Newspaper: PA needs redistricting reform

Recent talk that the Congressional seat held by the late John Murtha could be eliminated in the upcoming round of redistricting has prompted The Philadelphia Inquirer to point out that gerrymandering continues to be a problem in Pennsylvania.

Politicians draw political boundaries to keep themselves in office without the threat of a serious challenge. Both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of the practice. The losers are the taxpayers who get stuck with career politicians.

From the editorial:

Partisan redistricting isn't isolated to Murtha's district, or to Pennsylvania. But the Keystone State is one of the worst practitioners of this destructive habit.

The legislature controls redistricting every 10 years, after the census is completed. Depending on which party is in power, the boundaries of state legislative districts also are sliced and diced to benefit incumbents.

Among the worst examples of gerrymandering now are the 172d District, held by Republican Rep. John M. Perzel in Northeast Philadelphia, and the 161st District, represented by Democratic Rep. Bryan Lentz of Delaware County.

Gerrymandering divides communities, confuses voters, and protects incumbents. It also tends to produce a legislature that's more partisan and less cooperative, as each party's base becomes more important to legislators' reelection.

In Congress, only about 60 House races out of 435 are considered competitive. In the others, the winners are all but assured. In New Jersey in 2008, all 11 House incumbents won reelection, and eight of them were considered "untouchable."

There's still a slim chance that legislators in Harrisburg could reform the redistricting process in time for the new legislative maps to take shape for elections in 2012. It would require the legislature to approve a law this year and, early next year, to put before voters a constitutional amendment in the 2011 primaries.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.