Redistricting generates controversy, questions

Every 10 years, politicos get to watch a fascinating affair of raw political intrigue and inside maneuvering. Technically, it's called redistricting, which happens after each census. It's still two years away, but redistricting is already generating controversy and several questions, including:

 Why does redistricting get so much attention, and will there be losers and winners, some areas losing power while others gain?

Webb: To comply with one-person, one-vote constitutional mandates, redistricting must be done to ensure near-equal population in political jurisdictions. Because of rapid population growth over the last decade, one state House district in northern Utah County now has three times as many residents as districts in older Wasatch Front neighborhoods.

This means there will be a decided shift in power to the west sides of Wasatch Front counties. Rural Utah and inner-city areas will lose legislative representation, and rapidly growing suburban areas and Washington County will gain. Some districts on the east side and central city areas will be merged, in some cases leaving two incumbents in the same district.

Because most incumbents in Salt Lake County east side and central city districts are Democrats, the redistricting blow will fall disproportionately on them. So this all makes for fascinating political mayhem and intrigue, as incumbents will try to carve out districts to their liking, and avoid being merged into a district with another incumbent.

Pignanelli: "Regarding gerrymandering … unfortunately there is no little blue pill on the market for our systemic Electile Dysfunction problem" (Matthew Cossolotto, nonprofit advocacy group FairVote). Reapportionment is a big deal because the stakes are so high: the potential political makeup of Congress, Legislature, school boards, etc. The census details changes and shifts in population, and boundaries must be redrawn with offices removed or added as a result. For example, Salt Lake City, Provo and South Davis County may lose a legislative seat to more populous areas of their regions. Thus, the fights in a redistricting process are not always between political parties, but geographical areas.

 Would impaneling an independent redistricting commission create a better process and take the politics out of redistricting?