Comments about ‘'Fair Boundaries' refreshing’

I congratulate the Des News on this editorial.

I live in the Capital Hill area and am represented in the 1st congressional district. The area above 7th East is in the 2nd district. This just does not make sense.

Face it, SLC is a fairly liberal area and we should be represented.

Thanks

I believe the state legislature should be redistricted every five to six years using a randomization algorithm. Now the algorithm could be constructed so as to not produce outlandish senate and house district shapes and ensure one man one vote; this isn't rocket science. The attendant shakeup would be good for a process which is now so cynical that it discourages participation and voting (and appropriately so).

Reaportioning congressional districts should be done in the best interests of serving the population. This has not been the case for a long time. I support the efforts of "Fair Boundaries" and hope more people do also.

1. All of Northern Utah, from Davis County north, including the Uintah Basin. 2. All of North/East SL County and Summit County. 3. All of South/West SL County and Tooele County. 4. All of Southern Utah from Utah County south to St George. Simple. Fair. Logical.

Thanks for the logical, well thought, out editorial!

Notice that "Four Fair Districts" has proposed his #2 district as "All of North/East SL County and Summit County". This is one of the few ways to create a Democrat-friendly district. If districts were RANDOMLY drawn, by some computerized algorithm, what are the chances the computer would create a Democratic district?

I'd like to see the Democrat who wants apolitical, randomly drawn districts. For Utah, Democrats want human redistricters that will deliberately preserve the one Democratic district.

Now if only the demo dominated states would do likewise.

I would like boundaries that provide the best representation for each community. Salt Lake is not best represented being split into 3 congressional districts. Utah county is unique and should also not be SPLIT and especially NOT combined with Salt Lake that is nothing like Utah County.

Whoops, you lost me. I might have supported this, but when I saw Jim Hansen's name associated with this effort, I will walk away. He is as partisan as they come, and he has a history of violating election laws, including being fined by the FEC for his 1986 re-election bid. He tries to show a pious face, but behind that face is a not-very-nice guy.

Orem and Provo have about the same population, yet Provo gets their own Senator-Bramble who covers nothing but Provo-and Orem has John Valentine that has only a small portion of Orem and has not represented Orem well for years--AND Margaret Dayton who represents a huge chunk of Provo-- and also leaves Orem hanging.

Why does Provo get their own Senator and Orem does not???

Out of Four Districts, you take issue with ONE being primarily Democratic? Where's your concern with the other THREE being Republican? Oh, that's different, right?

Speaking of not very nice, why make such vitriolic accusations about someone without posting your name. Mr. Hansen is just a private citizen, supporting something you claim to support. Your words and actions imply that it is you who are the partisan, rather than Mr. Hansen.

Most Utah voters are not registered with either the Republican or Democratic parties.

Yet the Deseret News argues that a "bipartisan" commission can adequately serve the interests of all voters.

A "bipartisan" commission necessarily excludes a majority of Utah voters from its membership.

The Utah Legislature should "one up" the Fair Boundaries initiative by proposing a constitutional amendment to elect state senators and representatives by the same -- and more competitive and representative -- proportional representation electoral method used in most of the world's democracies.

Let voters "district" themselves through proportional representation, instead of having some appointed body choose our districts for us.

For more information, visit FairVote: The Center for Voting and Democracy.

This is one of the most astute editorials the Deseret News has written. It's a correct analysis of a very important topic, redistricting. Redistricting affects Utahns more than the vast majority realize. It is imperative that redistricting be done fairly and impartially, not like it was done in 2000.

I think that sounds just about right, and not many people in those districts would disagree, I believe.

Well, when California, Texas or New York does the same thing, this will never end. Did you not take American Politics in High School or was it an elective? That is why you vote. That is why you take part. That is why you are informed. It all started with Mass in 1812 with Gerrymandering and is ment to be used by the party in power to keep and retain power. A way to ensure everybodies voice is heard is great, but lets be real. If I'm in the House, and I'm looking at my seat going away, why on earth would I not give something in order to protect my job? It is only human to want to keep a job.

Ya think?. Republican-controlled Utah Legislature oversees the redistricting of political districts, intended to squeeze out particular candidates, usually Democrats. It's all about a non-scouting procrastinator process. Why would YOUR liberal and RINO gop (hey, don't blame me, I did not vote them into Office), lawmaker's reform ethics?. If they did, they could not get perks, paybacks, PAC monies, free party's, free resort vacation's, lobbiest moneys, free plain trips, gifts, lunches, Jazz Tickets, Zoo Tickets, Play tickets, breakfasts, dinners, cookies, golf outings, out of state meetings and out of the Country meeting's to, sporting envent free box seat ticket's, TV show's, and making TV ad's to, etc. That's why YOUR Legislators are now still trying to play the same tricks on YOU before the 2010 election with their talk-only about ethics reform, to pacify the public back into voteing for them in 2010. The overriding goal of reapportionment should be to further the interests of democracy, however they want to control, so they stuff all the demo's in BYU, in hope's they'll learn some truth, and all day long they hang in the blogs.

"Notice that "Four Fair Districts" has proposed his #2 district as "All of North/East SL County and Summit County". This is one of the few ways to create a Democrat-friendly district. If districts were RANDOMLY drawn, by some computerized algorithm, what are the chances the computer would create a Democratic district?" Beware being ghettoized into a Democrats only district. The Republicans are more than happy to round up all of the Demos as keep them in one district, in effect making sure Democrats can't be competitive anywhere else. The object of redistricting should not be to create Republican and Democratic districts, but rather should be to shake things up enough periodically to allow for different people to be elected from the various parties.

Who are Debra Ames of Randolph, Jill Remington Love of Salt Lake City, and Debra G. Roberts of Beaver?

Get to know them. If the "Fair Boundaries" initiative were in effect, those three individuals would appoint the commission to determine district boundaries for all of Utah.

Utah is a single entity. The representatives that we send to Congress should act as a unified body on most legislation so that Utah's citizens and Utah's businesses are represented fairly and equally before the nation.

To have one congressman consistently vote against the other two congressmen is not in the interest of Utah nor of the people of Utah nor of the businesses of Utah. If three men cannot sit down together and work out a plan that fairly represents Utah's views on every issue before the United States, then they do not represent our State, they represent divisive groups within the State.

A house divided cannot stand, neither can a State divided stand.

Utah is not two states, liberal and conservative; it is one state and it must be represented as one state before the nation.

Every voice must be heard, every viewpoint must be considered, but not every voice nor every viewpoint represents the people and businesses of Utah.