Bethlehem City Democratic Committee

As of Tuesday, the Republification of Pennsylvania is complete. That's how egregious this redrawing of congressional districts is — and to a similar extent, the refitting of state legislative districts last month. It ensures that Republican office-holders will face as few non-Republican voters as possible for the next decade, in federal and state legislative elections.

If you doubt that, look at the chopped-up mess that is the new 15th Congressional District — and at the gutless wonders who voted to splinter the Easton area from the Lehigh Valley-based district, enhancing U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent's re-election chances by extending his district from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River. Under the plan, Easton, Palmer Township, Bethlehem Township, the Nazareth area and Slate Belt will be attached to the 17th District of U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, a Democrat, and connect the Easton area with voters in Luzerne County.

Whatever you call it, this remapping is offensive. It's an abomination. And Dent isn't the only one being coddled in a diaper of a district. The legislative leaders who secretly devised this plan and foisted it on the public at the last possible minute — the primary election is April 24 — were also doing their best to protect U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta of Luzerne County, Patrick Meehan of Delaware County and James Gerlach of Chester County. All Republicans who, like Dent, will benefit immeasurably, simply because Republicans call the shots in this process, from Gov. Tom Corbett to majorities in both houses.

If Corbett had an ounce of integrity, he'd veto this redistricting plan. He'd also back legislation calling for reapportionment by an independent commission, instead of whichever party controls the state government at the moment.

So what can the lowly voter do to send a signal that this concentration of power is unacceptable?

Vote out the people who voted for this insult.

Get rid of them, either in the primary or general elections. In our area, this list includes people this newspaper has endorsed, but it's time to draw the line. It's time to say "no more."

We believe these people have forfeited their independence from the partisan power brokers who are strong-arming the democratic process.

In the state Senate, Pat Browne and Bob Mensch voted yes. (Democrat Lisa Boscola voted against it, calling out Dent for not intervening in the dismantling of the 15th District.)

In the House, Republicans Julie Harhart, Doug Reichley and Gary Day voted for the abomination. Republicans Joe Emrick, Marcia Hahn and Justin Simmons voted against it — yet on Monday they voted against a Democratic alternative that would have kept the Easton area in a Lehigh Valley-based district. That's just as gutless and possibly even sneakier. They can't have it both ways. (Democrats Robert Freeman, Steve Samuelson, Joe Brennan and Jennifer Mann voted against the GOP-favored redistricting.)

The gerrymanderers must go. In 2012.

They insult our intelligence.

They insult our right to live in a community represented by a person from the community.

They mock the constitutional intent to give all people reasonably equal representation in Washington, D.C.

Corbett could reject this plan. Don't hold your breath.

Common Cause and other advocacy groups could appeal the federal redistricting, as they did in 2002. That skewed plan was tossed by a federal appeals court. It went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to order Pennsylvania to redraw boundaries in the middle of a decade. We hope the same parties sue again, because this redistricting is worse — it builds upon the Republicans' defeat-the-challengers-before-they-run strategy that they initiated 11 years ago.

Voters can send letters, e-mails and phone calls, but legislators in charge -- in this case Republicans, but Democrats know how to gerrymander, too -- won't budge. The better option might be to trudge to the voter registration office and change one's affiliation to prepare for the battle ahead: ousting the people who are counting upon voters to be docile or apathetic enough not to stand up against this corruption.

The Lehigh Valley, including the Easton area, has had one voice in Congress for 40 years. It is essential to keep the Valley unified as a voting voice, not fragment it among several congressional districts and representatives.

And if Dent can't see that imperative, he too must go. Unfortunately, the time to act has come and gone, given the secretive map-drawing.

How long will Pennsylvania lawmakers continue to do the people's business this way?

Forever, if we let them.