Bob Reis: Gerrymandering amok

Regarding the Dec. 22 news article “53 legislators lacking opponents”: Your article clearly illustrated the hollowing out of the electoral system by, not plain old gerrymandering but scientifically excessive gerrymandering. What we have now wears the clothes of democracy but it is not democracy. Instead we have nearly naked influence peddling.

The remedy is obvious and urgent: a nonpartisan (not-bipartisan) electoral commission to draw the lines. No party officer could be a member, nor could anyone who had served in state government for, oh, 20 years or so. Maybe people could be appointed by random selection like for jury duty.

Does that seem ridiculous? Is it more ridiculous than what we have now – fake candidates running fake campaigns in sham elections? Might as well be Guinea-Bissau. Bah, humbug.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Bob Reis: Gerrymandering amok."