A member of the State Legislature, that's what.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Regerrymandering Part VII: What do Bear Lake, Jeremy Ranch, and Flaming George have in Common?
What do Bear Lake, Jeremy Ranch, and Flaming George have in Common?
A member of the State Legislature, that's what.
A member of the State Legislature, that's what.
Regerrymandering Part VI: What do Grantsville, Tremonton, and Southern Cache Valley have in common?
What do Grantsville, Tremonton, and Hyrum up in Cache County all have in common?
I'm stumped to find an answer.
Well, other than sharing the same State Senator for the next 10 years, that is.
There's a lot of commonality there, my friends. I'm just waiting for the GOP spin to find it.
I'm stumped to find an answer.
Well, other than sharing the same State Senator for the next 10 years, that is.
There's a lot of commonality there, my friends. I'm just waiting for the GOP spin to find it.
Regerrymandering Part V: Senate District 12 -- Straddling the Oquirrhs
Senate District 12 is an interesting shape. In addition to having an interesting shape, it is naturally separated by the Oquirrh Mountains.
Yep, the Senator representing this district will have to drive outside his district to visit his constituents on the other side.
Another winning map brought to you by the Utah Legislature.
Regerrymandering Part IV: Equal Population at what cost? Oquirrh Edition
If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, and you are West of I-15 and South of about 4300 South, you live in the Purple district.
Well, unless you live in the Oquirrh neighborhood of West Jordan. Then you might be in the Yellow district.
Yep, if you live in this part of the subdivision, your congressman won't live in areas that share similar characteristics to yours. Your Congressman will live in Downtown Salt Lake. Or Bountiful. Or Tooele. Or St George. Or Blanding.
One thing's for sure: you probably won't ever see him campaigning in Oquirrh. Because you are separated from the rest of his district.
And that just isn't right. Surely, the Legislature could have found a neighborhood elsewhere along the border to draw into the neighborhood. I wonder who lives there that just got drawn into a different district.
Well, unless you live in the Oquirrh neighborhood of West Jordan. Then you might be in the Yellow district.
Yep, if you live in this part of the subdivision, your congressman won't live in areas that share similar characteristics to yours. Your Congressman will live in Downtown Salt Lake. Or Bountiful. Or Tooele. Or St George. Or Blanding.
One thing's for sure: you probably won't ever see him campaigning in Oquirrh. Because you are separated from the rest of his district.
And that just isn't right. Surely, the Legislature could have found a neighborhood elsewhere along the border to draw into the neighborhood. I wonder who lives there that just got drawn into a different district.
Regerrymandering Part III: Equal Population at what cost? Holladay Edition
So, you think the Congressional Lines drawn by the Utah Legislature took some interesting turns around the Columbus Library, take a look at Highland Downs Ln in Holladay:
The dividing line between the purple and green districts from 4800 South to I-215 is Highland Drive.
Well, except for Highland Down Lane. Highland Downs Lane is a Private Lane that curves east from Highland Drive south to 5165 South. Compacted in the small space of this complex are 7 nearly identical duplexes. This small private lane (skinny enough that on-street parking is not allowed) is a dividing line between Congressional Districts. 3 duplexes are in the purple districts, and the other 4 are in the green.
Does this make sense to anyone?
The dividing line between the purple and green districts from 4800 South to I-215 is Highland Drive.
Well, except for Highland Down Lane. Highland Downs Lane is a Private Lane that curves east from Highland Drive south to 5165 South. Compacted in the small space of this complex are 7 nearly identical duplexes. This small private lane (skinny enough that on-street parking is not allowed) is a dividing line between Congressional Districts. 3 duplexes are in the purple districts, and the other 4 are in the green.
Does this make sense to anyone?
Regerrymandering Part II: Equal Population at what cost?: Columbus Library Edition
There are some really interesting lines drawn in the Utah Legislature's 2011 Regerrymandering maps. They've got equal population in their Congressional districts, but at what cost?
Take, for example, the lines drawn around Salt Lake City's Columbus Library:
This is an area between roughly i-80 and 3000 South and 300 and 900 East. There are a few interesting lines here (like the fact that putting the golf course in the purple district make the lines look less puzzle like). Let's zoom in on the really interesting line:
The boundary here runs down 500 East. If you live on the east side of 500 East along here, you are in the yellow district and your Congressman will live somewhere between Bountiful and Blanding. If you live on the west side of the street, it gets a little more complex.
The first 5 houses south of the freeway are in the yellow district. Then we have 3 houses, the library, and two more houses in the purple district. Then there are six houses in the yellow district, and then purple again the rest of the way to 2700 South.
Why did they do this? It's simple: Even though there is some wiggle room (the districts don't have to be exactly the same), they wanted to make the districts exactly the same. They did this so that when the citizens of Utah pointed out that their maps were crazy puzzle pieces, they could say "well, they are equal."
Take, for example, the lines drawn around Salt Lake City's Columbus Library:
This is an area between roughly i-80 and 3000 South and 300 and 900 East. There are a few interesting lines here (like the fact that putting the golf course in the purple district make the lines look less puzzle like). Let's zoom in on the really interesting line:
The boundary here runs down 500 East. If you live on the east side of 500 East along here, you are in the yellow district and your Congressman will live somewhere between Bountiful and Blanding. If you live on the west side of the street, it gets a little more complex.
The first 5 houses south of the freeway are in the yellow district. Then we have 3 houses, the library, and two more houses in the purple district. Then there are six houses in the yellow district, and then purple again the rest of the way to 2700 South.
Why did they do this? It's simple: Even though there is some wiggle room (the districts don't have to be exactly the same), they wanted to make the districts exactly the same. They did this so that when the citizens of Utah pointed out that their maps were crazy puzzle pieces, they could say "well, they are equal."
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