Assembly Redistricting Plan: Less Voice In Government For Upstate New York.

No voice on redistricting

by Assemblyman Willis H. Stephens, Jr.

Since our nation was founded, Americans have exercised their freedoms, taking every opportunity to make their voices heard on issues important to them. As the principles of democracy dictate, Americans have expected their representatives in government to take heed to their views, and to always be ready to listen. However, now that changes have been proposed that would affect the very nature of their representation, many across our upstate communities have found their voices muted.

At the expense of upstate New York voters, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has proposed to unfairly increase New York City’s representation in the New York state Assembly by four seats, two more than prescribed by the U.S. Census. Despite the presence of 206,000 more people upstate than in New York City, Silver has planned to strip upstate New York of three seats, relocating them to New York City. Furthermore, as this plan continues to develop, Mid-Hudson voters have been excluded from this process. While four public hearings regarding this plan have been scheduled in New York City, allowing those individuals the opportunity to make their comments heard, none are scheduled in our region. A hearing has been recently scheduled to be held in Albany, however, this is still a more than two hour drive for many in our area. In this regard, Silver has relegated our upstate communities and its citizens to second-class status.

It is the duty of all our elected officials to serve the interests of their constituents. They should seek to find reward in their occupation solely by meeting this goal. As speaker of the New York state Assembly, Sheldon Silver has an even greater responsibility in this respect. Sadly, it would seem that Silver’s ambitions have strayed from the goal of public service, placing his personal interests above the public good. Instead of the needs of New York state, he has focused his efforts on strengthening his own political base in New York City, while snubbing our communities.

At any level of government, elected officials play an important role. Not only do they reflect the opinions and concerns of their constituents, but they can also use their position to bring matters of local importance to the attention of the government and obtain appropriate assistance. I will do my best to ensure that Sheldon Silver is not successful in his efforts to strip us of the representation we deserve, making our community nothing more than an afterthought.

If you would like to make your voice heard on redistricting, write to: New York State Legislature Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment 250 Broadway, Suite 2100 New York, NY 10007.