The Future of the Country is in the Hands of Central New Yorkers

Redistricting of 3 districts could change the makeup of Congress

Congressional redistricting in New York is going through its fourth iteration bringing chaos for voters. (Photo by Brett Sayles)

It might come as a surprise to you, but the future of democracy in the United States is not really in the tiny little hands of Donald Trump. It’s firmly in the paws of the sleepy towns in upstate New York. The slim Republican majority in the House is only there because of the redistricting disaster that’s been on stage in New York State since the 2020 census.

Twisting and turning districts meant that three Upstate New York Districts that should have gone to Democrats, went instead to Republicans.

It was so bad, that even Sean Patrick Maloney, head of the Democrat’s Congressional Campaign Committee lost.

Maps are going to have to be drawn yet again and they’ve been done two or three times already, depending upon how you count to three. Republicans are of course outraged, led by that stalwart of high principles, Republican House member Elise Stefanik of District 21. She’s the Congressmember who stood firm against to shenanigans of Donald Trump until, of course, she saw the need to feather her own nest by being his number one supporter.

Now she has the number four ranking Republican in the house hierarchy.

Her outrage is a little disingenuous and ignores a few statistics. To start with, there hasn’t been a statewide elected member of the G.O.P in recent memory. And then, there’s the harsh reality that New York voters who’ve opted to designate as something other than Republican when they register to vote outnumber Republicans 3 to 1. That's 75% of the voters in New York State who are NOT Republicans. That leaves two options:

1. Represent the people of the state in proportion to the people registered.

or

2. Gerrymander things to favor Republicans so they can maintain their hold on power for themselves.

It’s no surprise that New Yorkers ended up with option #2. And, it turned out that it was true to its choice and is a real shit show.

Granted, all this redistricting bother has been so difficult on House members that they’ve had to move. Hell, even one Congressman (Brandon Williams of District 22) doesn't live in the district he was elected to represent even though the law says he had to move into it by the time he took office. But then again, members of Congress are above the law, right? He only has to obey the rules when they suit him just like you and me, right? Well, not like you and me, but like the elite echelon he is a member of.

Poor Congress member Claudia Tenney had to move at least twice through several counties to end up in a district that goes hundreds of miles down and over the state so that it encompasses as many Republicans as is necessary to keep her in office. It’s such a weirdly shaped district that it gives even gerrymandering a bad name. But let’s face it, she’ll move anywhere she needs to to stay in power.

Granted, all of this redistricting makes it look like the Marx Brothers are running state government instead of rational human beings. But fair is fair, and the law is the law … or so they tell me. Just ask Brandon Williams.

So, the three districts in Upstate New York that the country needs to put some sanity back in the House of Representatives will once again be re-drawn. But this time, let’s hope, they have some semblance of the reality for the people they represent.

It is, after all, the future of our country that’s at stake.