LETTER to the Editor

To the Cottage Grove Journal,

Last month, I talked about the recent redistricting in the local area and why the courts acted the way they did. However, State Representative Keith Franke refused to respond despite the fact the courts did reprimand him by giving him the toughest reelection route for a legislative incumbent. So I will reiterate the problem.

In 2011, the Republican led state legislature put the city of Saint Paul Park (where Franke lives) into a safe Democratic district to essentially help then state representative John Kriesel win re-election. Even though the majority of the city’s voters voted for Kriesel, Saint Paul Park bordered precincts where more votes went to Kriesel’s rival and Republicans wanted all precincts where voters could harm Kriesel’s re-election bid were thrown out of what was to be his new district. Yet, Franke never denounced Republicans for these actions as Republicans at the time believed or still believe the citizens of Saint Paul Park were expendable in order to make sure Kriesel won re-election.

Additionally, the courts could not put Franke’s insistence on his bi-partisanship or being a moderate in consideration because Kriesel also insisted he was a moderate which means the courts in 2011 would have given into Republican demands to help Kriesel if they focused solely on issues of moderation which they did not do. Finally, Democrat state representative Rick Hansen (who is pitted against Franke this year) did vote against the bill. Hopefully, this will be the last time I write about this.

William Cory Labovitch South Saint Paul, Mn