independents fed up with redistricting fight, too
07/22/2003
By Linda Curtis
Gov. Rick Perry, Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, U.S. Rep Tom DeLay and leading Texas Democrats have made one thing crystal clear:
Politicians of any party can't be trusted to make the rules that govern their conduct - particularly when it comes to redistricting.
That is why Independent Texans, a group of independent voters, is calling for the establishment of a redistricting commission made up of equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
By the way, you may have noticed that independent voters have been ignored by the two parties during their bloody battle over congressional redistricting this summer.
Maybe the party politicians didn't notice the recent CNN/Gallup poll showing that independents now account for 35 percent of the electorate, with Republicans trailing at 32 percent and Democrats at 31 percent.
It isn't that all party politicians are oblivious. State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, a moderate Republican from San Antonio, is to be congratulated for his proposed constitutional amendment that would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. Unfortunately, it has received little support from either party.
Arizona already has established a redistricting commission that is chaired by an independent. And Iowa likewise has taken the redistricting weapon out of the hands of legislators. So, you might ask, why not Texas?
The answer, of course, is politics. The GOP is trying to increase its congressional membership in Texas as a way to shore up its control of the House. But the Republicans need to watch their step, because independents are getting organized, both here in Texas and across the country, to play a greater political role.
For example, the "Choosing an Independent President" process already is under way in Texas. Independents will hold a statewide conference in Austin on Sept. 7 to begin screening the presidential candidates, regardless of their party affiliation. Politicians from both parties ignore the 35 percent independent plurality at their peril.
Most voters have grown tired of the partisan redistricting wars. It is time for the politicians to give up their weapons and turn over the job to the people.
Linda Curtis chairs Independent Texans, an affiliation of independent reform voters. A petition supporting an independent citizens redistricting commission in Texas can be found at independenttexans.org.
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