Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. before Governor Andrew Cuomo gave...

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. before Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the Budget speech in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. (Jan. 17, 2012) Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.

A proposed new map for the 18th Assembly District in Nassau County looks like a muscle-bound lug, back turned, sprinting away before someone can catch sight of him. It's an optical illusion, but one that's apt. Because a partisan redistricting committee in Albany is trying to do the same thing.

The committee has slapped down a series of laughable lines, in newly redrawn proposed state Assembly and Senate districts for Long Island. And the committee is almost certain to run away with it.

In the Long Island of their view, the North Fork should be split and the Massapequas ought to lose that last "s." The little village of Lynbrook needs to be divided and the budding political prowess of Brentwood, Central Islip and Bay Shore must be slapped back.

What's happening? It's time to redistrict, which is a frightful misnomer. What we're really talking about is Albany carving up the state so Republicans -- led by Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) -- can keep the Senate, Democrats can keep the Assembly and incumbents can keep their jobs.

On Friday, 150 brave souls filled the legislative meeting room in Hauppauge to give Albany's Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research -- and, whew -- Reapportionment an earful. The idea was to give the public some say in the decennial charade. Did it work?

The first invited to testify before the task force were elected officials. And that was after the elected officials on the panel introduced the other elected officials in the room.

Assemb. Joseph Saladino (R-Massapequa) was the only one who asked whether he could speak before the unelected -- that would be us. He offered a rational, alternative map for his hideously redrawn district. He took pains to note that it wouldn't bleed over into a fellow assemblyman's district.

When time came for residents to speak, many did so with nervous eloquence or with passion. Most opposed the proposed maps, which, by the way, were not on display in the room. There were a few who praised, or specifically opposed, some of the proposed maps because they wanted to keep local incumbents in office.

There's nothing wrong with supporting incumbents -- many of whom have been in Albany for more than a decade. But with all that experience, shouldn't they be qualified to run a good race in any district?

At one point, committee co-chair Assemb. John McEneny asked Brian Paul of Common Cause, which has proposed alternative maps: "How many incumbents are you drawing out of our districts?" Paul, noting that the maps were drawn to be blind to incumbency, answered: 10 senators and 26 Assembly members.

McEneny, a Democrat from Albany, shot back that seniority was important, adding that voters "might not consider it a reform to see that they are now represented by a freshman."

Which says all voters need to know about redistricting.

Toward the end of the hearing, only 21 people were left in the audience. Among them was Mimi Pierre-Johnson of Elmont, a Democrat who was defeated in a run for State Assembly. Last year, however, the county legislative district that included Elmont pulled off a stunning coup by defeating 16-year incumbent John Ciotti.

With the proposed new State Assembly maps, Pierre-Johnson said, "It's almost as if the state has said to us, 'Hey, you guys are getting too excited about your democracy.' "

Because, in Albany's view, it's not about serving voters. It's about serving themselves.

A winemaker. A jockey. An astronaut. We’re celebrating Women’s History month with a look at these and more female changemakers and trailblazers with ties to long Island. 

Celebrating Women's History Month at Newsday A winemaker. A jockey. An astronaut. We're celebrating Women's History month with a look at these and more female changemakers and trailblazers with ties to long Island. 

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