The Hon. John E. Davis


Texas District 129



Dear Rep. Davis,

I would like to take this opportunity to commend you on your efforts in this session to remove politics from the administration of the Texas Enterprise Fund. I suspect that you knew the long odds against passage of this measure and the near-inevitability of a gubernatorial veto if it were to have passed; but sometimes it’s important to stand on the right side of an issue, even in a lost cause, if only to further public understanding of an important matter.

So, while I’m on the subject of windmill-tilting I would like to ask that you take on another intractable cause, that of the drawing of Statehouse and Congressional districts, which I hear is to be the primary business of this year’s special session. It is my hope that you and other members of the Legislature take this opportunity to propose the establishment of a non-partisan or bi-partisan body to draw legislative districts that more closely resemble existing communities and geography; precluding the practice of gerrymandering. The Post Office’s system of zip codes might be a workable model for this. Again, this effort may not be successful in this special session, but you would have made a first step towards bringing representative democracy to Texas.

Sincerely,

Charly Hoarse

Clear Lake, Texas