State Reapportionment Commission Hearing
Testimony by Mayor Carolyn Comitta
Borough of West Chester

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Reapportionment Commission. I am Mayor Carolyn Comitta. Once again, I bring you greetings from the citizens of the great Borough of West Chester!

On behalf of the people of West Chester, I would like to thank you for listening to our appeals and for redrawing a legislative map that keeps the Borough of West Chester wholly within one state House District.

When I testified before you on November 23rd, I felt like Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, trying to undo the wrong that was destined for my town. I went into politics, not for myself, but to do the right thing for the people of West Chester. Thank you for making a decision that was right for West Chester and not politically expedient.

Keeping the Chester County seat in one district is the right thing to do for the people of West Chester, and for our neighbors. If the Borough could function as an “island” in the region, then my testimony would end with my sincere thank you to the Commission.

However, no man is an island, and no municipality functions or flourishes on its own, either. The Borough serves as the regional urban center for social, legal and financial services, culture, higher education and healthcare. Our future is inextricably intertwined with the health of our municipal neighbors. Therefore, I offer, several functional and Constitutional concerns about the lack of contiguousness and compactness of the 156th. Our attorney, Sam Stretton, is unable to be here today, so I will present these objections to the revised preliminary plan on his behalf.

In addition, I am pleased to have Daniel Colon, a West Chester University student, with me today, who will testify on the revised preliminary map and the detrimental impact of splitting the University among three districts.

As an alumna of WC State College, and Mayor to those students who live in the Borough – that is, close to half of the students who are enrolled there – I am very concerned about the effects of significantly diluting the voices of theses students and scattering them across three legislative districts and fully support the comments of Daniel Colon.

We believe it is “absolutely necessary” to keep the Borough together — and to keep its State University together — under one House District in order for us to have the best chance of not just surviving but flourishing into the 21st century.

Our future remains in your hands. The people of West Chester thank you once again, for your thoughtful consideration. Thank you.

Commission hears criticism from both sides of the aisle

HARRISBURG — Redistricting crusader Amanda Holt told Pennsylvania’s reapportionment commission Wednesday to stop trying to redefine the English language.

When the state constitution says counties and municipalities should be split “when absolutely necessary,” it means exactly that, she said.

The revised plan for new state House and Senate districts that was opened for public comment Wednesday contains “excessive divisions on a massive scale” even after the state Supreme Court ordered the commission to redraw the maps with fewer splits, Holt said.

The revised proposals contain about 50 percent fewer divisions, but Holt’s analysis showed 32 unnecessary divisions in the state Senate plan and 205 on the new House map….

read more at PA Independent

The latest Pennsylvania House and Senate redistricting plans merit a C, which is certainly an improvement over the F they received before. It’s also far from the A grade maps that Pennsylvanians deserve.

The state Constitution gives clear instructions on how redistricting should be done: “Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.”

The key words are “unless absolutely necessary.” The state Supreme Court struck down the earlier maps because they cut up the state like Edward Scissorhands or Picasso might. Even the court felt the need to point out that districts that look like a “crooked finger,” “wishbone” and “iron cross” are clearly not necessary.

[click here for maps]: 2012 proposed maps

The revised maps tame the extremes, but they still include far more slices and crooked lines than necessary.

“I can only conclude the revised plan … needlessly sacrifices the Constitution on the altar of incumbent protection,” said Amanda Holt on Wednesday. Holt is the piano teacher from Allentown who was the driving force behind the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the prior proposals. …

read more at Harrisburg Patriot-News

Download the relevant memo and map of proposed changes here: Redistricting 5-2-12.

The proposal goes to Borough Council next week for discussion but would not be adopted until at least the June or July Council meeting (after, of course, public comment and any changes).

The proposed redistricting notably makes ward 5 about 4/5 students, at least until the next census in 2020 and redistricting to take effect in 2012.

Note that the census (and therefore redistricting) is based on residents (or, in the case of dorms, beds), not on regisered voters.

In a close primary, Bret Binder emerged as the nominated Democratic candidate for the 156th state representative district.

The 156th district is comprised of East Goshen, East Bradford, West Goshen and the West Chester Borough.

Binder defeated Cassandra Jones in the primary Tuesday by a tally of 1,251 votes to 1,114 for Jones.

The results are unofficial until certified by the Board of Elections.

“I’m thrilled,” Binder said. “It was a close race and I’m honored to represent the people of Chester County.”

Binder, 33, grew up in Lower Merion and is a resident of East Bradford. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in economics and went to Villanova Law School. He clerked for a few years with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and now has his own law practice in East Bradford. He also partly owns a desert shop in Havertown and a bowling alley in Philadelphia.

“People are ready for change and I think I can be that change,” Binder said.

Binder’s campaign focused primarily on three big issues: education, the environment and the economy. He opposes the proposed budget cuts to education and said other areas must be looked into first….

read more at Daily Local News

A victory for the people!

On behalf of the citizens of the Borough of West Chester, I want to thank the PA Supreme Court and the State Reapportionment Commission for their actions leading to a revised preliminary legislative redistricting map that is in the best interest of citizens, rather than in the best interest of political parties.  

Under the revised preliminary map, the Borough of West Chester is shown to be wholly within the boundaries of the 156th House Legislative District.  The revised preliminary map reflects the charge of the Supreme Court and the wording of our State Constitution that “…unless absolutely necessary, no (municipality) shall be divided…”.

The testimonies and appeal by the multi-partisan citizens of West Chester and the pro-bono efforts of West Chester attorney, Sam Stretton, were compelling and effective and played a significant role in the Supreme Court’s decision to rule the original redistricting plan unconstitutional, splitting West Chester.  As Supreme Court Chief Justice Castille said at the appeal hearing in February, …”enough is enough.”  

Elected officials are members of political parties, sworn to represent and serve the people… not a party.  The revised preliminary plan, keeping West Chester wholly within the 156th, is appropriate, constitutional, and serves the citizens of West Chester appropriately.

I plan to testify on behalf of the citizens of West Chester at the Reapportionment Commission hearing in Harrisburg on May 2nd, which is to hear citizen comments and petitions regarding the revised preliminary map. I will underscore the wisdom of the Supreme Court and the Commission in keeping West Chester wholly within the 156th, and will testify to concerns regarding the state constitution’s requirement for “compact and contiguous” districts.

If any citizen has a concern or comment they wish to express, please let me know.

– Mayor Carolyn Comitta

See more information on redistricting and the Mayor at her site (scroll down there).

Two candidates are vying to win the Democratic primary for the 156th District state House seat.

Cassandra Jones or Bret Binder will emerge April 25 to challenge incumbent state Rep. Dan Truitt, R-156th of East Goshen, in November.

Binder said his campaign is focused primarily on education, the environment and the economy. He opposes the proposed budget cuts to education and said other areas need to be addressed first.

As to the environment, Binder said the state must do a better job of controlling areas such as Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction.

“Texas and West Virginia tax around 5 to 6 percent, and they’re not considered to be unfriendly to big gas and oil,” Binder said. “We can certainly charge at least that amount or more.”

From the revenue raised through this tax, Binder said, he would give some to education and save the rest in a reserve fund.

Jones said her primary goal is restoring funding to education.

“I just think we are so off balanced and when you start to connect the dots from education to jobs or education to prison or education to poverty, it just doesn’t make sense to cut funding in those areas,” Jones said. “And if we’re going to cut funding, we better have a good plan on how we’re going to streamline our education process.”

Jones said her proven track record, experiences and involvement set her apart as a candidate.

As a borough councilwoman, Jones said, she has helped close a $1 million budget gap and build a $12 million parking garage. She said she has helped raise voter turnout and registration in the east part of the borough 40 percent.

Jones said she has voted in favor of the people most of the time and never for anything that would be a detriment to the community. Jones said she also prides herself in being a person who cares about the welfare of all people.

“When people know that you care, then they’ll listen to you because they care about what you know,” Jones said.

Binder said he first became interested in running from his time spent clerking Pennsylvania Supreme Court. There he would become frustrated at how unconstitutional and poorly drafted some of the laws were. He then decided he would like to actually be a part of writing the law better.

This legal background is what he says sets him apart from the other candidates and even the state house.

“I really do care about this, I have a true passion for it and I believe I can do better for Pennsylvanians,” Binder said. “I’ve been willing to put in the time, I love going out and knocking on doors.”

Binder, 33, grew up in Lower Merion and is a resident of East Bradford. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in economics and went to Villanova Law School. He clerked for a few years with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and now has his own law practice in East Bradford. He also partly owns a desert shop in Havertown and a bowling alley in Philadelphia.

Jones, 55, has lived in the West Chester Borough since 1999 and has two daughters. She is serving her fifth year on Borough Council and her first as council vice president. She has worked for Cheyney University for the past seven years as a project manager and program director. Jones has also held positions in government that include involvement in the National League of Cities, the Human Development Committee and the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials.

The first three letters of wine are “win” and that’s what we plan to do in 2012, starting with this kick-off fundraiser at Kreutz Creek Winery on Gay Street.

Your attendance will support the work of our Committee. Many excellent Democratic candidates will join us for the evening—no speeches, we promise.

All proceeds will go toward getting out the vote and helping Democrats win in 2012. Your donation of $25 will entitle you to two glasses of Kreutz Creek wine from a choice of three (red, white or rosé), plus a nice sampling of light snacks. We’re asking for $45 per couple.

Of course, larger donations of any size are welcome and will help even more with our work of making our borough, our state and our country true BLUE.

$25/Person, $45/Couple
(Includes 2 Drinks & Food)

RSVP to contact@wcborodems.org or call 484-266-0241.

You may pay via PayPal here or send payment with your contact info to:

West Chester Borough Democratic Committee
c/o Linda Scott, Treasurer
405 North Franklin St.
West Chester, PA 19380-2418

Come. Help support our efforts to keep West Chester Democratic and the town we all love.

As we celebrate Black History Month, a number of well-known civil rights figures typically come to mind — Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall and many others. Although they deserve their acclaim, February 2012 is the perfect time to reflect on Bayard Rustin, Chester County’s own civil rights hero, during the centennial of his birth.

Known as the “Architect of the March on Washington,” Bayard Rustin was a major force in the Civil Rights Movement. Not only was he was born and raised in West Chester, but his experiences here deeply influenced his philosophies and career.

Born 100 years ago to Florence Rustin and Archie Hopkins, he had little or no relationship with either. Instead, Bayard was raised by his grandparents, Julia and Janifer Rustin, as their own son.

Julia and Janifer Rustin were very active in the community. They helped found the Chester County branch of the NAACP and the West Chester Community Center (now the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center). They were actively involved in the Bethel A.M.E. Church, the Gay Street School and other organizations. Rustin’s grandparents’ local activism, coupled with their strong Quaker beliefs, had a strong influence on his desire to work for social justice throughout his life.

The West Chester of Rustin’s childhood was socially complex. Despite Chester County’s history of the Underground Railroad and abolitionism, it was deeply divided over issues of race. West Chester’s elementary and junior high schools were segregated, white restaurants would not serve black patrons, and theaters were segregated. Local branches of the Ku Klux Klan were active in the county.

Rustin, however, did not accept the status quo. As a high school student he protested against segregation at the Warner Theater on High Street. He and his black and white track teammates fought against unequal housing while travelling to competitions. He attracted like-minded students who followed him in protest against discrimination and segregation at local restaurants, soda fountains, department stores and the YMCA.

Rustin was a star student at West Chester High School (now Henderson), where he played football and track, participated in French, classics and science clubs, and excelled in speaking and essay contests. Rustin delivered a commencement address for his class of 1932 and was an amazing singer. Being comfortable in the spotlight was a natural role for Rustin, and his commanding presence and oratorical skills continued throughout his lifetime.

Rustin’s songbird-like tenor voice won him a scholarship to Wilberforce University in Ohio, the nation’s oldest historically black private university. He later attended Cheyney University where he formally declared himself a Quaker and became involved in the American Friends Service Committee.

In 1937, at age 25, he moved to New York City and by 1941 was working for the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR). Rustin felt at home in the interfaith organization, which was led by the well-known pacifist and social justice activist A.J. Muste. As youth secretary of FOR, Rustin travelled the country promoting nonviolent activism in support of social justice. During this period he also joined the Young Communist League, but left the group when it shifted its focus from social inequality.

Rustin wasn’t just teaching principles, he acted on his beliefs. In 1942 he was beaten by police officers in Nashville, Tennessee after refusing to sit in the back of a bus. During the WW II draft, he refused to serve and went to prison to make a statement in support of pacifism.

In 1947, Rustin helped coordinate the Journey of Reconciliation, the nation’s first Freedom Ride. In this well-organized protest, 16 black and white individuals rode busses through the South refusing to sit in segregated seating. Rustin and others were arrested in North Carolina and sentenced to a chain gang. He wrote about his experiences for the New York Post, which helped expose the injustices of chain gangs.

Through the 1950s, Rustin’s work bolstered the rising Civil Rights Movement. He helped organize the 1955 Montgomery bus boycotts to end segregated seating. In 1957, he established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, many credit him with teaching King the Gandhian nonviolence methods that became King’s trademark.

What Rustin is most remembered for, however, is his role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Rustin’s responsibility was to coordinate and oversee logistics for this massive event – from the speeches, security and slogans to tracking busses and procuring 80,000 ham and cheese sandwiches for the crowds. Around 250,000 people packed the Washington, D.C., mall for the March, which was punctuated by King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The March was considered an enormous success and a week later, Rustin’s image graced the cover of Life magazine.

Through the 1960s, Rustin remained active through the A. Philip Randolph Institute, which focused on interconnected labor and civil rights issues. He traveled the world, visiting various countries to expose injustices and support peaceful protest. But even after all of his international success, Rustin remembered his roots. In 1965, he spoke at the West Chester Community Center to 750 citizens concerned about unequal treatment for black students in the school system. He returned in 1966 to help organize fair housing protests in West Chester.

Controversy followed Rustin throughout his career. As a gay man, he was often stigmatized within the Civil Rights Movement and discouraged from taking a more public role. Martin Luther King Jr.’s advisers, for instance, warned King that he should distance himself from Rustin. Others criticized him for his brief membership as part of the Young Communist Party and unwillingness to serve in the military. Many in the area recall how these factors fueled the 2003 controversy over naming West Chester Area School District’s third high school after Rustin.

Today, the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) commemorates the centennial of Rustin’s birth and his legacy through the exhibition Bayard Rustin’s Local Roots. Former CCHS Collections Manager Andrea Cakars curated the exhibition in collaboration with many community members and representatives from the Melton Center. Visitors will learn about Rustin’s story, view numerous photographs and artifacts, and even hear recordings of him singing spirituals. The lessons are powerful – that West Chester’s own Rustin, virtually unknown to many today, played a major part in the Civil Rights movement. Additionally, visitors learn that segregation in West Chester was a stark reality in the not-so-distant past, and many still living helped topple it. Upcoming programs include:

• March 3 – opening event including a free luncheon with the West Chester Gospel Choir and Reverend Anderson Porter (RSVP required).

• May 5 – book signing with Sarah Wesley and Catherine Quillman – “Walking the East End: A Historic African-American Community in West Chester, Pennsylvania.”

• May 12 – walking tour featuring Bayard Rustin sites and historically black-owned businesses and landmarks with Wesley and Quillman, starting at the Melton Center.

• May 19 – “Brother Outsider” film showing and discussion panel (RSVP required)

• June 9 – walking tour of the East End by Penny Washington, starting at the Melton Center.

For information about the exhibit visit www.chestercohistorical.org. or call 610-692-4800.

– Rob Lukens in the president of the Chester County Historical Society. His column appears monthly in the Daily Local News.
## End of DLN article.

Here’s our own Bill Scott in 1963 on the dustjacket of Haskins’ book about Rustin…