Keep Horsham WHOLE
Dear Legislative Reapportionment Commission: It has come to my attention that you have deemed it absolutely necessary to redistrict Horsham Township, thereby mapping out multiple State House districts within my community. I have been a Horsham Township resident for over 35 years, and I wish to respectfully express my complete rejection of this proposal. As I’m sure you’re aware, Horsham Township has been challenged to address a matter of extreme importance for over a decade, namely, the future of the former Willow Grove Naval Air Base. It was back in 1942, when the federal government took possession of the majority of property away from the Pitcairn family business in what amounted to a hostile takeover on the basis that it was needed to fight the war effort. Since the base closing in 2011, Horsham Township has struggled to maintain control of its future use to ensure that it benefits the local community. This transfer seems fair to me given how it was originally “stolen” by the federal government, albeit for a worthy cause. The community came together, discussed ideas, hired consultants, and formed a plan – only to be thwarted by another takeover of sorts from the state government under Governor Rendell. The governor wanted the property to serve as a centralized base for the relatively new Department of Homeland Security. Budgetary challenges defeated this effort, and control of the base returned to local government. Next came the discovery that the base was the source of toxic chemicals that have contaminated many wells and municipal water supplies within Horsham and surrounding communities. It was only through the intense efforts of a focused local and state government that federal funding was procured to eliminate the impact to our drinking water. Much work remains to remediate the source of the toxins from the ground and continue with the effort to redevelop the roughly 900 acres of prime real-estate. It is imperative that Horsham Township maintain its representation by a single voice in state government so that the collective voices of its residents are fairly and properly heard. For the good of Horsham Township, I strongly urge you to reconsider your current proposal to split its State House district, which will only serve to disrupt progress on this ongoing and vital issue. Thank you.