Letters to the Editor: April 11, 2018

Northeast residents discuss the congressional map, safe injection sites and taxes in this week’s letters to the editor.

Map is fair, constitutional

In response to David Lee’s Letter to the Editor, “Congressional map not fair,” published on April 4 in the Northeast Times:

Mr. David Lee’s letter cited various political, racial and national origin data about the composition of the new 2nd Congressional District as evidence that the new map is not fair and was drawn to favor Democratic over Republican candidates. Using that kind of data to draw a map is what the Republican-controlled General Assembly has done for decades. The Supreme Court did nothing of the kind.

The PA Constitution (Article II, Section 17) says that General Assembly districts “…shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable…. Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.” The Constitution actually says nothing about how to draw congressional districts. The Supreme Court seems merely to have applied the criteria for General Assembly districts to our congressional map. Between two and four new districts have become competitive; some might pass from locked-down Republican control to maybe electing Democrats to Congress for the first time in decades. Democrat and Republican voters live where they like. A lot of Democrats like Philly. Why didn’t Mr. Lee complain that the new 12th Congressional District has too many Republican voters?!

The old congressional map sliced Philadelphia up over three (and Montgomery County over five) congressional districts in very peculiar ways. Part of Montgomery County plus part of Philadelphia was the old 13th. Bucks County was in the old 8th with part of Montco. Residents of Montco should be thrilled that their county is now our new 4th District (except for a wee bit that Delco needed to make its population quota as our new 5th District). Philadelphia is now mainly the new 2nd and new 3rd districts (we had to give up a bit of South and Southwest Philadelphia to help Delco form the new 5th). These small divisions of municipal boundaries were done to equalize districts’ population, not to assign voters to districts by their party or ethnic affiliations. The new map is fair, rational and constitutional.

Bernadette Freedman

Bustleton

No “safe” injection sites

The term “safe injection site” is an oxymoron.

There is nothing safe about injecting a deadly toxin into your body.

Ragu Santini

Holme Circle

No more Philly taxes

You all have imposed enough taxes on Philadelphians. I say decrease taxes that we already have to pay. In searching the Philadelphia government website, I found 44 taxes we are already paying and probably missed some.

First, what are you doing with all the taxes you get? The city gets too much tax money and wastes too much of it. Sad to say, but Philadelphia is №2 in the highest-taxed cities in America. What’s needed is for the city to stop its waste of tax money. Cut down on all the extras and perks that you people think you deserve or need. Stop supporting all the illegals.

You said the soda tax was for the schools, but you took some of that tax money and put it in the general fund — — why? Every time you want to increase or add a new tax you use the excuse that the schools need more money. Well, the school administration needs to tighten its belts also.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and watching what’s happening here, I see a declining city.

Therefore, no more taxes or increase on taxes already imposed. Otherwise, Philadelphians will need to elect others who will really help to improve our once-wonderful city

Judy Brock

Parkwood