Let Peters Township vote with Washington County
To the members of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, I am a resident of Peters Township in Washington County. My State House legislative district is combined with two communities in Allegheny County. One of these communities, Bethel Park, is divided in half and the Peters Township is attached to the northern half and not the southern half that Peters actually borders! Meanwhile communities in Washington County are divided and combined with communities voting in Beaver, Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Why are Washington County residents not drawn into one House District as much as possible instead of divided up like this? Washington County residents share a County government, roads, hospitals and tax base. Peters Township residents pay a lower tax and do not share in the extra government services that Allegheny County provides, yet we share are State House representative. I believe democracy works best when districts are compact and local communities are undivided. These State House lines are not drawn logically with geographic compactness in mind, but rather as apportionment of seats to the advantage of both parties. This State House District Line forces my representative to be more answerable to a political party than her constituents. Please redraw Peters Township so we are voting with fellow Washington County residents. At the very least, we should be voting with Bethel Park residents who live over our Township border and not in an isolated pocket. Thank you