Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch says North Country Senator Joe Griffo was “not being forthright” Thursday when he said the Republicans in the state Senate have made progress on redistricting …
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Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch says North Country Senator Joe Griffo was “not being forthright” Thursday when he said the Republicans in the state Senate have made progress on redistricting reform.
In a letter to NorthCountyNow.com, Koch says Griffo and his Republican colleagues in control of the Senate are stalling on reform so they can continue gerrymandering, the practice of redrawing legislative district boundaries to favor candidates from one party or another.
The statement by Griffo, who represents the 47th District, can be seen here: http://northcountrynow.com/news/griffo-says-senate-moving-redistricting-reform-025863
Mayor Koch’s entire letter follows:
To the Editor:
Senator Griffo isn't being entirely forthright when he claims that the Senate has made progress on redistricting reform. He boasts that he and his colleagues have "acted to turn this concept into a reality."
The plan he refers to, a constitutional amendment, won't take effect until the year 2022. That's not "reality".
It also doesn't take into account the Governor's pledge to veto any redistricting map that doesn't come from an independent commission. If that happens, the courts will get to draw the maps (that's an independent commission of another sort, and one the legislature has even less control over).
No. There is a way to accomplish redistricting reform right now. It has the support of the Governor, and it had the support of Senator Griffo too, until it became convenient for him to switch his position, now that Republicans are once again the majority party in the Senate. I urge him to support Governor Cuomo's bill that would create a bipartisan independent redistricting commission in time for next year's elections -- which Griffo pledged to do.
He is throwing sand in our eyes, hoping that we won't notice so he and his colleagues can, once again, gerrymander their districts to their own benefit. He is putting power and politics ahead of good government, which our state so sorely needs right now. He is an Enemy of Reform.
All the best.
Sincerely,
Ed Koch
