Showing posts with label bi-partisan redistricting commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bi-partisan redistricting commission. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Chairman Wayne Holland Jr. says, "Senator Bennett misses the point"
On March 29 I wrote in an Op-ed published in the Deseret Morning News Utah was not receiving much benefit from Republican domination of the state legislature and cong
ressional delegation. Last Monday, Senator Bob Bennett responded with a "my view" column of his own.
In my original column I briefly mentioned Senator Bennett's declaration that Bush's threat to veto a bill intended to give D.C. a vote in Congress and Utah a fourth seat effectively rendered that bill's chances in the Senate close to zero. This apparently triggered Senator Bennett's response.
However, Senator Bennett goes on to state Democrats should "stop complaining about the voters and start appealing to them." In my original column I made a point of praising the voters of Utah for their recent efforts to place the voucher question on the ballot. In fact, no where did I "complain" about Utah voters.
I did point out it is mighty difficult for Utah voters to hold accountable legislators that have intentionally drawn district boundaries in such a way it is nearly impossible for some legislators to lose regardless of their voting record. Tooele County has four state senators representing their county for example, but not a single senator living in the county. In fact, two Democratic senators were intentionally put in the same district in 2001 to ensure there would be at least one less Democrat in the Utah Senate come 2002. Perhaps Senator Bennett feels this represents the best of American democracy, but neither the Utah Democratic Party nor the people of Utah do.
Senator Bennett concludes his response by stating "the state Legislature is not about to change the law so that votes cast for Democrats carry more weight than those cast for Republicans." I would certainly hope not. Such a law would be a blatant violation of both the Utah and U.S. Constitution.
Democrats have consistently advocated and introduced legislation that would create a bi-partisan redistricting commission made up in equal parts of Democrats and Republicans. How this violates our nation's commitment to one person-one vote is beyond me.
Perhaps Senator Bennett will respond personally to this post and explain how a bi-partisan commission required to give the public the opportunity to review and comment upon any proposal they make somehow gives Democratic voters greater influence in an election than Republican voters. Perhaps he can also explain how dividing up communities like Tooele, Helper, Price, Moab and Ogden to maximize the likelihood of Republican success is a better way to handle redistricting than attempting to keep communities intact without regard to the party affiliation of incumbent legislators eager to hold on to power.
Check out: Utah State Democratic Party
ressional delegation. Last Monday, Senator Bob Bennett responded with a "my view" column of his own.In my original column I briefly mentioned Senator Bennett's declaration that Bush's threat to veto a bill intended to give D.C. a vote in Congress and Utah a fourth seat effectively rendered that bill's chances in the Senate close to zero. This apparently triggered Senator Bennett's response.
However, Senator Bennett goes on to state Democrats should "stop complaining about the voters and start appealing to them." In my original column I made a point of praising the voters of Utah for their recent efforts to place the voucher question on the ballot. In fact, no where did I "complain" about Utah voters.
I did point out it is mighty difficult for Utah voters to hold accountable legislators that have intentionally drawn district boundaries in such a way it is nearly impossible for some legislators to lose regardless of their voting record. Tooele County has four state senators representing their county for example, but not a single senator living in the county. In fact, two Democratic senators were intentionally put in the same district in 2001 to ensure there would be at least one less Democrat in the Utah Senate come 2002. Perhaps Senator Bennett feels this represents the best of American democracy, but neither the Utah Democratic Party nor the people of Utah do.
Senator Bennett concludes his response by stating "the state Legislature is not about to change the law so that votes cast for Democrats carry more weight than those cast for Republicans." I would certainly hope not. Such a law would be a blatant violation of both the Utah and U.S. Constitution.
Democrats have consistently advocated and introduced legislation that would create a bi-partisan redistricting commission made up in equal parts of Democrats and Republicans. How this violates our nation's commitment to one person-one vote is beyond me.
Perhaps Senator Bennett will respond personally to this post and explain how a bi-partisan commission required to give the public the opportunity to review and comment upon any proposal they make somehow gives Democratic voters greater influence in an election than Republican voters. Perhaps he can also explain how dividing up communities like Tooele, Helper, Price, Moab and Ogden to maximize the likelihood of Republican success is a better way to handle redistricting than attempting to keep communities intact without regard to the party affiliation of incumbent legislators eager to hold on to power.
Check out: Utah State Democratic Party
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