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The Feb. 10 letter from David Blaska "Don't blame maps for election results" purported to show that gerrymandering was not a significant issue in our state. But his information actually demonstrated just the opposite conclusion.

Blaska cited 2012 data saying Democrats received 52 percent of the vote but won only 39 of the 99 Assembly seats because Republicans did not even run candidates in 21 districts. Of course they didn’t -- that is how gerrymandering works. They had constructed districts with as many Democratic leaning voters as possible in just a few areas. (And don’t blame this on Democrats living in cities, as he tried to do).

Then he claims as evidence that over the years several Republicans had won statewide races. True, but none of them was even close to a landslide. Thanks to Blaska for providing evidence that actually disproves his own contention.

If there is no gerrymandering, then let’s just agree to go to an Iowa-style system of redistricting to save the “hardworking taxpayers of Wisconsin” the more than $2 million Republicans have already spent in secret sessions to draw up the districts and will use more taxpayer dollars to defend those maps in court

-- William Hartje, Evanville