Keep Mechanicsburg Whole
My name is Sara Agerton and I am a Mechanicsburg Borough Councilmember representing the almost 9,000 Pennsylvania residents living in our borough. The proposed maps do not create a more level playing field for PA legislative elections in our community or our school district, but instead, perpetuate the partisan gerrymandering that this committee is tasked with rectifying for residents in Pennsylvania. Gerrymandering our districts now can have severe consequences that affect every resident and student. One of these consequences could be an inadequate education for all students as districts try to decide how to safely reopen for the 2022 school year—and what supplies they’ll need to purchase to do so—while states consider cutting funding for education. As this committee proceeds to work to eliminate partisan gerrymandering, I would ask that you take into consideration the interest of Cumberland County constituents, particularly the voters in Mechanicsburg Pa and all the students and teachers in our school district. Districts that stretch over several municipalities make it difficult for representatives to maintain relationships with the communities they represent. Mechanicsburg residents also deserve state and federal representatives who are accountable and responsive to the citizens they serve, and a system that allows voters to choose their politicians, instead of the other way around.