| Since the Blue Jersey community has clearly been buzzing with comments and opinions about the congressional and legislative redistricting process that will unfold over the next year or so, I figured that I might as well offer everybody a third installment, which provides us with some interesting insight into how the members of the redistricting commissions are selected, the names of some individuals who have recently been appointed to the commissions, and lobbying for a spot on the one of the commissions that is currently being done, something that progressives should consider doing as well.
In PolitickerNJ's recent article, "Cryan appoints himself, Sarlo to legislative redistricting commission before stepping down as chairman", we learn that in one of his last acts as NJDSC Chairman, Assembly Majority Leader Joe Cryan appointed himself and anti-marriage equality and anti-progressive State Senator Paul Sarlo to the legislative redistricting commission, ensuring that Sarlo would be in control of his destiny for at least the next ten years.
More about Cryan, Sarlo, and this article below the fold. |
| Until now, I was under the impression that as far as machine politicians went, Joe Cryan was one of the better ones. When given the opportunity to do so, he voted for Howard Dean to become DNC Chair. To the best of my knowledge he has been pretty good on issues of concern to the progressive community like marriage equality. And from what I have heard through the grapevine, he actually listens when our own, Rosi Efthim, talks to him.
However, upon reading that Cryan would actually reward someone like Paul Sarlo with something like a seat on the legislative redistricting commission, especially after Sarlo voted against marriage equality during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and then cowardly abstained during the floor vote, I really have to wonder how progressive he truly is. I can only imagine what kind of backroom quid pro quo backscratching led to this arrangement.
What gives him the right to appoint anybody, much less Sarlo, to anything?
On the state level, the chairs of both major political parties each choose five members for the commission, while the chief justice of the State Supreme Court chooses an 11th tie-breaking member. On the congressional commission, the state party chairs each choose two members, as does the senate president, the senate minority leader, the assembly speaker and the assembly minority leader.
So as outgoing NJDSC Chairman, Cryan snags a couple of seats on the LRC for himself and his good buddy, Paul Sarlo, which means that unless progressives recruit challengers to take Sarlo out in a Democratic primary, we are most likely going to be stuck with him for another ten years. Did Cryan leave anything for his successor, incoming NJDSC Chairman, John Wisniewski?
Cryan also appointed Maggie Moran, former Gov. Jon Corzine's campaign manager and deputy chief of staff, to the Congressional Redistricting Commission.
That leaves the new Democratic chairman, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) with three seats to fill on the legislative commission and one to fill on the congressional commission.
OK, so who is the new NJDSC Chairman and early supporter of Howard Dean's Presidential campaign going to give these seats to? It appears as if another anti-marriage equality and anti-progressive State Senator, who is on the outs with legislative and party leadership because of his support for former Senate President Dick Codey against current Senate President Steve Sweeney, would like to have a seat at the table.
State Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Newark), who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said that he sent a letter to Wisniewski this morning requesting that his caucus gets to choose a member, as they have in the past.
"We hear rumors about how some party leaders want to treat redistricting. I want to make sure we get an objective view of everything and we can hear the debates," said Rice.
What was Wisniewski's response to this?
Wisniewksi, who attended the Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning, just 14 hours into his job as chairman, said that he was not ready to comment on redistricting appointments.
"I'm not going to make any promises in the press about who will be on, who won't be on," he said. "I could not possibly satisfy everybody's request for who should be on redistricting... There are lots of people who have legitimate issues and concerns, and they need to be addressed. We have to find a way of taking all those issues and concerns and fitting them into the number of seats we have. No easy task."
That sounds like a big wet raspberry for the (along with Shirley Turner) co-George Wallace of marriage equality. That said, progressives have a stake in this process as well. Is there any way that Wisniewski could fill one of the seats on the LRC that would simultaneously mollify Rice Sr.'s concerns, while also making NJ's progressive community very happy? Believe it or not, there is. Give the seat to Rice Sr.'s son, Ron Rice Jr.. No, he is not a member of the Legislative Black Caucus per se, but he is someone who could very ably represent both the interests of the LBC and progressives at the same time.
Far too often, progressives have found ourselves sitting on the bench while these inside baseball games are played. I believe that it is time that Democratic Party leadership puts one of our own into the game. I would like to invite the Blue Jersey community to join me in giving NJDSC Chairman, John Wisniewski, the opportunity to prove to us that we are valued members of the Democratic Party and our voices are being heard by party leadership by appointing Newark Councilman Ron Rice Jr. to the legislative redistricting commission. |
