LETTER: Legislative districts should be drawn fairly

To the editor:

A recent article reminisced about the former positive political climate and reputation for effective, clean government in Wisconsin. It argued that reputation resulted from priorities expected of those we elected to serve us. Top was serving interests of the Assembly or Senate district, followed by that of the institution of the legislative body to which they were elected, and third, the interests of a political party.

Today’s climate is appallingly the opposite. The interests of an Assembly or Senate district are often ignored, even to voting against the interests of their district when the party demands it. The expressed interests of district constituents can be safely ignored because gerrymandered districts guarantee to preserve their seats while they kowtow to political parties.

I don’t disagree with the argument by various courts that redistricting is a political process that should be decided by the legislative process but only if that process begins with transparently and fairly drawn districts, a situation we clearly do not enjoy today.

I call on my representatives, Rep. Jeff Mursau and Sen. Mary Felzkowski, to serve their constituencies by first voting against any effort to override Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of the gerrymandered redistricting maps should it occur, and second to support adopting a redistricting process that largely takes politicians out and puts the people in charge of designing maps. I urge you to contact your representatives with the same demand.

Ken Harter, Oconto Falls