The writer of the letter “Fair Districts nonpartisan?” (Nov. 1, TribLIVE) wrote, “When I read the Fair Districts PA chair’s letter ‘Fair Districts nonpartisan’ (Sept. 12, TribLIVE), I nearly laughed out loud. One of the letter-writers is a registered Democrat and the other has pro-Biden posts on her Facebook page.”
I’m the chair of Fair Districts PA (FDPA). There’s only one of me. I’ve been an unaffiliated voter all my life. I would hope a school board candidate would do her homework and proofread her assertions.
Errors continue. FDPA did not petition to overturn the badly gerrymandered 2011 congressional map. That suit was brought by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. The Republican State Leadership Committee 2012 REDMAP Summary Report boasted that Pennsylvania’s 2011 congressional map “returned a 13-5 Republican majority to the U.S. House,” despite more D votes than R votes. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that locked-in R advantage unlawful. The remedy map yielded 9 R and 9 D seats, a much more accurate reflection of votes cast.
On redistricting and other issues the writer mentioned, I’d recommend the League of Women Voters discussion on Remaining Nonpartisan in Hyper-Partisan Times. FDPA, like the league, does not support candidates or parties and is not affiliated with a political party. We believe that government works best when rules and maps are fair, when leaders are honest with voters, and when we work together toward bipartisan solutions rather than amplify the partisan divides. It’s unfortunate that the writer does not seem to share those same convictions.
Carol Kuniholm
Exton