Letters to the Editor for Jan. 18

Beware the ides of redistricting

Gerrymandered districts reduce voter choice, stifle competition, and lead to a more-polarized and less-productive legislature. If you want to disrupt this cycle, now is your chance to provide input into PA’s once-a-decade redistricting (i.e., the redrawing of district maps). These maps dictate our choices, or lack thereof, each election cycle and shape our representation in government for the next 10 years.

The Legislative Redistricting Commission (LRC) has published draft maps for PA House and Senate districts (https://fairdistrictspa.com/peoples-maps/compare). Commonly accepted metrics for a “good” map include alignment with municipalities, compactness, partisan fairness/lack of bias, and fewer “safe” districts for incumbents. Unfortunately, the PA Senate map for Bucks, specifically the 10th and 6th Senate districts, earns a failing grade on these measures.

During public hearings, Bucks citizens, county experts, and nonpartisan groups made a compelling case for creating Bucks County senatorial districts that correspond to the three regions of the county (i.e., Lower, Central and Upper Bucks). Notably, organizations like our schools and chambers of commerce are already aligned this way.

This approach ensures that regional economic, environmental, social interests are represented by senators who are focused on the unique needs of that region.

Unfortunately, my own 10th Senate district in the LRC proposal sprawls through Central and Lower Bucks in a way that defies common sense and appears to serve no other purpose than locking in partisan advantage.

Now is the time to speak up on behalf of Bucks County. Please go to the LRC website and submit your comments about the preliminary maps for Bucks prior to the end of today, Jan. 18: https://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/comment/.

Jessica Forsell

Doylestown Township

Thomas' support for RGGI lauded

With partisan divisions raging across Bucks County and the nation, it was refreshing to see that Rep. Wendi Thomas, R-178, stepped up to bridge the divide, voting to make it easier for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

As noted in J.O. Minott’s op-ed (Jan. 6), RGGI is an opportunity for meaningful climate action that is popular with both Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania — with good reason. In the 11 states in our region that have joined RGGI, economies have grown and nearly $3 billion has been raised for clean energy investments, family-sustaining jobs and consumer programs while simultaneously slashing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution-related health problems.

The Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment 2021 released last May predicts that Pennsylvania’s average annual temperatures will rise by 5.9 degrees within 30 years, crushing us with more frequent devastating storms, deadly heat waves and flooding, destroyed infrastructure, challenges to food production and burdens to our budgets and quality of life.

It’s refreshing to see that some of our leaders still vote for what is desired by and good for their constituents rather than cratering to partisan demands or fossil fuel lobbyists. It’s time to join RGGI and unleash Pennsylvanians’ potential.

Robin Hoy

Wrightstown

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Letters to the Editor for Jan. 18