Letter to the editor - March 13

Gerrymandering unfair to rural counties

There are 33 counties in New Mexico. But just a few populous counties are forcing their radical leftist views on gun control, taxes, Christianity, and abortion on the rural, more conservative areas.

In 2011, $8 million was spent to create 70 new legislative districts in the state. Ignoring their own guidelines, lawmakers created 25 districts in just the Albuquerque metro area. This left rural districts, two as large as 180 miles, with one GOP rep each.

Historically, this is called gerrymandering. In the vernacular, it’s stacking the deck.

A stunning example of this inequity in redistricting played out in this legislative session. Ignoring advice of 29 of 33 county sheriffs, legislators passed new gun controls. In some twisted thinking, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called the quorum of 29 opposing sheriffs “rogues.”

Of equal concern to rural conservatives nationally is a move to eliminate our Electoral College System.

If successful, large population centers such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco will dictate their values and activist ideas to us all. It’s likely we’d essentially forfeit our gun rights to suit a few populous cities.

Ask a Canadian. It happened there.

How can rural New Mexicans regain a say in how our state is governed? An independent commission could set the redistricting boundaries. That way, the whole of New Mexico could retain say in what the state is doing.

Six Western states have already done this. With a Constitutional amendment, such a change could give the rural population equal say on issues and ideas they hold dear.

Just a note: $8 million to redistrict is pocket change to the half billion we are being forced to pay in new taxes.

Carl Tucker

Clovis