The art of drawing district lines

Consider the Republicans' map for the Nassau Legislature as a bold new work of art.

To hear presiding officer Peter Schmitt tell it, this fine visual creation -- set against the light of new census numbers -- blends law and fairness. As he unveiled it Tuesday, Schmitt, the leader of an 11-8 Republican majority, talked of how this map corrects inequities, complies with the county charter and reasonably groups communities -- achieving a pleasing balance.

But its beauty is in the eye of the officeholder.

Critics on the Democratic side panned Schmitt's creation as a one-minute masterpiece of manipulation -- as a purely partisan concoction, created in a backroom, that gerrymanders GOP-advantaged districts while violating the intent of the county charter.

Probably, this color-coded landscape will find its most meaningful appraisal in court. Expect Democrats to claim that Schmitt's quickie redistricting process -- up for a hearing May 9 and final approval a week later -- skirts the law and disenfranchises voters.

Funky shapes are typical in reapportionments. For example, political pros call the 51st Senate District upstate, "Lincoln Riding on a Vacuum Cleaner."

Last time out, nearly a decade ago, the Nassau Democrats drew a 14th Legislative District that looks like a submachine gun pointed downward. Democrat David Mejias represented the district before Republican Joseph Belesi unseated him in 2009. Schmitt was asked what the new plan does to protect Belesi.

"We didn't help him so much as we put the community back together," the seasoned Schmitt said. "If you look at the old map, they split a lot of the Farmingdale community. Joe Belesi is from Farmingdale. I know he has done a very good job in Farmingdale and is well liked in Farmingdale. So if that helps him, having the rest of Farmingdale, then it helps him."

The Schmitt drawing team shows off its own creative spark on Nassau's southern and western borders. Unique shapes include Republican Denise Ford's proposed new 4th Legislative District, which could be titled "Tornadoes over a Bowling Alley." From Atlantic Beach moving east, the district juts north and adds new coastal communities to the east before turning north to Seaford.

Schmitt's opus also creates a 19th District shaped like the Loch Ness Monster along the Queens border. Art for art's sake? No. "Nessie" would seem to do three things for the GOP: Allow them to show they are adding a "majority-minority" district; absorb Woodmere in a way that could help first-term Republican Howard Kopel in the neighboring 7th District, and help make GOP Legis. John Ciotti's 3rd District more Republican.

In the 16th District, two Democrats -- departing Legis. Diane Yatauro and former presiding officer Judy Jacobs -- are grouped in a district shaped like a reclining lawn chair. Call it a new minimalism: Democrats Joseph Scannell and David Denenberg also would go in a single district.

Odd forms and jagged lines mark the art of the partisan district. Even more creativity is expected when the exhibit opens in court.