Friday, December 20, 2013

2014: will voters punish the Florida GOP for breaking the law on redistricting? … by gimleteye

To be sure: voters are distracted. The cacophony comes from all directions, but mainly from the radical right that controls the Florida legislature and is twinned with corporate agendas and the Tea Party that believes government is the root of all evil.

A principal way that the radical right controls the Florida GOP is through district maps that routinely are drawn to favor incumbents and un-balance the playing field. Combined with voter suppression -- in other words, inhibiting voters at the ballot box on election day, the fix is in.

A Florida lawsuit by FairDistricts, based on its successful 2010 amendment to the Florida Constitution requiring fair redistricting, challenged the Florida GOP and its lobbyists to release how it redrew districts. FairDistricts, through the Court, is proving that gerrymandering districts is alive and well by the GOP in violation of the law.

Last week that the Florida Supreme Court ruled the GOP map makers had to release all documentation, including email trails, related to their efforts. Surprise: after the ruling, GOP radicals confessed that much of its documentation has been destroyed.

Now it will take forensic computer experts to pry loose what the Florida GOP wants to hide from the law. Let's hope voters keep in mind when it is time to vote in 2014: a political party that willfully breaks the law has violated its trust with the public. If that does not gain the public's attention, what will?

3 comments:

Geniusofdespair said...

I was told that the lawyer for redistricting for the pubs, makes people destroy their notes after meetings.

Anonymous said...

Miguel de Grandy?

Anonymous said...

I think a good place to start and an easy one would be the campaign expense reports from those accounts from both the House & Senate side. A number of them appear to be living very nicely, or at least staying at very nice hotels and fine dinning under the guise of campaign expenses outside their districts and/or in Tallahassee during committee meetings. It's alarming to be honest.

I think GOP legislators should be held in contempt of court for destroying evidence in the redistricting because everyone knew it was going to be challenged. It was public knowledge and reported in a lot of papers.