Bibiana Boerio: Nordenberg noble guide for reapportionment
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Last May, when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed Mark Nordenberg chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission, I had three reactions. One, what a perfect choice. Two, why would he ever agree to do this? Three, he would do it because he is a man whose career demonstrated the value he places on public service and taking on tough challenges.
So why do I think he was a perfect choice? I have known Nordenberg since 2002 when, as an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh’s Business School and the chief financial officer of Ford Credit, I was appointed to serve on Pitt’s board of trustees. In that capacity, I came to know him as a man of integrity, a true professional, deliberate and thoughtful in his actions and deeds. I also saw the respect with which he treated faculty, staff and most importantly, the students and their parents. One of my favorite stories is that he always knew my nieces and called them by name when he saw them on the Oakland campus — after meeting them once with me. I am proud to consider him a friend.
So why did I question that he would take on the assignment? Since my retirement from Ford, I worked on Capitol Hill as chief of staff for a member of Congress. I also ran for Congress in 2018 (and lost) in Pennsylvania’s 14th District. I have watched as the country and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania lost the sense of “working together for the common good.” I grew up in Latrobe, the hometown of Fred Rogers. I knew that whatever Nordenberg did to be fair and equitable would be turned against him. I knew he would be personally attacked by those who weren’t interested in fairness and equity.
The attacks started soon after the commission issued draft maps in mid-December. But I won’t let them go unanswered.
The maps are constitutional, fair and reflective of the most recent U.S. Census. They are a major improvement from our present rigged districts.
The Pennsylvania Constitution provides criteria in determining boundaries – most importantly that the districts should be “as nearly equal in population as practicable.” The latest Census identified two clear trends: a shift in population from rural areas to suburban and urban areas and an increased percentage of non-white residents.
There has been a substantial shift in population from rural areas, especially from the north and west to the south and east. In fact, counties defined as rural declined by 2.6% while urban counties grew by 4.2%. Much of the growth in urban areas is through an increase in Pennsylvania’s non-white population. By following the law and the underlying American principle of “one person, one vote,” the math determines that representation must shift from rural areas. And the fact that rural areas are most often represented by Republicans means it will affect them more often.
The maps are fair. By several metrics, previous maps favored Republican candidates. The LRC’s House and Senate maps still favor the GOP, just not to the same extent as in previous decades. Republicans are used to running for election with unfair advantages, so sadly, basic fairness is threatening to them.
Simply put, the proposed maps reflect the results of the Census and the law. They’re fair and constitutional. That’s because a man with a consummate record of public service to our commonwealth undertook an effort to “facilitate a good reapportionment result for the people of Pennsylvania.”
We should be thanking Mark Nordenberg for using his experience and talents to guide the process in an open and transparent way. But don’t just take my word for it. Go look at the transcripts, watch the hearings. Judge for yourself. You will come away agreeing that Mark Nordenberg was the perfect person for the job.
Bibiana Boerio, a Unity resident, serves on the boards of several area nonprofit organizations.