By Angela Marshall
Based on numbers released Dec. 28, New York will lose two seats in the House of Representatives. Well known for its political, back-room horse trading, the process of deciding who stays and who goes often takes several months and has been known to require the intervention of a federal court.
However, Long Island representatives are not losing sleep over the possibility of one being ousted, because a major player in the decision-making is state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), co-chairman of the Legislature's redistricting task force.
As one legislative aide put it, "Long Island is positioned pretty well."
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) thinks Long Island's population numbers speak for themselves. "If you look at the census numbers, and where the growth in population has decreased, we're likely to lose a seat in the city, and one upstate," she said last week. "Here on the Island, my district is solidly bipartisan, and split pretty evenly."
However, Long Islanders will not be exempted from impact by the new census numbers. Districts will have to be redrawn to reflect the growth in population in the past 10 years.
While New York is losing two seats, it is not because New York's population has dropped but because it has not kept up with increases in other parts of the country. State population increased by 5.5 percent, up 986,002 since 1990 to 18,976,457.
This means the average district population will grow from approximately 580,000 to 650,000.
What makes the process more complicated is that the districts must be divided equally down to the last person, according to Skelos. This could mean some South Shore residents moving from McCarthy's District 4 into District 3, where Peter King (R-Seaford) is the representative.
Representatives will likely fight hard in order to make sure their constituents' political makeup is similar to their own. But undoubtedly, some Republicans will find themselves suddenly represented by a Democrat and vice versa.
Local population numbers will be released in April that will allow for a closer examination of how district lines need to be changed to meet the new standards. Hearings will be held in spring to allow residents to voice their own opinions as to where the new lines should be drawn.
SH: State lines: A chance to make communities whole
Although changes in Congressional district lines are making the big headlines now, the April numbers will also be used to decide the redrawing of lines for the state Senate and Assembly.
Assemblywoman Kathleen Murray (R-Levittown), who represents the 19th AD, likened the negotiation process to that for the budget. The leadership in both the Senate and Assembly, as well as Governor Pataki, will each weigh in with requests, and then a task force will come up with its final version.
"People obviously want to protect their territories," said Murray, who does not foresee any seismic shifts on Long Island.
However, major changes are exactly what many Long Islanders would like to see. Some communities that are divided by district lines and split among multiple representatives are already plotting campaigns to make their communities whole.
The Baldwin Community Association has created an adjunct committee dedicated to getting lines changed there. With three assembly districts, two state senatorial districts, two congressional districts, three Nassau County Legislature districts and one Town of Hempstead district, Baldwin is represented by 11 politicians, far more than most communities.
"We kind of get lost in the shuffle," said Doris Duffy, who heads the Baldwin committee.
Because many improvement projects are coordinated through several levels of government, some Baldwin residents feel they are not strongly defended because no one politician considers himself or herself the community's point person.
Baldwin residents have watched beautification projects flourish in such places as Bellmore and Rockville Centre but have yet to see one in their community. Promises have been made by both the county and the town, but the deadlines move and few projects are ever completed.
When Duffy and other Baldwin residents learned of changes planned for the Long Island Rail Road station, they felt the changes did not reflect the image they wanted for the community. In Rockville Centre, village government was approached to discuss the changes to their station. In Baldwin, the residents had to fight.
"We kind of have to do everything ourselves," Duffy said, noting that her organization often has to create a public outcry for legislators to take notice. "It's very hard for us and it shouldn't be."
Representing a split community can also be troublesome for politicians. "It's a pain for us to have split towns," said a representative from Carolyn McCarthy's office. He said that when an issue comes up, there are always territorial problems that arise.
Barry Fox of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association takes a different view of district lines, citing those that often separate Merrick from North Merrick. "In a way, it gives us more power," he said, viewing multiple representatives as more voices fighting for the community.
"The half-empty, half-full scenario is always there," said Murray, who represents parts of Baldwin and Merrick.
She also said it would probably be much easier to re-create the lines in Merrick than in Baldwin, which is split between Murray, Bob Barra (R-Lynbrook) and Earlene Hill Hooper (D-Hempstead).
Redrawing Merrick would require moving seven election districts. Murray said changes in Baldwin would be much more drastic, but she didn't rule it out.
"Every action has a reaction and a consequence," Murray said. "If you pick up major groups [in one town], what are you dropping off?"
Also part of the task force's focus is the need to follow mandates on voting rights and minorities. Skelos said that the need to maximize "the potential for minorities to be elected" may be one of the driving forces behind the Baldwin split.
County lines will also need to be redrawn but, according to a representative from Leg. Joseph Scannell's office, it will not take place until after this year's elections.
