Bucks + Montgomery division.

[jimrtex]

Montgomery and Bucks together have  a population equivalent to two districts. To keep Bucks whole, a portion of Montgomery must be attached to Bucks.

One option is to detach an upper portion of Montco (Pottstown area). Proponents say this keeps Main Line Montco in one district, and that Pottstown which is a separate Urbanized Area, is distinct from Philadelphia. Detractors say this makes the Bucks + Pottstown district is non-compact.

Three options take various groups of towns along the northern tier of Montco and attach them to Bucks. The three options are based on population equality, and keeping towns and boroughs whole. Proponents say this maintains the parallel side-by-side arrangement of the two counties. Detractors say that to get to Bucks from the detached area, you are going away from Philadelphia.

Please vote for two options.

I'd also be interested if any of the Montco areas would prefer to be in a Bucks-based district. That is, would they volunteer?


(1) Bucks + Pottstown






(2) Bucks + town strip (1)






(3) Bucks + town strip (2)






(4) Bucks + town strip (3)

[Orser67]

I believe you are confusing Pottstown with Pottsville. Pottstown is in Montco, Pottsville is in Schuylkill County.

I definitely favor any of the non-Pottstown+Bucks divisions.

[Nyvin]

Option 1 is almost a light R gerrymander.

[jimrtex]

I believe you are confusing Pottstown with Pottsville. Pottstown is in Montco, Pottsville is in Schuylkill County.

I definitely favor any of the non-Pottstown+Bucks divisions.

You are right. I remember that there are two Potts- and then confuse them. Pottstown was economically independent of Philadelphia, but has gradually been absorbed, similar to Lowell, Brockton, Aurora (IL), Elgin, and Long Beach.

The question would not be presented as a political question, but rather voters in each area would be asked which district do they want to be in.

[jimrtex]

The panel preferred the outermost strip from Montgomery. Arguably, this is the least disruptive to Montgomery since it does not have a notch in and out, and keeps more of the suburbs close to Philadelphia in the Montco district. Which of the strips added to Bucks is fairly arbitrary, unless there is a particularly strong cross-border affinity in that area.

My reasoning for asking for two choices was that there were really two choices: (1) Pottstown; or (2) Montgomery strip.

If the Strippers prevailed, I wanted the Pottstown folks to be able to choose their favored strip, rather than being shut out. I also did not want the strippers to be divided among three choices; nor provide no opportunity to indicate a preference among the three strips.

[Sol]

Option 1 is almost a light R gerrymander.

Isn't Pottstown rather D though?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

In one of my PA maps, I had Bucks+the townships of Montgomery, Horsham, Upper Moreland+the boroughs of Hartboro and Bryn Athyn. And Lower Moreland township went to PA-01.