Common Cause Initial Reaction to LATFOR Maps

NEW YORK, NY (01/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner released the following preliminary reactions to the redistricting maps released today by LATFOR. However, since LATFOR released the maps so late in the day a more thorough analysis is pending.

"Overall, these maps appear to continue the long tradition of partisan gerrymandering we've come to expect. There are major demographic changes that are simply not reflected on these maps."

Initial impressions:

Senate

• In the Senate on Long Island the Hispanic and African American communities of Babylon/Islip in Suffolk and Hempstead in Nassau remain cracked b/w 3 and 4 SDs respectively, despite the fact that Long Island is now over 20% Black and Hispanic.

• In New York City the new lines are in fact worse than the current ones in various places.

• The Upper West Side has been cracked into four separate Senate Districts up from three

• South Brooklyn is a mess, worse than current lines. Sunset Park and neighborhoods all throughout South Brooklyn remain cracked as a result of the Marty Golden gerrymander.

• The so called "Asian district" in Queens includes more of Downtown Flushing and although the population is over 50% Asian on paper, it is a district that continues to split Asian neighborhoods and communities, especially Elmhurst.

• As a result of Senate Republicans' decision to add a 63 Senate district in the Hudson Valley, Ulster County is now divided into four Senate Districts up from two.

Assembly

• Assembly Democrats correctly moved a 22nd district into Long Island but instead of taking it from New York City, as the actual population figures would have dictated, they kidnapped it from Upstate.

Common Cause NY released a set of reform redistricting maps in December: www.citizenredistrictny.org/reform-maps/