Former State Sen. William Schluter, a Republican who sat on the Clean Election Commission that studied the 2005 pilot program, offered an interesting take on the decision yesterday to select the 14th District as the contested 2007 district — one I can’t necessarily disagree with.
“One of the criticisms of this bill is that it would have a partisan body formed to make this decision — and you’re looking at it,” Schluter said.
He added that the 12th is a major target this year, meaning it will be a magnet for money — again, this may be true, but it ignores the fact that the 14th has been the most expensive district in the state in recent years. So the money was going somewhere.
Where Schluter is correct is that the legislation was destined to create this kind of battle — one that could only result in a partisan decision. A better approach would have been an expanded program — at least four districts (two chosen by each party, which would have allowed both districts to be in play), though the six originally recommended would have been better.
In the end, the 14th makes the most sense — if for no other reason than the candidates will be committed to making the program work.
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Hank Kalet 