To the editor:

Watching the recent push and pull over redistricting lines in Lee County reminds me of the Winston Churchill quote: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” By that measure, our Board of County Commissioners is very successful.

From my vantage point, everything that is amiss in Lee County was on display at the public hearing on redistricting held on Nov. 2:

First, five white men who do not reflect the diversity of the county had the opportunity to achieve diversity by adjusting district lines, but were unwilling to take action.

Second, a commissioner, Ray Sandelli, opining about the need to be “nice” does not seem to understand that the odious portrait of Robert E. Lee hanging behind him not only is not “nice,” but rather is offensive to many in the community.

Then our commission chair, Kevin Ruane, elected on the promise that he would bring change to the commission and the county, voted to retain an outdated status quo.

And we saw another commissioner, Brian Hamman, offer up a fairer map, then waffle on even supporting his own proposal. While he wound up voting for his map (he really had to), he expressed satisfaction with the alternative decade-old map that reeked of gerrymandering, thus trying to walk both sides of the street.

Finally, we saw a fourth commissioner, Cecil Pendergrass, fight the appeals from the Dunbar community to reunite with Fort Myers without offering one good reason why this should NOT be done. When faced with the prospect of change he didn’t like, he dredged up redistricting discussions that occurred 10 years ago — as if Lee County was frozen in time.

It was sad and disappointing — though not surprising — that there wasn’t even real discussion among the commissioners about the pros and cons of the various maps proposed. Whatever your position on redistricting, it would have been “nice” had the commissioners at least acknowledged the points made by those citizens who rose to speak. Better yet, it would have been progress had they at least offered informed, rational reasons as to why they chose to leave in place district lines that are anathema to those who live within them. Surely a blatant case of politicos choosing their voters rather than the other way around, as it should be.

But let’s look at what was right: A group of concerned citizens took it upon themselves to voice their opinions about the lack of transparency and absence of public input, mobilized others, and involved the media to get their message out. This is most heartening because we need more of this in our county — the engagement of people who, without being asked, speak out because they see a wrong that needs to be righted. Women For a Better Lee salutes their efforts.

So much of our democracy rests on everyday citizens sharing our opinions with our elected officials, letting them know that we will hold them accountable for their decisions, and expecting them to be transparent and honest.

For more information on how you can be a watchdog with Women For a Better Lee, contact us at WFBL2022@gmail.com, check out our Facebook page and visit our new website: womenforabetterlee.com.

Charlotte Newton

Women for a Better Lee