Rep. Metcalfe is upending bipartisan redistricting
On Monday, I attended a rally in Harrisburg promoting a process to create fair voting districts in Pennsylvania, which is notoriously one of the worst gerrymandered states in the country.
Months ago, more than 110 state representatives, Republicans and Democrats, cosponsored H.B. 722, which would establish a nonpartisan, independent and transparent citizens group to draw future legislative and congressional voting maps. The bill would have curtailed gerrymandering and allowed citizens of Pennsylvania an environment where their votes actually matter.
On April 11, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, not only gutted this bill, but crafted an amendment that keeps the drawing of voting districts in the hands of those legislators already in power, with no oversight from any other branch of government (April 12, “Pa. House GOP Backs Plan to Give Majority More Redistricting Power”). This is the fox guarding the henhouse. The people in power will be able to ignore the issues that citizens care about because their seats will be “safe.”
While at the state Capitol building on Monday, I noticed that Mr. Metcalfe had two armed guards posted in front of his office door. He has also refused 27 requests from one of his constituents to meet on this issue. Is Mr. Metcalfe afraid because he knows he is trying to gut our democracy? I think the answer is obvious. LESLIE HEILMAN
Point Breeze Wheeland. Give them a call and give them your opinion. That is, of course, if they’ll answer their phones. JEANNE PASSARELLI Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County
In regard to the excellent article “The Week the Hill Rose Up” (April 1), I note that as a member of the staff of Judge David W. Craig of the Commonwealth Court in the late 1980s, I heard him recount the events of the march on April 7, 1968, several times.
At the time, he was public safety director, and he was at Freedom Corner, where a large number of people had gathered and from where the smoke could be seen rising from fires burning on the Hill.
Judge Craig said the chief of police advised him not to let the march proceed, even though the marchers had a permit, predicting damage to property along the route. He decided to let the march proceed, and he always pointed out that not a window was broken.
Once I heard him add, “Of course, I guess that’s a recipe for a riot, if people have a permit to march and you tell them that they can’t.” ROBERT RIEFLE
North Side
I’m not a big baseball fan, but I am a Pirates fan. I own a few Tshirts and souvenir pennants and pins, and I fly a Pirates flag over my house in the summer to show my support of my hometown team. However, because of the trade of Andrew McCutchen this past winter, I have some advice for other fans.
1) Do not fall in love with any Pirates player. He won’t be in Pittsburgh long. And heaven help if he is really good because that’s a for-sure trade coming up.
2) Do not buy a shirt with a favorite player’s name on the back, because, two years from now, it will be a flea market item when the player is traded to another team for no real value.
You think this sounds like sour grapes? Well, maybe it is, but Mr. McCutchen was not just a Pirates player; he was a
favorite. People saw his face all around town volunteering his personal time at different events. And I, for one, miss him.
Support your team (the players deserve it) — just not a particular player. KAY BAUM Baldwin Borough