As expected, members of the Jacksonville City Council are trying to gerrymander the boundaries to ensure re-election for incumbents. That tail puts incumbent Lynette Self into the district.
Apologists say that's OK because people want to keep their repre- sentatives.
But the extent of that desire is supposed to be determined by elections, not by the manipulation of maps. Democracy loses credibility when districts are gerrymandered to achieve a predetermined result. Jerry Holland is a breath of fresh air. When it became evident that the three beach communities couldn't remain in the same district without putting Holland's home outside it, he said to keep them intact. Jim Overton criticized the emphasis on protecting incumbents, too, but he can't run for the council again.