82nd District
Splitting up the 82nd district would negatively affect many families. Local representation in our area has helped many older folks in there ability to visit with the representative and have their voices heard. Having a familiar face as a representative also makes people feel more inclined to turn out for elections, and feel like our needs are being met by our representation. Another point to keeping the 82nd district intact, is the unity and functionality we have due to local officials working closely together. Mifflin and Juniata county officials have created relationships not only with each other, but with the community that allow them to better service the people they represent. Splitting this district up would sever a lot of those relationships. The last point I would like to make is how unfair this would be for our current representative. Coming off an election year, he would need to spend more funds to run for re-election in an area where his name is largely unknown, and be unfamiliar with the needs of that area. This is not only true for my representative, but for every representative facing the same situation.