Please include Ward 54 in PA 172nd District
Honorable Commission Members/Elected Officials/Community Leaders! We really appreciate the diligent work of all the honorable commission members to redraw the new maps and boundaries for ‘PA State and Senate Houses’. However, as a NE Philadelphia community we are deeply and seriously concerned about the preliminary redistricting of our PA 172nd District. We believe that new preliminary redistricting map and boundaries have really divided our NE Philadelphia community in a very disturbing way. The new map unconstitutionally divides ward boundaries more than absolutely necessary. Such divisions can be justified if necessary to keep neighborhoods and communities of interest together, but this plan does the opposite. Our neighborhoods are very important to us. We are brought together not only by geography but by a unity of interest. In Philadelphia our closest elected officials are city council members who each represent one-tenth of the city. As such, our local political ward organizations and community associations work to better the quality of life in our communities. The proposed map lessons the ability of these groups to effect positive change for our city. Therefore, we all request that honorable members of the commission make a slight change and include Ward 54 in the preliminary mapping of 172nd District, and change it to our recommended redistricting mapping by including Ward 54 in it. Your consideration would unite our communities with reasonable compactness and contiguity.