Solutions
January 7, 2021 Dear Commission Members, I have written previously about Upper Mifflin Township, Cumberland County, where I live, having its state house district connected to Shippensburg in whatever map is eventually drawn for the House Districts. I wanted to reach out again after listening to one of the last testifiers at the 1 p.m. hearing today from an Adams County resident representing two fire companies. He gave his reasons why his area needed to be moved back into its current House District 193 with Rep Torren Ecker being specifically identified from the one the proposed map has them in. I had no problem or interest in anything he was saying until he gave his “solution” to fix the population adjustments that would be necessary for other parts of the proposed H.D. 193 which was to put Upper Mifflin (a township in Cumberland County – not even his neck of the woods and that I actually live in) back in H.D. 199. Further, he mentioned how another Cumberland County township of North Newton was connected to H.D. 193. I would like to say his “solution” meres talking points I have heard first from GOP. The current legislators want things left as they are now. They want to pick their districts and so what with the voters. For reference: I live three miles from the North Newton Township line. I live two miles from the Hopewell Township line. The Newburg section of Upper Mifflin where I live (and is the most populated section of the township) is serviced by the Newburg/Hopewell Township Fire Company. If I require a medical ambulance, they come from Shippensburg. If you live on the Newville side of Upper Mifflin, the fire company is Friendship Fire Company in Newville as well as the EMS provider. Upper Mifflin Township has a population of 1302 putting us in with Shippensburg is still going to allow the district to be within a 5 percent variance. People never heard from regular folks like me before because it wasn’t as promoted as to how we could participate in the past. The internet has changed everything. I am going to advocate for this the best I can. Theresa Myers Upper Mifflin Township Cumberland County