Don't Merge Bethlehem and Allentown
I have read that there are two issues with Bethlehem and Allentown The first is that you proposed a map that put the Lehigh County area of Bethlehem into a district with Allentown. I agree with Senator Bascola. This portion of Lehigh County actually belongs with Bethlehem city. We vote for the mayor, we use the road and streets of Bethlehem, we use other municipal resources. The Lehigh County area of Bethlehem should be with Bethlehem city I then read that because you have heard that Allentown and Bethlehem should be put back together again, that you are considering merging the two cities into one big blue district. This also should not happen. We have two stronger minority groups if they stay separate. We are not the same as the rest of Lehigh County. I don't understand how this is even happening. How did we get to this place? Lehigh County should be kept as whole as possible (except for the Bethlehem area - because it is an odd municipality. It probably should be in Northampton County.) Obviously, Allentown should not be spliced up and the Lehigh County area of Bethlehem should move into a district that only has one major city..Bethlehem.