April 26, 2018

CF supervisors support fair districting

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Concord, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

Chadds Ford Township supervisors voted 3-0 Wednesday night in support of fair legislative districts in Pennsylvania. The vote came two weeks after the House State Government Committee gutted a measure calling for an independent citizens commission to oversee redistricting in an attempt to prevent gerrymandering.

The resolution says the residents of Chadds Ford and all of Pennsylvania “deserve a fair, fully transparent, impartial and depoliticized process…” for drawing the legislative boundaries of legislative districts for the U.S. House of Representatives.

It also acknowledges the state Supreme Court struck down a previous districting map that was “drawn in an excessively partisan manner” but did not address the process for redrawing district lines after each census taken every 10 years.

Supervisors said they support efforts — legislative and otherwise — to promote an independent process.

“Be it further resolved that we call upon those elected officials…to publicly announce their support of and commitment to work towards ensuring that legislative districts are drawn in a fair, non-partisan basis, to protect the rights of the citizens of Chadds Ford Township…”

The Pennsylvania Constitution calls for the legislature to draw district maps. Last year, two bills — SB22 and HB722 — were introduced that call for an amendment to the constitution establishing an independent redistricting commission.

Both bills called for an 11-member commission with four members of the state’s largest political party by registration, four others from the second largest party in the state, and three others who are not registered in either of those two larger parties.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry Township, who chairs the House State Government Committee, replaced the text calling the independent 11-member committee with another version of his choosing that calls for a commission of six legislators — three Republicans and three Democrats and no others.

The Senate bill has not been changed.

Other business

Supervisors will review during their May 2 meeting the final PRD application for Wonderland Farms, a two-part housing proposal calling for single homes and townhouses on both sides of Oakland Road. Outstanding documents were received on April 16. Unless the applicant grants an extension, the township has until May 16 to make a decision on whether to grant approval.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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Op/ed: Committee guts anti-gerrymandering bill

Opinion

Gerrymandering has perverted our democracy in Pennsylvania for too long. Legislators draw their own voting districts. Maps are drawn so that the politicians pick their voters, instead of voters picking their politicians.

These gerrymandered maps determine who votes for our state legislators, and our U.S. Congress. If the maps pre-determine the winners of our elections, there is no accountability in government.

Last week, the Pennsylvania House committee in charge of reform legislation performed a cowardly act. Instead of debating gerrymandering reform, they gutted it.

Here’s the explanation. Senate Bill 22 and House Bill 722 are the pieces of legislation most strongly supported by a majority of legislators in both houses. Until last week, HB722 specified an independently appointed citizens’ commission to draw the lines. (Several other states have chosen this method in the past few years.)

In the House, HB722 was co-sponsored by 103 of the 203 Representatives in the House, an unusually strong show of support by legislators for a bill that hasn’t even been released from committee.

However, last week, the committee in charge of HB722 (the House State Government Committee) erased the independent citizens’ commission plan from the bill, and instead inserted a plan that will make gerrymandering in Pennsylvania even worse!

The “new” bill would perpetuate the current system of having legislators directly drawing their own districts’ lines. In addition, it actually removes the oversight currently held by the governor and reduces oversight by the state Supreme Court.

Also, it almost completely eliminates any ability of the public to affect the result.

There is barely a four-week public comment period. There is no requirement for the commission to respond to any public comments. During that period, at any time the legislators’ commission can submit “changes” to the plan. So theoretically, the commission could submit a decoy plan that looks fair but then, on the last day, submit a different, completely gerrymandered map that would immediately have the force of law.

If such a gerrymandered, unaccountable map becomes law, the only remedy is a lawsuit. But the extremely gerrymandered map put in place in 2011 was only struck down by the state Supreme Court in 2018. So, the political party that drew those maps could “enjoy their candy” for 7 years, with no consequences or punishment when their unfair map was taken away. Of course, why wouldn’t they want to do it again?

Cynically, the committee’s amendment even removes the vague language calling for the map-drawing process to be open, transparent and fair. There is not even a pretense of integrity – even that word was removed.

The legislators in the House State Government Committee have converted HB722 into a partisan Trojan Horse, completely subverting the purpose of an anti-gerrymandering bill in the first place. The changes were made in a hastily called, 20-minute session, with no discussion allowed by either committee members or members of the public. The 103 representatives who had already cosponsored the bill were also not informed that their bill was being gutted.

The claim from some legislators is that a citizens commission would not be accountable. But with rule-making like this, clearly the legislators are contorting themselves in any way possible, precisely to avoid accountability. These rules would be a part of the Pennsylvania Constitution, and very difficult to change afterward.

What can we do in Chadds Ford? Our own state Representative, Steve Barrar, sits on that House State Government Committee. Committee records document his vote supporting this Trojan Horse amendment, although he told a constituent afterward that he wasn’t present and had given his proxy to the chairman, Daryl Metcalfe.

If more evidence is needed of the partisan nature of this legislative move, this weekend we can read on Mr. Metcalfe’s Facebook page that as chairman, “I block all substantive Democrat legislation sent to my committee and advance good Republican legislation!”

Mr. Barrar needs to understand the danger of partisan gerrymandering to our democracy. Only an independently appointed Citizens’ Commission to draw voting lines will ensure that the will of voting citizens is heard. Let’s encourage Mr. Barrar to actively support it.

David Epstein
Chadds Ford Township

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Adopt-a-Pet: April 26

Home and Leisure

The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.

Smokey

You’d never know all that Smokey has faced just by looking at him. This 2-year old bundle of energy was rescued from cruelty, but he doesn’t let that bring him down. Smokey is adventurous, loves to play fetch and. when he gets really excited, he likes to stand on his back legs and show you his dance moves. This exuberant boy would like to meet any family dogs to make sure they can keep up with his play style. He asks for a home with older children and no cats. Smokey can be adopted at a fee you name through Sunday, April 29.

Remmie

Looking for a gentle and sweet lap kitty? Remmie is the girl for you. This 1-year old sweetie has fur so soft you could pet her all day, and she wouldn’t mind that one bit. Remmie spends most of her day relaxing and snuggling, but she does enjoy a daily play session as well. She has lived with other cats in her previous home and would make a great companion for a family with kids. Remmie can be adopted at a fee you name through Sunday, April 29.

For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 610-692-6113.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Around Town April 26

Along the Ford

• Pennsbury Township’s annual yard sale is scheduled for this Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rain date is Saturday, May 5.

• Is your backyard pollinator-friendly? Find out how you can support pollinating insects in your own yard and community during the Brandywine Conservancy’s “A Passion for Pollinators” event on May 2. Led by Drs. Faith Kuehn and Thalia Pappas, this interactive lecture is held in conjunction with Longwood Gardens’ annual Community Read event—a program designed to encourage reading for pleasure and start a conversation—celebrating women in horticulture and the book, Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren. “Community Read Event: A Passion for Pollinators” will be held on Wednesday, May 2, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Brandywine River Museum of Art’s lecture room. Admission is $5 for non-members and free for Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art members and Conservancy easement landowners; light refreshments will be provided. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.brandywine.org/conservancy/events.

• Canine Partners for Life is one of three finalist organizations in the running for a $100,000 donation from “NRG Gives,” a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. NRG Gives expands NRG’s community outreach across Pennsylvania, sharing the power of giving with local communities. Kicking off on April 30, and running through May 7, the public can cast their vote for three Pennsylvania nonprofits by visiting nrghomepower.com/nrggives. The nonprofit with the most votes during the voting period receives $100,000. The other two nonprofits receive $20,000 and $10,000 based on the number of votes received, respectively. Voting available online at nrghomepower.com/nrggives. The public can vote once per day, per device, and the site will let them share their votes on social media.

• The Land Conservancy will be co-hosting its annual 10k/5k Run for Conservation this mid-May with an estimated attendance of 300 runners. We’ll also have a free Kids 1K and Kids Zone for runners’ children, so all ages can participate in the community’s enjoyment of outdoor space and efforts to preserve it. The race will be held on Saturday, May 12, at Stateline Woods Preserve in Kennett Square, at 10 a.m.

• The Brandywine River Museum of Art will hold its Spring Garden Walk on Friday, May 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. Members admitted free, non-members $5. As the plant world awakens from its winter slumber, the green growth and flowers of early blooming plants is an exciting time in the garden. Join us for a guided walk through our campus and experience the burst of new life in the spring. We will see spring ephemerals, perennials and trees blooming, plus learn how these native plants function in a healthy ecosystem. The walk will last approximately 45–60 minutes. Registration is required.

• The Chadds Ford Historical Society introduces a brand-new music festival this year – Music in the Meadow. Don’t miss out on joining us for this relaxed, community music fest right in the heart of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley on Saturday, May 19, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $15 for adults 18 and older and free for children 17 and under. CFHS members are free with membership card. Visit our website at www.chaddsfordhistory.org to purchase tickets and for additional information. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, May 20.

• Mt Cuba Center’s 14th annual Wildflower Celebration, an homage to the fleeting beauty of spring, is this Sunday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free celebration includes live music, children’s story time and the opportunity for the first 1,000 families to take home a free native plant, as well as gardening demonstrations and a chance to explore Mt. Cuba Center’s naturalistic gardens at the peak of their springtime bloom. More information is online, here.

• Train Day is approaching the Marshall Steam Museum. The date and time of arrival are Sunday, May 6 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Take a ride on the 1/8-size Auburn Valley Railroad and experience the beauty of Auburn Heights as you circle through a tunnel, over a trestle bridge and past the 1897 Marshall mansion. Learn all about the jobs on the railroad and the special tools they used, try your hand at being a railroad fireman and shovel coal at the Little Tykes Tender or build your own train out of recycled materials. General admission includes four rides on the Auburn Valley Railroad: $8 ages 12 and up (infants free). Rides Ticket admission is free for Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve members. A Mansion Ticket: includes a tour of the first floor of Auburn Heights: $5 all ages and a combo ticket: covers it all, rides and mansion: $13 ages 2 and up (but infants free).

• Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 26 at 10 a.m. for the first annual Connective Art and Music Festival. This family-friendly festival is hosted in partnership by the Oxford Arts Alliance and Oxford Mainstreet Inc. It offers two ticketing options. General Admission $5 plus tax & fee(s) gives you access to all of the day-time activities including, the Country Music Line Up, Local Stage, World Stage, Art & Nature Skill Share Tent, Music Skill Share Tent, Kid’s Tent, Clash of the Canvases Competition, and the Battle of the Bands Competition. General Admission PLUS Night Pass is $20 plus tax & fee(s) gives you access to everything the general admission pass gives you, plus exclusive access to the evening show with Battle of the Bands winner opening for platinum recording artist, EVE6! Once inside the gates, all activities, three music stages, art demonstrations, and walk-up workshops are free. You will only need to buy your food and a commemorative t-shirt. Purchase Tickets online at www.connectivefestival.org