LETTER: Arrogance of gerrymandering is on ballot for state legislators

To Ozaukee Press:

Did you know that the personal cell phone numbers of Democratic Assembly candidates Deb Andraca and Emily Siegrist were printed on mailers sent on behalf of incumbent Republican Assembly candidates Jim Ott and Dan Knodl, resulting in jamming their challengers’ phones with aggressive messages?

This is what gerrymandering creates, an arrogance of power on behalf of those in power. Ten years ago, the maps were drawn by a sophisticated computer in Madison after the last census. Any Republican’s re-election has been almost guaranteed as the district boundary lines wander around to divide Democrat-leaning voters and pad in Republicans to secure a win.

If you are sick of extreme partisan shutdown of governance in the state and U.S. capitol, this is the year to vote Democratic for state seats as well as Congress. Many good Republicans realize this and are voting for civility and a collegial government—especially vital during a pandemic and the economic stress created by it.

The maps will be redrawn next year by the party in power after this census. Democrats have promised that a non-partisan committee will hash it out to arrive at fair maps, unlike what incumbent Republicans plan to do again. This is the only route to civility through new and qualified Democratic candidates.

Vote Deb Andraca if her name is on your ballot and Emily Siegrist if you are in her Assembly district. Add the capable small-businessman and educator Neal Plotkin for state Senate. Enough of the many years of the ineffective Alberta Darling. Jessica King needs to give career politician Glenn Grothman a new career. Rejuvenate civility by voting to break gerrymandering.

Dan Stern
Mequon