A practical solution to gerrymandering
Federal courts have consistently declared that gerrymandering violates the Constitution. The courts do not grant specific relief, however, saying that a nonpolitical solution is impossible. The result is either the admittedly illegal district boundaries are allowed to remain or in particularly egregious cases, the case is sent back to state legislators for district boundaries to be redrawn.
With today’s technology, a much better solution to gerrymandering is possible. Whenever the court determines that a redistricting map is illegal, the court could order that the districts be redrawn randomly, by computer. The computer instructions could include: dividing the state’s population by the number of districts, then drawing boundaries for each district more or less randomly, along established roadways, riverbanks, etc. or using whatever criteria the state legislature deems appropriate. The computer instructions, however, would be published, preserved and reviewable later in court, if the redistricting is challenged.
WILLIAM B. FOKES, BRASELTON
Freezing assessments a big mistake
I think it will be a huge mistake to freeze the assessments at the prior year’s level, even if you have found an obscure law that seems to permit that action. There are well-established appeal procedures for individual property owners to use that in essence freezes their taxes until the case is resolved. In addition, the Commission has the ability to roll back millage rates to be somewhat revenue-neutral.
My opposition has a lot to do with the fact that many of us have been reasonably fairly assessed over the years, which means that we have been paying our fair share and more over those same years. I was looking forward to a possible reduction in millage when the overall tax digest increases.
Please don’t implement the proposed freeze. It will only make things worse in the future as there will be more catch-up to do.
JOHN POLLOCK, ALPHARETTA
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