In response to Jack Teoli’s letter (Aug. 27) praising Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo for backing Gavin the Great’s Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8, a spiteful and demented power grab that would make Ted Cruz blush, I say there is a better way.
Mr. Teoli says, “This is about keeping our democracy intact.”
That is laughable and couldn’t be further from the truth. If Gov. Gavin Newsom’s folly passes, California will send 48 Democrats and four Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives.
That is 92% Democrat and 8% Republican.
Forty percent of Californians wisely voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. That means that 40% of California’s voting population is represented by just four representatives, a mere 8% if the total.
Is that keeping our democracy intact?
Other blue states have similar mismatched numbers, the result of decades of unethical gerrymandering.
Massachusetts: Democrats 100%, Republicans 0%.
Illinois: Democrats 80%, Republicans 20%.
New York: Democrats 75%, Republicans 25%.
Do Republicans in those states have fair and equal representation? Will they ever?
I think I have a better way: Reapportion every presidential election year. Percents in each state will be based on what percent of the total previous presidential vote each party received.
For example, in next year’s mid-term elections in California, Democrats would be allotted 31 House seats (60%), while Republicans would have 21 (40%). That, Mr. Teoli, is what representative democracy looks like.
Rather than divide each state into districts which can be easily gerrymandered, have an at large vote for all 31 Democrats and 21 Republicans, similar to what Santa Clarita used to have (good old days). Forget race, class, socio-economic and other woke ideas. Republicans will vote for the 21 people who will best address their needs as Californians. Democrats will do the same. Add a three-term term limit to House seats and you will not have to look at Nancy Pelosi or Maxine Waters again.
Every U.S. citizen deserves fair and equal representation.
Larry Moore
Valencia
