Letter to the Editor

Victory for the People of Boston

To the Editor,

Judge Saris’s ruling is a victory for transparency, accountability, and the people of the City of Boston. The United States District Court identified a deeply flawed process, and I welcome the opportunity to join my colleagues in rewriting more equitable voting districts that protect our constituents’ Constitutional rights. I pledge to work collegially and in good faith with my colleagues to do right by our residents, our neighborhoods, and our Constitutional oaths of office.

The map that the Council approved, over my objections and those of three other councilors, unfairly divided neighborhoods. As I’ve said before, we should not compound the mistakes of the past by making new ones. And a process as important to our democracy as the right to vote, as protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, should be conducted openly and without concealed agendas.

I’m going to work to ensure that the people’s voices are heard as this process moves forward, and that the City Council brings this out from behind closed doors and into the sunlight Bostonians – all of us – deserve.

Erin J. Murphy

At Large Boston

City Councilor