Allentown - Bethlehem State Senate Maps
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January 18, 2022 Julie Thomases Allentown resident and community activist Dear Legislative Redistricting Commission, I am extremely upset with the State Senate maps that you proposed. Fair Districts has been working for years to ensure our new maps would be fair to all parties. The map you presented does not achieve fairness in Lehigh County. I read in the newspaper that the leader of the Senate Republican party primarily drew this map to provide Senator Pat Browne with a winnable district. That is not how to draw this map. The goal should be to provide the community with maps that unite us by keeping similar communities together. I live in the West End of Allentown. How is my community similar to Lehigh Township in Northampton County? It would be best if you were working hard to keep at least one district entirely in Lehigh County. Fair District was able to achieve that goal. Lehigh County is very different than Berks County and Northampton. We have an urban section, a suburban section, and a rural section in our county. I am concerned that you divided the Allentown School and the Bethlehem school districts. West Bethlehem has been a part of Senator Lisa Boscola’s district for years. This makes sense, as it keeps the school district together, and West Bethlehem is a part of Bethlehem. You split the Allentown school district between two Senators as well. Both Bethlehem and Allentown school districts are poor districts. By dividing the district, you deny voters their strength through unity. This map seems like just another way to minimize minority strength. The committee should: Reconnect West Bethlehem with Bethlehem; put all or at least as much of Allentown back together as possible; make the map more Lehigh County centric; and increase the minority influence of the 14th. I am hopeful that you are listening to public comments and taking seriously the issues you are creating in Lehigh County with your map. I am just one of many who are vocally unhappy with the direction you have taken. I have attached a compromise map that has been shown to local groups in the area. If we can not completely recombine Allentown, then this is a fair proposal.