Koch Pissed At NY State GOP's Redistricting Reform Reluctance

Former Mayor Ed Koch complained that NY State Republicans are dragging their feet on making good on redistricting reform. Yesterday, at a press conference, he pointed out how Republicans promised reform during last year's election but have now reneged, "You know, you either have to honor your pledge or you’re, in my judgment, dishonorable." And one of those "dishonorable" lawmakers is State Senator Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

According to the AP, "The redrawing of election district lines every 10 years has long been used by the majorities in each house to protect their incumbents and power. Good-government groups have long cited redistricting as a central reason for the state Legislature's dysfunction and insulation from voter wrath." Skelos had signed onto Koch's NY Uprising platform, which aims for "Non-Partisan, Independent Redistricting," "Responsible Budgeting," and "Ethics Reforms," but now Skelos is voicing "constitutional" concerns about Governor Cuomo's redistricting bill.

Koch, who is 86 years young, said, "Politics sometimes causes people to give up their decency. It is simply an attempt to derail our entire effort." Still, he's optimistic Skelos will come around, "I’m someone who always believes the prodigal son can be re-embraced. And I’m Jewish."

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By Jen Chung in News on March 2, 2011 8:51 AM

Comments [rss]

NYDirk

There won't be redistricting reform until the Democrats are in the majority.

Mordicai

& even then it is a maybe. Redistricting reform is clearly the right thing to do, but I don't have a lot of faith in politicians DOING the right thing, sadly. You are right though, that we won't see the Republicans doing it, not until there is a major shift in that party.

unretrofiedforu

Exactly - it's not unlike the wealthy land owners in the middle ages who were reluctant to end feudalism. If you ignore history it's only gonna repeat itself.

Mordicai

Right? I kind of want to be like "you know, in REAL laissez faire capitalism, these guys can just kill you & take your stuff, right? Like, when you over concentrate wealth it results in revolutions?"

unretrofiedforu

I think that's a gift they're going to leave to their descendants, like Louis XVI's father did for him.

random transplant

I'm glad Koch called Skelos out.

The neo-con's are not going to be coming back to the table. Pretending their a part of the family and waiting for them to calm down has enabled their abuse of power to the point they have no more rational or constructive positions to come back to the table with at all.

These arn't "prodigal sons", Mr Mayor. These are selfish children who have no problem filling their silver spoons by gouging the backs of those of us who actually work or a living.