Letter: Why is Westchester Square-Zerega sacrificed to redistricting?

I have copied paragraphs from a New York Daily News June 20, 2022 article that makes me think I voted incorrectly in AD87 instead of AD82 where I have voted for decades.

“But the Assembly map is a different story. The primary for Assembly and state-wide races will proceed in June, victimizing voters with the cost and inconvenience of a second primary. While a court has voided the Assembly map, voters are still in a bind. Since the Assembly primary date was not aligned with the congressional and state Senate races in August, time ran out to redraw the Assembly maps. Voters are stuck this year with an unconstitutional map.

Now, as early voting is underway, voters are casting ballots for Assembly and other races based on unconstitutional voting districts. The one bright spot is that the Assembly map will be redrawn before the next election, so it cannot be used in the next decade of elections, which was the Legislature’s illicit goal. It is even possible to try to force a special election in 2023 to cure the constitutional problem from the current election.”

Why was the Westchester Square-Zerega community redistricted from AD82 to AD87? An explanation was given to me by John Doyle, a spokesperson for Assemblymember Michael Benedetto.

“The 82nd AD gain population, blocks needed to be shed. Also, the 87 is a South Asian opportunity district so naturally thats where (Westchester Square-Zerega) went,” Doyle said.

What is meant by naturally? This is BS. The population near me is diverse:  Italian, Irish, Latino, Guyanese, Yemeni, etc.

Inexplicably, why didn’t a representative from Assemblyman Benedetto have the integrity to tell us this was happening and the reasons? There was an opportunity at the last Community Board 10 meeting.