By Kelli Lundgren
Gas prices too high? Blame the president. The economy growing too slowly? Blame the president. Health care costs are no problem for you? Criticize Democrats. Finding society morally reprehensible? Make it more difficult for women to obtain contraception while the men creating laws ensure Viagra's blanket health insurance coverage. Offer food to North Korea for government cooperation? Attack our president for politicking.
Some facts: the speculative commodities market affects gas prices even though U.S. oil production is at an all time high and we export much of our oil. Should the federal government take control of this free market? Maybe not, or maybe remove it as a commodity. But that would be federal government intervention, a taboo to Republicans.
Our economy is slowly pulling out of a recession, rather than a decades-long depression because our federal government provided a safety net by going further into debt. This trigger historically happens in every recession, whether under a Democratic or Republican president, but this time it was added on top of two unfunded wars and years of irresponsible debt build up. If we remember correctly the 2008 recession had been induced by an out-of-control free market as our U.S. Congress looked the other way.
Other facts: Health care costs are soaring, so is health insurance. You want to live, pay.
Lives will be saved with food sent to North Korea. Shouldn’t this matter more than politicking?
For Republicans shouting states rights, they seem to expect just about everything from President Barack Obama. I hear messages: Give us federal money and earmarks, don’t tell us what to do, and accuse the federal government of fiscal irresponsibility. Everything difficult in our county is the president’s fault, everything good can only be brought by Republicans, those that seem to forbid compromise, those glued to Wall Street.
I love free markets. I am an entrepreneur. But some markets have made themselves no longer free.
I am a person, but my corporation is not a person. Big corporations pay big campaign dollars and have many politicians wrapped around their big balance sheets (I can't say "little fingers" because those are reserved for people).
At the same time, human and equal rights, and tolerance, are being threatened by presidential candidates. Even Utah’s local leaders are failing non-discrimination laws and retracting proven-effective sex education in schools.
I'm hearing too many "We know what's best for women" comments by male presidential wannabes lately. Why would any woman, or couple planning their family, vote for one of these guys? I do not understand any willingness to submit to this demeaning behavior, but I also understand this is just my opinion.
Sensibility somehow needs to eventually prevail or we, the people, will not progress as a society, or more broadly, as a civilization.
Where are vision and maturity in our leaders? Where are facts and rationale? These attributes and truths seem to be lacking in too many politicians.
----
(Opinions only of Ms. Lundgren. My dear friends and political activists in Represent Me Utah! may or may not agree.)
www.RepresentMeUtah.org
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Eight things I have learned as a first-time Utah Capitol Hill observer
By Kelli Lundgren
1. With 1,000 bills being presented in this Utah State general legislative session, it astonishes me that some of our politicians accuse our federal government of socialism.
2. Numerous times ideology has trumped sensibility in legislative debate and outcome. Reasonable decisions and compromises are being made, but man, the nonsense that sometimes occurs is entertaining and scary at the same time.
3. Bills get sacrificed. “You give us this. We’ll give you that.” Politician versus politician, party member versus party member, party versus party, spy versus spy. Compromise is good, but leveraging the killing of good bills for the passage of bad, I’m not sure its worth.
4. The media throws polls and facts at the legislature, saying 75% of citizens are in favor of this, 63% of citizens oppose that. Silly media, thinking legislators will listen. (But keep trying! We will too.)
5. Political activists are alive and well, some paid, some volunteer like us. I meet with several in the Senate cafeteria at the liberal table. All the Davids up against the Goliath are pigeon-holed as liberal in this state, so we aptly fill a bulging table. But also, you have the Eagle Forum table, the labor union table, the militia table, and the media table. People wander around carrying a lunch tray anxious they may sit down at the wrong table.
6. Political activists admit they are addicts. “How many years have you been doing this?” I say. “Eight,” he says. “Have you ever swayed legislators to fail or pass a bill?” I say. “No,” he says. In silent response, I stare deep into his eyes knowing I have only peeled the outer surface of this onion.
7. In conversation with anyone on the political spectrum, when you offer a solution or a practical idea, you get a response of “that’s too rational” to pass through this legislature.
8. It’s all about control. If a city proposes and implements an idea, say a vehicle idling ban, or the federal government sends our state money with contingencies, bills fly all over the place in Utah, telling cities what they can and cannot do, telling our nation (after we cash the check) it can take a flying leap.
--
Asking a supermajority-led legislature to make it easier for full citizen participation is nearly impossible, we realize. so Represent Me Utah! attends the general session to watch the legislative debate and influence where we can.
Represent Me Utah!’s focus is to lobby citizens, not so much the legislature. We tried to focus on the legislature during redistricting and were unsuccessful. We are only grassroots without much money. Yet the public is where change can happen.
Of all the distorted ideological bills on Utah’s Capitol floor this year, and there are plenty, the one I find most fascinating is the bill that allows Utah to distribute hunting permits to kill wolves. Anywhere from zero to six wolves possibly reside in Utah, reintroduced into Wyoming through a wildlife restoration project. But come on.
Other ideological bills, such as elimination of sex education in public schools, and discrimination against the LGBT community are among several. I can’t believe there is actually a for-and-against debate on discrimination... of anyone, or that it's even a discussion. How embarrassing for our state. These bills do not go into my “fascinating” category. They go into my “ignorance” category.
www.RepresentMeUtah.org
1. With 1,000 bills being presented in this Utah State general legislative session, it astonishes me that some of our politicians accuse our federal government of socialism.
2. Numerous times ideology has trumped sensibility in legislative debate and outcome. Reasonable decisions and compromises are being made, but man, the nonsense that sometimes occurs is entertaining and scary at the same time.
3. Bills get sacrificed. “You give us this. We’ll give you that.” Politician versus politician, party member versus party member, party versus party, spy versus spy. Compromise is good, but leveraging the killing of good bills for the passage of bad, I’m not sure its worth.
4. The media throws polls and facts at the legislature, saying 75% of citizens are in favor of this, 63% of citizens oppose that. Silly media, thinking legislators will listen. (But keep trying! We will too.)
5. Political activists are alive and well, some paid, some volunteer like us. I meet with several in the Senate cafeteria at the liberal table. All the Davids up against the Goliath are pigeon-holed as liberal in this state, so we aptly fill a bulging table. But also, you have the Eagle Forum table, the labor union table, the militia table, and the media table. People wander around carrying a lunch tray anxious they may sit down at the wrong table.
6. Political activists admit they are addicts. “How many years have you been doing this?” I say. “Eight,” he says. “Have you ever swayed legislators to fail or pass a bill?” I say. “No,” he says. In silent response, I stare deep into his eyes knowing I have only peeled the outer surface of this onion.
7. In conversation with anyone on the political spectrum, when you offer a solution or a practical idea, you get a response of “that’s too rational” to pass through this legislature.
8. It’s all about control. If a city proposes and implements an idea, say a vehicle idling ban, or the federal government sends our state money with contingencies, bills fly all over the place in Utah, telling cities what they can and cannot do, telling our nation (after we cash the check) it can take a flying leap.
--
Asking a supermajority-led legislature to make it easier for full citizen participation is nearly impossible, we realize. so Represent Me Utah! attends the general session to watch the legislative debate and influence where we can.
Represent Me Utah!’s focus is to lobby citizens, not so much the legislature. We tried to focus on the legislature during redistricting and were unsuccessful. We are only grassroots without much money. Yet the public is where change can happen.
Of all the distorted ideological bills on Utah’s Capitol floor this year, and there are plenty, the one I find most fascinating is the bill that allows Utah to distribute hunting permits to kill wolves. Anywhere from zero to six wolves possibly reside in Utah, reintroduced into Wyoming through a wildlife restoration project. But come on.
Other ideological bills, such as elimination of sex education in public schools, and discrimination against the LGBT community are among several. I can’t believe there is actually a for-and-against debate on discrimination... of anyone, or that it's even a discussion. How embarrassing for our state. These bills do not go into my “fascinating” category. They go into my “ignorance” category.
www.RepresentMeUtah.org
Saturday, February 4, 2012
A False Enemy
Why, if Mitt Romney becomes President, Utah’s frenzy over states’ rights will dissipate.
By Kelli Lundgren
I firmly believe that whether Senator John McCain or President Barack Obama became President in 2008, our national debt still would be a huge spiraling problem. Tarp money still would have been distributed to prevent a depression. Our President still would have consulted the same conservative economists. Stimulus money still would have been spent to keep people working on roadways and projects. Welfare and unemployment rolls still would have bulged. Iraq and Afghanistan war costs eventually would have been placed on the books. And our nation would hurt no matter what.
Could President Obama have done better? Yes. I think he’s the first to admit this. I believe every new U.S. President needs two to three years to become fully functional in their leadership position.
Steve Jobs of Apple told President Obama that because of the market crash no matter what Obama did he would be a one-term president. Jobs could have been right.
During the President George W. Bush years, conservatives praised the President as he could do no wrong, voting him back into office for a second term. Life was good for most Americans, yet behind the scenes the nation’s balance sheet was going bad, and a meshed banking system with Wall Street was getting greedy.
Why do I rehash this? Because conservatives have picked an enemy during this recession. They picked anything “liberal.” They picked the wrong enemy.
If (the actually moderate) President Obama says the red couch is red, many conservatives say it’s blue. Some conservatives in Utah prevent their children from listening to this Democratic President in public schools. Utah, along with a few other conservative states, are shouting states’ rights, throwing anti-federal government bills at our nation, essentially saying, “You’re doing this to us.”
Conservative U.S. Senators and Representatives say their main directive is to remove Obama from office no matter what it takes. They threaten National Public Radio, the Consumer Protection Agency, those on welfare, saying they are sources of our nation’s deterioration. Really?
Here’s the scoop, liberals did not start and continue the run-up on our deficit. Both Republican and Democratic leaders horded and continue to horde earmarks and stimulus dollars. States are raising taxes. Our federal government is not.
Liberals do not use legislation to prevent conservatives from practicing their beliefs. But the same does not apply to conservatives. I have seen several bills scoot through Utah’s legislature that do just that, trying to make others conform to the conservative view on life.
Liberals alone did not cause this recession (see above). But it seems liberals are now the greatest threat, the biggest fear, the people that have allowed this nation to run amuck. An enemy for some reason must be found, and that enemy is President Obama, and anyone that believes in him.
In Utah, leaders are planning for and spending two to three million taxpayer dollars this year to focus on suing the federal government, demanding our nation hand over its lands in our state.
Conservatives seem to be trying to get others to conform to their views, their definitions, while even conservative views vary greatly. How could there possibly be one standard for all? Why do we polarize our country into only two ideologies, when really, we all need each other as a community? We need to continue to pull out of this recession together.
I see an emotional wall being erected on the perimeters of Utah's state. Yet we should not isolate ourselves from those we disagree with, or find fault with. The moment we look for fault, we need to look in the mirror and take responsibility. Finding enemies does no one any good.
Utah citizens were the holdouts in their loyalty to President George W. Bush. Up until the last few years of his presidency, several conservatives seemed to think Bush could do no wrong.
The same will hold true with Mitt Romney if he becomes President this year. He will be able to do no wrong in Utah’s eyes. And Utah’s states’ rights under Romney? What states’ rights? Oh yeah, that thing. Utah will have forgotten. The notion of states' rights will go away. The nation will be welcome in Utah once again. And Utah parents will freely allow their children to watch a President Romney speak in public classrooms.
Oh, the irony and sadness of defining an enemy. How distractive and unproductive it has become.
By Kelli Lundgren
I firmly believe that whether Senator John McCain or President Barack Obama became President in 2008, our national debt still would be a huge spiraling problem. Tarp money still would have been distributed to prevent a depression. Our President still would have consulted the same conservative economists. Stimulus money still would have been spent to keep people working on roadways and projects. Welfare and unemployment rolls still would have bulged. Iraq and Afghanistan war costs eventually would have been placed on the books. And our nation would hurt no matter what.
Could President Obama have done better? Yes. I think he’s the first to admit this. I believe every new U.S. President needs two to three years to become fully functional in their leadership position.
Steve Jobs of Apple told President Obama that because of the market crash no matter what Obama did he would be a one-term president. Jobs could have been right.
During the President George W. Bush years, conservatives praised the President as he could do no wrong, voting him back into office for a second term. Life was good for most Americans, yet behind the scenes the nation’s balance sheet was going bad, and a meshed banking system with Wall Street was getting greedy.
Why do I rehash this? Because conservatives have picked an enemy during this recession. They picked anything “liberal.” They picked the wrong enemy.
If (the actually moderate) President Obama says the red couch is red, many conservatives say it’s blue. Some conservatives in Utah prevent their children from listening to this Democratic President in public schools. Utah, along with a few other conservative states, are shouting states’ rights, throwing anti-federal government bills at our nation, essentially saying, “You’re doing this to us.”
Conservative U.S. Senators and Representatives say their main directive is to remove Obama from office no matter what it takes. They threaten National Public Radio, the Consumer Protection Agency, those on welfare, saying they are sources of our nation’s deterioration. Really?
Here’s the scoop, liberals did not start and continue the run-up on our deficit. Both Republican and Democratic leaders horded and continue to horde earmarks and stimulus dollars. States are raising taxes. Our federal government is not.
Liberals do not use legislation to prevent conservatives from practicing their beliefs. But the same does not apply to conservatives. I have seen several bills scoot through Utah’s legislature that do just that, trying to make others conform to the conservative view on life.
Liberals alone did not cause this recession (see above). But it seems liberals are now the greatest threat, the biggest fear, the people that have allowed this nation to run amuck. An enemy for some reason must be found, and that enemy is President Obama, and anyone that believes in him.
In Utah, leaders are planning for and spending two to three million taxpayer dollars this year to focus on suing the federal government, demanding our nation hand over its lands in our state.
Conservatives seem to be trying to get others to conform to their views, their definitions, while even conservative views vary greatly. How could there possibly be one standard for all? Why do we polarize our country into only two ideologies, when really, we all need each other as a community? We need to continue to pull out of this recession together.
I see an emotional wall being erected on the perimeters of Utah's state. Yet we should not isolate ourselves from those we disagree with, or find fault with. The moment we look for fault, we need to look in the mirror and take responsibility. Finding enemies does no one any good.
Utah citizens were the holdouts in their loyalty to President George W. Bush. Up until the last few years of his presidency, several conservatives seemed to think Bush could do no wrong.
The same will hold true with Mitt Romney if he becomes President this year. He will be able to do no wrong in Utah’s eyes. And Utah’s states’ rights under Romney? What states’ rights? Oh yeah, that thing. Utah will have forgotten. The notion of states' rights will go away. The nation will be welcome in Utah once again. And Utah parents will freely allow their children to watch a President Romney speak in public classrooms.
Oh, the irony and sadness of defining an enemy. How distractive and unproductive it has become.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Don Quixote and Utah Voter Turnout
By Kelli Lundgren
We admit it, Represent Me Utah! is a newbie at this legislative thing, even at political activism in general. Last year when we began our plight, we learned a lot about Utah’s political process during the redrawing of voter boundaries. We had the pleasure to meet and get to know several of our state’s leaders and other political activists, both those we agreed with and disagreed with. We gained respect for several of these individuals.
We also gained heartburn from the redistricting process and its unjustness in Utah and throughout the country. So with this burning in our hearts, we’re continuing our pursuit of democracy in Utah in 2012; Q, Jenny, Sue, Sarge, Kim and Kelli.
Our goal this year is to increase Utah’s voting percentage to 50% of all adult Utah citizens (not just registered voters) in November’s general election. This figure dipped down to around 34 to 36% in 2010. Utah comes close to the bottom of the pile in voter participation. I can speculate many reasons for this. Yet if more voters voted, we would have a better balance in Utah’s government, a.k.a. “Why Utah’s Republican supermajority government doesn’t want to see more voters voting.”
Yet Represent Me Utah! is driven and members are attempting our goal of increased citizen participation. That’s why we are opposing Rep. Kraig Powell’s HB 253 Voter Registration Amendment, which will remove registered voters off of voter rolls if they are inactive. Counties already separate “active” from “inactive,” and from “removable.” As of this writing, HB 253 unfortunately passed through House committee with partisan votes of 6 to 4; Republicans for, Democrats against. It’s on its way to the House floor.
Ironically, time and money are already being spent to qualify a voter inactive, so it takes no effort or money to simply keep them inactive until they choose to participate. 230,000 registered voters are listed as inactive, and according to HB 253, they will be removed from the list if the bill passes and passes legal muster. “A voter is responsible to vote,” I paraphrase Rep. James Dunnigan, “If they don’t vote, they should be removed from voter lists.”
A cycle perpetuates itself. Utah used to have extremely high voter participation. In the mid-1970’s, our state headed conservative in its leadership, and voters stopped voting. So for years, when Republicans redistricted to dilute “the other side’s” votes, when caucuses tightened their rules so only a fraction of “active” members of each political party chose candidates to run for office, the 50% of Utah’s independent voters and many of Utah’s moderate Republican voters began to get shut out of the process. Now we really think we are shut out. So now Republican legislators think it’s a good idea to remove 230,000 inactive voters. And the cycle continues.
Represent Me Utah! wants to break this cycle. Did you know that Utah’s registered independents/unaffiliated account for more Utah voters than Democrats and Republicans combined? We have the largest unaffiliated percentage in the country.
If the unaffiliated block of voters gets out to vote, along with ALL Republican voters, and ALL Democratic voters, our government would look much different. But we all have to vote. Republicans and Democrats, please participate in caucuses to bring good candidates into the primary and general elections. Independents and other political parties, try to bring candidates to the general election too. (To find out how to get involved in a caucus or affiliate with a party, go to www.RepresentMeUtah.org)
Represent Me Utah! is feeling a little Don Quixote-esque. But one thing for certain is we haven’t given up on our state. And we don’t want other citizens to give up either. We’re in this for democracy. We’re in it to get voters out to vote. I can’t think of a better cause because a strong democracy affects every other concern we may have; environment, education, economy, fiscal responsibility, and equal rights for all. Let's work on an equal say for all, then we can have a better say in these other issues.
www.RepresentMeUtah.org
Near-future topic for our blog: Utah’s States Rights Focus, and why, if Mitt Romney becomes president, states rights will become a moot point.
We admit it, Represent Me Utah! is a newbie at this legislative thing, even at political activism in general. Last year when we began our plight, we learned a lot about Utah’s political process during the redrawing of voter boundaries. We had the pleasure to meet and get to know several of our state’s leaders and other political activists, both those we agreed with and disagreed with. We gained respect for several of these individuals.
We also gained heartburn from the redistricting process and its unjustness in Utah and throughout the country. So with this burning in our hearts, we’re continuing our pursuit of democracy in Utah in 2012; Q, Jenny, Sue, Sarge, Kim and Kelli.
Our goal this year is to increase Utah’s voting percentage to 50% of all adult Utah citizens (not just registered voters) in November’s general election. This figure dipped down to around 34 to 36% in 2010. Utah comes close to the bottom of the pile in voter participation. I can speculate many reasons for this. Yet if more voters voted, we would have a better balance in Utah’s government, a.k.a. “Why Utah’s Republican supermajority government doesn’t want to see more voters voting.”
Yet Represent Me Utah! is driven and members are attempting our goal of increased citizen participation. That’s why we are opposing Rep. Kraig Powell’s HB 253 Voter Registration Amendment, which will remove registered voters off of voter rolls if they are inactive. Counties already separate “active” from “inactive,” and from “removable.” As of this writing, HB 253 unfortunately passed through House committee with partisan votes of 6 to 4; Republicans for, Democrats against. It’s on its way to the House floor.
Ironically, time and money are already being spent to qualify a voter inactive, so it takes no effort or money to simply keep them inactive until they choose to participate. 230,000 registered voters are listed as inactive, and according to HB 253, they will be removed from the list if the bill passes and passes legal muster. “A voter is responsible to vote,” I paraphrase Rep. James Dunnigan, “If they don’t vote, they should be removed from voter lists.”
A cycle perpetuates itself. Utah used to have extremely high voter participation. In the mid-1970’s, our state headed conservative in its leadership, and voters stopped voting. So for years, when Republicans redistricted to dilute “the other side’s” votes, when caucuses tightened their rules so only a fraction of “active” members of each political party chose candidates to run for office, the 50% of Utah’s independent voters and many of Utah’s moderate Republican voters began to get shut out of the process. Now we really think we are shut out. So now Republican legislators think it’s a good idea to remove 230,000 inactive voters. And the cycle continues.
Represent Me Utah! wants to break this cycle. Did you know that Utah’s registered independents/unaffiliated account for more Utah voters than Democrats and Republicans combined? We have the largest unaffiliated percentage in the country.
If the unaffiliated block of voters gets out to vote, along with ALL Republican voters, and ALL Democratic voters, our government would look much different. But we all have to vote. Republicans and Democrats, please participate in caucuses to bring good candidates into the primary and general elections. Independents and other political parties, try to bring candidates to the general election too. (To find out how to get involved in a caucus or affiliate with a party, go to www.RepresentMeUtah.org)
Represent Me Utah! is feeling a little Don Quixote-esque. But one thing for certain is we haven’t given up on our state. And we don’t want other citizens to give up either. We’re in this for democracy. We’re in it to get voters out to vote. I can’t think of a better cause because a strong democracy affects every other concern we may have; environment, education, economy, fiscal responsibility, and equal rights for all. Let's work on an equal say for all, then we can have a better say in these other issues.
www.RepresentMeUtah.org
Near-future topic for our blog: Utah’s States Rights Focus, and why, if Mitt Romney becomes president, states rights will become a moot point.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Why independents are proud to be independent, especially today
By Kelli Lundgren
Did you know only one in five top issues important to Utah’s Republican Party, and two in five top issues important to Utah’s Democratic Party, are also important to unaffiliated Utah registered voters? With very few high priority concerns in common, Utah’s 1,000,000 plus unaffiliated voters have very little representation in this state (since this post, Utah has removed "removable" independents from the count and the number is lower). Yet we are Utah's majority block of voters. Our numbers are greater than either the count of Republican or Democratic registered voters.
With exceptions, independents are usually not that into fear mongering rhetoric, although we get concerned about politics, the state of our nation, and the denial of facts by our leaders. In Utah, we’re not much into the right to bear and collect arsenals of arms. Nor are we livid over land access or states rights superseding federal laws and regulations. We perhaps like to choose candidates because of their individual qualities and integrity rather than their devotion to a political party.
We are independents after all. We like our individual freedom to choose.
Many but not all of the unaffiliated sit somewhere in the middle, thinking it’s good to have extremes for debate and compromise, hoping that the compromise will lead our state or nation in a positive direction. But it’s not happening.
Someone suggested that unaffiliated voters somehow are proud of their status. Yes we are. And I can tell you why. We are disgusted with the condition of politics in our state and nation. We are repelled by the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats nationally. This stalemate seems to be caused by a party willing to sacrifice the good of the whole, against the advice of most economists, in order to stick wholeheartedly, and sometimes irrationally, to ideology that has nothing to do with our nation’s best interests, or the intent of freedom and liberties for all.
In Utah, our state has one of the lowest voter turnout percentages in the nation, 53.8% of Utah registered voters, 34% of all adult Utah residents. Why do we have such a low turnout when just thirty-one years ago (1980) Utah had one of the highest turnout rates in the country, 80% of registered voters?
I believe there are a few reasons. One, many Utah citizens don’t think our vote will count. And if our opinions don’t match those of far-right conservatives now holding the reigns of our political system, our voices get discounted or diluted; discounted when someone tries to show up to a Republican caucus meeting and is rejected as a potential delegate if the caucus host disagrees, and diluted through redistricting. Utah’s Republican Party redrew the voting districts this year to protect favored incumbents and to disperse unwanted votes equally across as many districts as possible.
Represent Me Utah! attended December 16th’s Utah Foundation hosted debate on Utah's political party caucus/convention systems. Presenters were discussing either their satisfaction with or their problem with Republican and Democratic voices getting hijacked by extremists. (I'm still trying to find one Democratic extremist in Utah. The bills they present are fairly benign, mostly because they can only hope their bill even gets looked at by the Republican Supermajority.)
The group pursuing a way around Utah's bad caucus system now has to postpone its efforts, probably due to a lack of funding and due to last year's newly passed bill that makes it almost impossible to implement a citizens initiative.
So many ideas seem noncontroversial to me. Why not accept less-duplicated, less-fraudulent, less-costly e-signatures on initiatives and referendums? Why not offer same-day voter registration? Or an independent commission to decide redistricting? Or open caucus meetings, especially when most of Utah State's legislation gets drafted and strong-armed through in a closed session before the super-majority presents it to the Democrats and the public?
These ideas would simply create a better democracy. Yet, that would mean that those in power may loose some power.
It’s hard to tell the fox guarding the hen house to protect rather than eat the hens. Our leaders making ultimate decisions that do not match the priorities of the majority are feasting on their own perception of democracy, of control, or if you want, of a Constitutional Republic, which I find ironic since the ultimate Constitution we abide by was drafted by the Federal Government, an entity they don’t particularly like.
At this point, the only way I can think of to improve democracy in Utah is to get unaffiliated voters actually out to vote in 2012, to make them believe their vote can count, because it can count, but only if we all vote.
I do not care if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutionalist, Reform, Green Party or independent, if you vote, and if you are a registered Republican or Democrat and show up to your neighborhood caucus meeting and demand fairness, we can achieve with certainty a more representative democracy in this state.
Did you know only one in five top issues important to Utah’s Republican Party, and two in five top issues important to Utah’s Democratic Party, are also important to unaffiliated Utah registered voters? With very few high priority concerns in common, Utah’s 1,000,000 plus unaffiliated voters have very little representation in this state (since this post, Utah has removed "removable" independents from the count and the number is lower). Yet we are Utah's majority block of voters. Our numbers are greater than either the count of Republican or Democratic registered voters.
With exceptions, independents are usually not that into fear mongering rhetoric, although we get concerned about politics, the state of our nation, and the denial of facts by our leaders. In Utah, we’re not much into the right to bear and collect arsenals of arms. Nor are we livid over land access or states rights superseding federal laws and regulations. We perhaps like to choose candidates because of their individual qualities and integrity rather than their devotion to a political party.
We are independents after all. We like our individual freedom to choose.
Many but not all of the unaffiliated sit somewhere in the middle, thinking it’s good to have extremes for debate and compromise, hoping that the compromise will lead our state or nation in a positive direction. But it’s not happening.
Someone suggested that unaffiliated voters somehow are proud of their status. Yes we are. And I can tell you why. We are disgusted with the condition of politics in our state and nation. We are repelled by the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats nationally. This stalemate seems to be caused by a party willing to sacrifice the good of the whole, against the advice of most economists, in order to stick wholeheartedly, and sometimes irrationally, to ideology that has nothing to do with our nation’s best interests, or the intent of freedom and liberties for all.
In Utah, our state has one of the lowest voter turnout percentages in the nation, 53.8% of Utah registered voters, 34% of all adult Utah residents. Why do we have such a low turnout when just thirty-one years ago (1980) Utah had one of the highest turnout rates in the country, 80% of registered voters?
I believe there are a few reasons. One, many Utah citizens don’t think our vote will count. And if our opinions don’t match those of far-right conservatives now holding the reigns of our political system, our voices get discounted or diluted; discounted when someone tries to show up to a Republican caucus meeting and is rejected as a potential delegate if the caucus host disagrees, and diluted through redistricting. Utah’s Republican Party redrew the voting districts this year to protect favored incumbents and to disperse unwanted votes equally across as many districts as possible.
Represent Me Utah! attended December 16th’s Utah Foundation hosted debate on Utah's political party caucus/convention systems. Presenters were discussing either their satisfaction with or their problem with Republican and Democratic voices getting hijacked by extremists. (I'm still trying to find one Democratic extremist in Utah. The bills they present are fairly benign, mostly because they can only hope their bill even gets looked at by the Republican Supermajority.)
The group pursuing a way around Utah's bad caucus system now has to postpone its efforts, probably due to a lack of funding and due to last year's newly passed bill that makes it almost impossible to implement a citizens initiative.
So many ideas seem noncontroversial to me. Why not accept less-duplicated, less-fraudulent, less-costly e-signatures on initiatives and referendums? Why not offer same-day voter registration? Or an independent commission to decide redistricting? Or open caucus meetings, especially when most of Utah State's legislation gets drafted and strong-armed through in a closed session before the super-majority presents it to the Democrats and the public?
These ideas would simply create a better democracy. Yet, that would mean that those in power may loose some power.
It’s hard to tell the fox guarding the hen house to protect rather than eat the hens. Our leaders making ultimate decisions that do not match the priorities of the majority are feasting on their own perception of democracy, of control, or if you want, of a Constitutional Republic, which I find ironic since the ultimate Constitution we abide by was drafted by the Federal Government, an entity they don’t particularly like.
At this point, the only way I can think of to improve democracy in Utah is to get unaffiliated voters actually out to vote in 2012, to make them believe their vote can count, because it can count, but only if we all vote.
I do not care if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutionalist, Reform, Green Party or independent, if you vote, and if you are a registered Republican or Democrat and show up to your neighborhood caucus meeting and demand fairness, we can achieve with certainty a more representative democracy in this state.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Embarassing Tidbits!
By Kelli Lundgren
Here is the email message I sent to Senator Davis that the GOP is up in arms over:
--
Sent October 5, 2011
Hi Senator Davis,
Where do you stand on McAdams' Compromise Map, the one with the revisions to keep Utah County cities together? Are you still wanting the donut hole map? If, say, 100 citizens showed up on Friday to suggest a better map; do you think we should try to push the fair map, the donut hole map; or McAdams if it has a better chance?
McAdams' map: http://www.redistrictutah.com/maps/congress-sen-mcadams-06-10411
Thanks for all you have done on the committee.
Kelli
Kelli Lundgren
RepresentMeUtah!
801-915-7515
----
This email correspondence had nothing to do with a rally as was suggested in the Salt Lake Tribune (GOP: Democrats are hypocrites on redistricting, Dec. 10, 2011). It had to do with Represent Me Utah! preparing for an upcoming legislative redistricting committee meeting after the committee surprised citizens and reform groups with a never-before-seen U.S. Congressional Map.
Astonishingly, just a few weeks earlier, the legislative redistricting committee discarded six map finalists, selected after months of work, including one last doughnut hole map, and replaced all with the surprise map. In my message to Senator Davis, I was asking him as a committee member if he would be receptive to a "100 in-person" plea at the next public committee meeting to ask the redistricting committee to compromise, to vote for a modified "pizza slice" plan drawn by Senator McAdams. I asked a Democrat, Davis, because he had wanted a doughnut hole map previously. I asked him if a compromise map would have a "better chance" to receive a "yes" vote by committee members (Republican and Democratic). Davis' response could have been: The Democrats were sticking with a doughnut hole map proposal without compromise. But RMU needed their support on any compromise. The bigger feat for RMU was support from Republicans.
In the end, Republicans rejected the compromise map and all U.S. Congressional map submissions that met the request of the majority of citizens. (The majority of citizens, both urban and rural, favored a doughnut hole plan based on our analysis of public meetings and media polls.)
Before all this came down, RMU had endorsed House and Senate maps from Republicans Fred Cox and Wayne Harper.
Represent Me Utah! wasn't doing any dirty work for the Democrats. Contrarily, we were asking for the Democrats' help. Any help that meets the overall desire of citizens is good help, no matter which political party it comes from.
The GOP's spin on my email is certainly interesting. I'm wondering why only one? Why not list all my emails to all the Republicans and Democrats on the committee and in the legislative body? I certainly received finger cramps in the last days.
Kelli Lundgren
Here is the email message I sent to Senator Davis that the GOP is up in arms over:
--
Sent October 5, 2011
Hi Senator Davis,
Where do you stand on McAdams' Compromise Map, the one with the revisions to keep Utah County cities together? Are you still wanting the donut hole map? If, say, 100 citizens showed up on Friday to suggest a better map; do you think we should try to push the fair map, the donut hole map; or McAdams if it has a better chance?
McAdams' map: http://www.redistrictutah.com/maps/congress-sen-mcadams-06-10411
Thanks for all you have done on the committee.
Kelli
Kelli Lundgren
RepresentMeUtah!
801-915-7515
----
This email correspondence had nothing to do with a rally as was suggested in the Salt Lake Tribune (GOP: Democrats are hypocrites on redistricting, Dec. 10, 2011). It had to do with Represent Me Utah! preparing for an upcoming legislative redistricting committee meeting after the committee surprised citizens and reform groups with a never-before-seen U.S. Congressional Map.
Astonishingly, just a few weeks earlier, the legislative redistricting committee discarded six map finalists, selected after months of work, including one last doughnut hole map, and replaced all with the surprise map. In my message to Senator Davis, I was asking him as a committee member if he would be receptive to a "100 in-person" plea at the next public committee meeting to ask the redistricting committee to compromise, to vote for a modified "pizza slice" plan drawn by Senator McAdams. I asked a Democrat, Davis, because he had wanted a doughnut hole map previously. I asked him if a compromise map would have a "better chance" to receive a "yes" vote by committee members (Republican and Democratic). Davis' response could have been: The Democrats were sticking with a doughnut hole map proposal without compromise. But RMU needed their support on any compromise. The bigger feat for RMU was support from Republicans.
In the end, Republicans rejected the compromise map and all U.S. Congressional map submissions that met the request of the majority of citizens. (The majority of citizens, both urban and rural, favored a doughnut hole plan based on our analysis of public meetings and media polls.)
Before all this came down, RMU had endorsed House and Senate maps from Republicans Fred Cox and Wayne Harper.
Represent Me Utah! wasn't doing any dirty work for the Democrats. Contrarily, we were asking for the Democrats' help. Any help that meets the overall desire of citizens is good help, no matter which political party it comes from.
The GOP's spin on my email is certainly interesting. I'm wondering why only one? Why not list all my emails to all the Republicans and Democrats on the committee and in the legislative body? I certainly received finger cramps in the last days.
Kelli Lundgren
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Governor Herbert: Please Veto this Last Minute Messy Map
By Kelli Lundgren
Hours of closed-door Republican caucus meetings on Monday to finalize Utah's redistricting maps delivered two surprise congressional maps. The first, a completely new map never introduced to the minority party or the public until that day, with Republicans claiming it was a modified citizen’s map, a Garber map. Garber was the first to deny it looked anything like his map, stating the only commonality was Utah’s state outline. The rest of everybody only needed a visual to concur.
The second map, SB3002, introduced that day eventually passed through the House and Senate. It was presented to Democrats and the public between 7:30 and 8 p.m. It looks similar to the map the Senate passed two weeks earlier, with the House realizing any map they present to the Senate needs to be similar to the Senate approved map, or else it will go back to the drawing board. Even that Senate map was a last minute surprise map replacing the six finalist maps voted on by the Legislative Redistricting Committee.
So SB3002 is now waiting on only a signature from Governor Gary Herbert to be implemented for the next ten years. And it is a messy map.
Outside of all the other political tragedies of this map, including a blatant dilution of Democratic votes and picking voters for potential candidates, it carves up neighborhoods in Salt Lake County without thought. The only thought was to achieve a “0” or “1” person deviation to secure the map from litigation.
So now we have a messy map that actually splits the centers of some homes. I viewed close up aerial photos of the new boundaries at the Capitol today. Lines also divide quaint neighborhood streets down their centers, zigzagging all over the place, curling around captured neighborhood squares. It’s just a menagerie.
The moral to this story: if Republicans had taken four days, one month, or even the full six months they used for the public road tour, they could have fine tuned their map. They could have had time to review cuts through neighborhoods and houses. But when you surprise your audience with a brand new map at the last minute, sloppy is what happens; and sloppy could rule for the next ten years.
The new map cuts West Valley City in half, which in reality happens when you attempt to divide the most populous county in the state. The city’s Republican Mayor Mike Winder says it’s okay. He finds it beneficial to have two U.S. Congress people to go to with concerns.
I have news for Mayor Winder: his city is urban and therefore will be on the back burner. If a Republican candidate acquires either or both of the Congressional districts West Valley City resides in, his or her directive will be to focus on acquiring federal land in rural areas. Urban cities get the backside of the deal here, even though ironically I guess a congressman or woman will be from an urban area; unfortunate for rural residents.
Good congressional maps are out there. If Governor Herbert vetoes this messy map, and goes back and selects the Fred Cox/Ben McAdams map, or the King/Garber Modified map, I cannot tell you how much goodwill he would be offering to the citizens of our state. He would be choosing either a bipartisan compromise map or a citizen’s map if he selects the King/Garber map. This alone would be a magnificent move to satisfy the public.
The King/Garber map is a compromise map, not what the citizens really asked for. But I strongly believe citizens are willing to compromise. Our Republican Legislature was not.
If Governor Herbert is as smart as I think he is, he would leverage a veto and a substitute citizen map for the messy map passed by the House and Senate. This goodwill act could help regain trust by the citizenry. This goodwill could last for a very long time. I’m predicting ten years.
Hours of closed-door Republican caucus meetings on Monday to finalize Utah's redistricting maps delivered two surprise congressional maps. The first, a completely new map never introduced to the minority party or the public until that day, with Republicans claiming it was a modified citizen’s map, a Garber map. Garber was the first to deny it looked anything like his map, stating the only commonality was Utah’s state outline. The rest of everybody only needed a visual to concur.
The second map, SB3002, introduced that day eventually passed through the House and Senate. It was presented to Democrats and the public between 7:30 and 8 p.m. It looks similar to the map the Senate passed two weeks earlier, with the House realizing any map they present to the Senate needs to be similar to the Senate approved map, or else it will go back to the drawing board. Even that Senate map was a last minute surprise map replacing the six finalist maps voted on by the Legislative Redistricting Committee.
So SB3002 is now waiting on only a signature from Governor Gary Herbert to be implemented for the next ten years. And it is a messy map.
Outside of all the other political tragedies of this map, including a blatant dilution of Democratic votes and picking voters for potential candidates, it carves up neighborhoods in Salt Lake County without thought. The only thought was to achieve a “0” or “1” person deviation to secure the map from litigation.
So now we have a messy map that actually splits the centers of some homes. I viewed close up aerial photos of the new boundaries at the Capitol today. Lines also divide quaint neighborhood streets down their centers, zigzagging all over the place, curling around captured neighborhood squares. It’s just a menagerie.
The moral to this story: if Republicans had taken four days, one month, or even the full six months they used for the public road tour, they could have fine tuned their map. They could have had time to review cuts through neighborhoods and houses. But when you surprise your audience with a brand new map at the last minute, sloppy is what happens; and sloppy could rule for the next ten years.
The new map cuts West Valley City in half, which in reality happens when you attempt to divide the most populous county in the state. The city’s Republican Mayor Mike Winder says it’s okay. He finds it beneficial to have two U.S. Congress people to go to with concerns.
I have news for Mayor Winder: his city is urban and therefore will be on the back burner. If a Republican candidate acquires either or both of the Congressional districts West Valley City resides in, his or her directive will be to focus on acquiring federal land in rural areas. Urban cities get the backside of the deal here, even though ironically I guess a congressman or woman will be from an urban area; unfortunate for rural residents.
Good congressional maps are out there. If Governor Herbert vetoes this messy map, and goes back and selects the Fred Cox/Ben McAdams map, or the King/Garber Modified map, I cannot tell you how much goodwill he would be offering to the citizens of our state. He would be choosing either a bipartisan compromise map or a citizen’s map if he selects the King/Garber map. This alone would be a magnificent move to satisfy the public.
The King/Garber map is a compromise map, not what the citizens really asked for. But I strongly believe citizens are willing to compromise. Our Republican Legislature was not.
If Governor Herbert is as smart as I think he is, he would leverage a veto and a substitute citizen map for the messy map passed by the House and Senate. This goodwill act could help regain trust by the citizenry. This goodwill could last for a very long time. I’m predicting ten years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)