Comment on treatment of Upper Macungie Township
The LRC PA House map is on average relatively fair. I do want to point out that it could be criticized for a "packing gerrymander" for Democrats in Upper Macungie and South Whitehall townships. The map places all of South Whitehall and the eastern half of Upper Macungie into the newly constituted 132nd district, along with much of the current district's historically Democratic base. Both of these areas have been trending Democratic in registration and voting over the past several election cycles. Removing them from the 183rd and 187th districts makes both of them more Republican. It also splits Upper Macungie and ignores the traditional ties between it and Lower Macungie Township. The "People's House Map" advocated by Fair Districts PA corrects this deficiency. As for the LRC Senate Map, I echo the criticism of it as nothing more than "incumbency protectionism through redistricting" resulting in our township being part of a representation literally from one end of Lehigh County to the end and with communities with which we have no historic or logical ties. I support fully the LRC's commitment to reflect growth in minority populations in our county and a desire to see those communities treated more fairly in terms of potential representation. That is why I do not support the "People's Senate Map" as it clearly would make it more difficult for candidates in minority communities to succeed. However, the LRC's effort is not the answer. I believe the commission can develop a logical approach to Lehigh and Northampton counties and the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem by starting with putting aside considerations of incumbent protection, and instead focus on the real-world situations these areas are facing in terms of population/demographic/economic development trends, which are likely to be the major drivers of their civic existence for the ten-year lifespan of the LRC's maps.