Beacon Hill: ...the odor still lingers.

OPINION: Redistricting effort tainted from the start

The political tone-deafness of the pair of legislators charged with managing legislative redistricting turns out to be even more severe than we thought.

After defeating efforts to give responsibility for the task to an independent commission, Democratic leaders promised the process would be more fair and transparent than ever before. We assumed they understood that anything that looked like blatant incumbent protection – and other political games that have marred the Legislature’s redistricting efforts in the past – would be a blow to their credibility and avoided at all costs.

But then it came to light that one of the first acts of redistricting co-chairs Rep. Michael Moran, D-Brighton, and Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, was to schedule private meetings with each member of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation to hear their preferences on how their districts should be drawn.

That’s exactly the kind of back-room deal-making reformers have been warning about. Beacon Hill politics are traditionally about who has power, not how will the public best be served. Census results require Massachusetts lose one of its 10 House districts. Starting the redistricting process with secret meetings with incumbents reinforces the idea that Moran and Rosenberg are rigging the game and dividing the spoils between fellow Democrats, putting the incumbents first and the voters second.

What’s worse was word that Moran had decided that, since he was going to be in Washington interviewing Congress members about their redistricting preferences, why not have a fundraiser for himself? One of the endangered incumbents, Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Somerville, generously found an exclusive restaurant to host the event, WCVB-TV Channel 5 reported. Other House members would surely be happy to send Washington insiders to help fatten Rep. Moran’s campaign account.

An hour after WCVB called to ask about the fundraiser, Moran canceled it. But the odor still lingers.

Why should a state representative be holding a fundraiser in Washington? Why would he accept help from the Congress members whose fate is in the hands of his committee? Why would someone entrusted by leaders of the Legislature with a sensitive job to do under the eyes of a skeptical public, do anything to give the impression his services are for sale?

This business confirms the suspicion that Moran, Rosenberg – and the leaders of the House and Senate who appointed them – have no clue about what a fair, transparent, non-political redistricting process looks like.

They are insiders playing an insiders’ game, oblivious to how it looks from the outside.

It’s not too late for Moran and Rosenberg to resign. Better yet, they should appoint a blue-ribbon panel of outsiders to take over the information-gathering and map-drawing process, and promise to keep their hands off until the panel presents their committee with one or more recommendations.



Legislative lines redrawn, 12th Plymouth District changes slightly
District currently held by Rep. Calter loses Duxbury, Middleborough precincts, gains Halifax precinct

By Kathryn Koch
Wicked Local Kingston


KINGSTON — Voters in Duxbury and Halifax are among those impacted by the announcement Tuesday that a legislative redistricting plan has been proposed by a joint committee of the General Court.

With redistricting, Rep. Tom Calter, D-Kingston, would represent one precinct each in the towns of Duxbury and Middleborough whereas he used to represent two precincts in those towns. He will also represent all of Halifax whereas he previously represented just one precinct in Halifax.

Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Pembroke, would pick up Precinct 6 in Duxbury, and would no longer represent the second precinct in Halifax. Webster said when he ran for office in 2002 that he was hopeful that he could eventually represent all of Duxbury rather than four precincts.

“Unfortunately, it won’t make Duxbury whole,” he said.

State legislators have to redraw the legislative and congressional district in Massachusetts to reflect population shifts identified through the 2010 Census. The state constitution requires the Legislature revise the map every 10 years.

Calter continues to represent all of Kingston, all of Plympton and three precincts (1, 11 and 13) in Plymouth. Calter said he expects the new districts to be finalized by the end of the year with the required votes of both the House and Senate.

While Calter technically represents constituents over 105 square miles and will represent one precinct each in the towns of Duxbury, Middleborough and, as usual, Plympton, he said he doesn’t turn away people who don’t live in his district but live in a town he helps represent. He accepts an obligation to all residents in a town.

“My new district is more difficult to serve but easier to defend,” he said. “It requires that I attend all of the important events in those towns although I represent only a small portion of them. It’s also a challenge when I receive constituent calls from Duxbury and Middleborough where I now only represent one precinct. I never ask what precinct a caller is in, so I’m often serving constituents in the parts of towns I don’t represent.”

Webster follows the same philosophy. He said he also responds to calls from all residents in the towns of Duxbury, Pembroke and Hanson whether they live in one of his precincts or not. He said he will continue to represent Duxbury the same way.

Calter said once redistricting has been finalized, he looks forward to introducing himself to his new constituents in Halifax.

“I’m excited that Halifax has been unified,” he said. “For a small town they deserve one representative.”

While disappointed that Duxbury has not been unified, Webster said it’s good for the people of Halifax to be represented by one person.

While there had been talk of Calter picking up another precinct in Plymouth, redistricting has not affected the number of precincts he represents in Plymouth. It does impact the Plymouth delegation, however, with a third legislator, from the 5th Barnstable District, representing a precint in South Plymouth because the Cape has been losing residents and Plymouth has been gaining in population.

Calter who represents Plymouth precincts 1, 11 and 13, said he looks forward to working with Rep. Randy Hunt, R-East Sandwich.

“The Senate President, Rep. deMacedo and myself work very closely on issues important to Plymouth,” he said. “We welcome Rep. Hunt to the delegation, and I look forward to working with him on the issues important to Plymouth.”

Murray would lose Plympton and precincts in Barnstable under the Senate redistricting. Plympton would fall within the Second Plymouth & Bristol District, as is Halifax now, represented by Sen. Thomas Kennedy, D-Brockton.

“I applaud Sen. Rosenberg, Rep. Moran and the joint Committee on Redistricting for carrying out a fair and equal redistricting process,” Murray said Wednesday in a statement. “While I will be losing three precincts in Barnstable and the town of Plympton because I am over population in my district, the strong relationships I have formed with both communities will remain. We have accomplished so much, and I am proud to continue to be their voice for the next 14 months.”

The biggest change expected from redistricting is that the state will lose a congressional seat because its population grew slower than the rest of the United States from 2000 to 2010.

The state districts have to be wrapped up first so potential candidates for those seats can meet a one-year residency requirement for the Nov. 4, 2012, election.


Legislature redistricting plan creates new Brockton district
Redistricting plan reflects changing demographics