Proposed Redistricting Harms the Slate Belt

The proposed redistricting removes the 5 voting precincts of Upper Mount Bethel Township (UMBT)from the other 20 voting districts comprising the Slate Belt Region of Northampton County and also separates representation of the Bangor School district into two house districts. It is proposed to keep Upper Mount Bethel Township with the other like interests and issue municipalities of the Slate Belt as currently comprised with the House 137th and 138th districts. Moving UMBT into a House district representing Monroe County is definitely not in the interest of the residents of UMBT and relegates them with representation subordinate to the interests of Monroe County residents. For the voters of UMBT this will also be confusing because for as many years as I have lived in the area, their representative was known locally and was easily accessible. It is proposed that the 137th and 138th districts be redesigned to match the current 137th and 138th districts with some minor changes as required. The reasons are the current 5 term 137th district representative as proposed no longer lives in the new proposed 138th and cannot run for reelection in the district which he is well known and respected. Additionally, the current representative of the 138th is being removed from her voting districts and redistricted to mostly all the current 137th voting districts. This again will confuse the residents of the northeast part of Northampton County. Additionally, the proposed 137th district by the inclusion of Bethlehem Township in total and removal of other township voting districts does appear to be a bit of "gerrymandering" to provide a change of party representing the current 138th and now proposed 137th. because of the inclusion of more suburban districts with interests and issues not in compatibility with those of the northern rural part of the proposed 138th district