New York State Independent Redistricting Commission

Christine
January 8, 2023
The proposed redistricting plan fails to meet its own requirement "The maintenance of existing districts, pre-existing political subdivisions, including counties, cities, towns, and communities of interest." It takes the town of Amherst and divides it into 2 districts which would include disant rural communities. The current districting, which keeps all of the town of Amherst in a single district, does a much better job of representing the town.

Michael
January 8, 2023
I must object to the NYIRC's new Map for the NYS Assembly. This map splits the Town of Amherst into two districts. I believe the new map was created to benefit Republicans. It takes Democratic Town of Amherst and splits it into a minority Democratic faction in two Republican-leaning districts. I am an Amherst Town Board Member. Amherst is large enough to have its own Assembly member representing its interests in Albany. Under the Constitutional standards, Amherst consists of contiguous territory and is as compact in form as practicable. Having the Town represented by one Assembly member means that the 146th Assembly District Member can advocate for the Town of Amherst residents. The NYIRC's new map violates the prohibition on drawing lines to discourage competition and for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or other particular candidates or political parties. The NYIRC's change is purely political: Dividing Amherst takes the Town of Amherst, which voted for Biden 60% in the 2020 vote to a District won by Trump. This leaves the Amherst sections of the two new Districts with nocommonality as seen in recent election cycles. Amherst has eight communities within it with common interests (Village of Williamsville and multiple hamlets or neighborhoods). The current lines for the 146th Assembly District keep those neighborhoods together. Similar to the Assembly-drawn map, the current 146th Assembly District conforms to the allowable population deviation. But the NYIRC's new map ignores the core of the existing district and the pre-existing political subdivision. Please leave the 146th Assembly District as it stands.

Anne
January 8, 2023
As noted in The Post Star of November 8, 2022 “Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, took Glens Falls with 60% of the votes Tuesday for the first year the city has been included in the 113th state Assembly District.” It is clear from this result that the people of Glens Falls want Carrie Woerner to represent them in the NYS Assembly. In contrast, Matt Simpson received only 54% of the overall vote in the 2020 114th Assembly District Election. To place Glens Falls back in to the 114th Assembly District would disenfranchise the voters of Glens Falls. Glens Falls is a growing urban area and has little in common with the largely rural 114th District. Carrie Woerner has successfully represented her more urban district in the Assembly and is known as someone who gets things done. During the 2020 campaign I saw Carrie Woerner in Glens Falls at least five times and actually spoke with her. I wouldn’t know Matt Simpson if I fell over him. I cannot recall one thing Matt Simpson has done for Glens Falls. Considering that the Assembly is controlled by Democrats Glens Falls would be better served with Carrie Woerner as our assemblyperson. The voters have spoken. We want Glens Falls to stay in the 113th Assembly District. Anne Fuller 14 Hudson Ave. Apt. 502 Glens Falls, NY

Ellen
January 8, 2023
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Representing Roosevelt Island Community Coalition, I have submitted testimony to Keep Roosevelt Island in a Manhattan AD.

David
January 7, 2023
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MATTHEW
January 7, 2023
I would like to submit testimony to the IRC about the proposed plan to change the representation of the Edgemont section of The Town of Greenburgh. I currently reside in the 88th Assembly district, and Amy Paulin is my state Assemblywoman, and since last year, when Edgemont was added to the 88th district, she has been very actively introducing herself to her new constituents. After having the change to a new Assembly district this year, it will be disruptive and confusing for the voters to make another change so suddenly. The 88th district currently includes Scarsdale, which has much in common with Edgemont; I should know, I lived for 18 years in Scarsdale and have now been in Edgemont for 13 years. I firmly believe the 88th district should continue to include Edgemont. The two communities are very similar, at the most basic, we share a zip code and my mailing address is Scarsdale. We also share certain services, like the Scarsdale Inquirer newspaper and the Scarsdale / Edgemont Family Counseling Service, which provides vital mental health services to the communities. Edgemont commuters use the Scarsdale MetroNorth station. Finally, with no downtown of our own, Edgemonters spend time patronizing many of the Scarsdale Village businesses. The communities also share very similar values, especially high-performing school districts, which come with hefty property taxes. Many young families move to the two areas for the schools and end up staying a lifetime. Just ask my parents, who moved to Scarsdale in 1973 and are still there 50 years later. The communities also have similar ethnic makeups with a diverse population with large Jewish, Asian and South Asian communities. The 88th district has included Scarsdale for many years, and it is the district best suited to meet the needs of Edgemont voters. Thank you for your consideration.

Jeffrey
January 7, 2023
I am writing in opposition to the NYIRC's proposed map which divides the Town of Amherst into two separate districts. This is a nakedly partisan attempt to dilute the power of the fourth-largest upstate municipality in the Assembly. The Town of Amherst has a population of 125,000-130,000 residents. On the weekends, the Town of Amherst is a destination for residents of Western New York and Southern Ontario to shop. Under the standards of the New York State Constitution, the Town of Amherst is a contiguous territory and is as compact as practically possible. As a result, we are entitled to have one Assembly member advocate for our needs as a municipality. The map as proposed violates the prohibition on drawing lines to discourage competition and for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents. Republicans realize that the demographics of the Town of Amherst have changed from solidly Republican to solidly Democratic over the last ten years. They cannot beat Assembly Member Karen McMahon at the ballot box, so they are seeking to defeat her by shutting her (and the residents who have voted for her) out of office. The proposed map dividing the Town of Amherst into two separate districts is a shameless partisan attempt to dilute the voting power of the Town of Amherst, and to ensure that the Town will not have adequate representation in Albany. I therefore ask that the 146th District have the entire Town of Amherst within its boundaries. Thank you for taking the time to consider this comment. Respectfully submitted, Jeffrey E. Marion

Danny
January 7, 2023
I am totally opposed to the proposed redistricting of my building at 45 Sutton Place South and the surrounding area that is currently in Assembly District 73. Changing our Manhattan based district to combine with Queens makes no sense. Manhattan districts should remain in Manhattan not combined with other boroughs. Furthermore, the redistricting of Sutton Place into AD 73 flies in the face of all the redistricting literature and principles put out by New York City. Please reconsider keeping Sutton Place in AD 73. Danny Gold 45 Sutton Place South

Zhen
January 7, 2023
Redistricting that does not respect natural, economic, and historical boundaries is a bad policy. Splitting a well-established municipality into almost halves, and then merging each with regions sharing less common interests, such as in the case of the Town of Amherst, is an extreme example. The community will be harmed whether there is political intention or not. I checked 6 cities of similar population sizes in New York state (https://www.newyork-demographics.com/cities_by_population). Mysteriously, none of them share the pattern of the change described above. Rank, City, Population, Redistricting Pattern 11 Huntington, 204,147 (Before: divided, After: undevided) 12 Ramapo, 147,119 (Before: divided, After: divided) 13 Syracuse, 146,781 (Before: divided, After: undivided) 14 Amherst, 128,783 (Before: undivided, After: divided) 15 Smithtown, 116,560 (Before: undivided, After: undivided) 16 Albany, 99,402 (Before: undivided, After: undivided) 17 Greece, 96,839 (Before: undivided, After: undivided) The redistricting of district 146 is seriously problematic.

Andrew
January 6, 2023
Hello. My name is Andrew Crombie. I am a constituent in the 142nd Assembly District, living in South Buffalo. I would like to share my thoughts regarding the re-districting map, in hopes that my district is not changed in this way. The new district lines would divide South Buffalo, and alienate a portion of it from the rest of the current district, which many of us see as one whole community. I have a grandmother in West Seneca, an Aunt/Uncle & cousins in Orchard Park, and close family ties with the City of Lackawanna. Dividing up this district means that the Commission does not understand the people who have lived in this area for generations. It would break apart connections, and separate a community that takes pride in their area. I am often travelling throughout this district, and find comfort that the area is represented as a whole. Many people in South Buffalo, Orchard Park, and Lackawanna often shop in the Southgate Plaza in West Seneca. 99% of the district supports the Buffalo Bills, and are happy that their home is in our district. Anyone with Irish heritage is commonly travelling to South Buffalo for events and for the Irish Center. Many residents of Lackawanna are travelling to grocery stores within South Buffalo and West Seneca. We do not want to be divided. The new district lines would divide a community who sees itself as a whole, and would change the framework of how we live our lives. The district should remain the same, and as a community we should be able to continue identifying with one another.

Mary
January 6, 2023
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Kathleen
January 5, 2023
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Please send me acknowledgement of receipt of my written submission. Thank you. B. Kathleen Munguia at beeks58@aol.com

Christine
January 5, 2023
I cannot understand the weird map we live with...why can't we agree that each district will have a population minimum & maximum within a rectangle or square shape? I believe my district is spread from Oswego, slides under Rochester and has convoluted boundaries. Please... simplify this gerrymandering instrument! Thank you.

Louise
January 5, 2023
The draft IRC map of Assembly District 91 is good. It does not split the community of Larchmont and Mamaroneck which includes the Town of Mamaroneck, the Village of Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck. The draft district encompasses other Sound Shore communities from New Rochelle to Port Chester which all have common issues relating to Long Island Sound, flooding and transportation (I-95 and Metro North New Haven line). Having a "Sound Shore" district is particularly important to us as we address the impacts of Climate Change on our communities.

Michael
January 5, 2023
I reside in the 146th district and my assemblyperson is Karen McMahon. I strongly object to the planned splitting of this district, which is clearly being done for benefit of the Republican Party. Our district, which includes my home of Williamsville, and Amherst, should remain a single unified district and not mixed into rural districts, all for the purpose of watering down our vote. Thank you very much.

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