“We just witnessed a district being redrawn to pave the way for a serial sexual harasser to stay in elected office. That’s just wrong,” said de Blasio of the current uproar over the Districting Commission's new maps -- which for now, unless they get pulled back, drawn again and resubmitted, as Council Speaker Chris Quinn wants -- clear a possible way for Assemblyman Vito Lopez to get to City Hall.
De Blasio's legislation would require:
* Publicly documenting all phone conversations, in-person meetings and written communications from elected or party officials, and their staff or agents, to Districting Commission members and staff;
* Logging all communications to Commission members and Commission staff, including the date, participants in the discussion, and a one-sentence description of the subject matter and specific districts that were discussed;
* Publishing all logged communication and documentation on the New York City Districting Commission website.
De Blasio's proposal has the backing of Common Cause/New York Executive Director Susan Lerner, who said in a statement, “Redistricting is about assuring fair and competitive elections for the voters, not an easy path to victory for politicians. Unfortunately, the process is constantly being corrupted by self-serving interests which make a mockery of our democracy. The public deserves a full and open accounting of the facts which determine our political representation."
As mentioned earlier, the Commission -- which has been widely reported to have nudged the lines to help Lopez at the request of his ally, Councilman Erik Dilan -- says on first blush it appears it has the power to withdraw its proposal and submit a new one. However that impression may be fairly new.
The process to withdraw and redo the maps has not been worked out yet or been determined the Charter allows this type of action.
UPDATE
The city’s Districting Commission will meet this morning, 12/4/2012, to formally withdraw the new City Council maps it presented last month creating a new district seemingly tailored for a Vito Lopez candidacy. The meeting was called in response to Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s demand on Thursday that the body alter its proposed council lines so Lopez, now an assemblyman, stays in his current 37th District. The 15-member body will then vote on whether to hold another round of public hearings on the new lines it intends to draw. The council must ultimately approve the new district lines. It must then send the maps to the US Justice Department for a final green light.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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