It’s funny how Meghan Mckenna’s letter written to condemn a Park Record contributor for supposedly “alienating and discrediting the experiences of so many Summit County residents” could possibly alienate and discredit the experiences of so many Summit County residents.No one identifies as a “resident of unincorporated Summit County.” People in Hoytsville say, “I’m from Coalville.” Folks who live just beyond the perimeter of Old Town don’t make the distinction. They are from Park City. Ask someone in Francis if they are from Park City, the answer will be no. They will most often identify with the place that best reflects their values and desires within the broader community.Likewise if you ask any of those residents about their method for choosing their elected officials, I’m quite confident that few of them will say: “I prefer to elect candidates with a totally different worldview than my own. I feel that they perfectly understand me and resonate with my every concern when they say words like ‘collaboration’ and ‘cohesive.'”While reading Ms. Mckenna’s letter, I struggle to discern whether I’m being gas-lit or condescended to. The suggestion that at large elections might actually empower rural residents in a county with the degree of ideological divide we possess is more absurd than attributing the traffic to an elk herd. Tone deaf as her remark is, it is overshadowed by the elitism in her insinuation that we country bumpkins couldn’t possibly manage ourselves without the charitable assistance and matriarchal wisdom of ol’ Park City. Yet Ari alienates? The unfortunate truth is that there is indeed a chasm in the county — a political barrier that approximately half of its population have struggled to overcome for well over a decade. And as the major political parties continue to uncouple (as they have since 2006), it will grow wider, and as more tourists turn into residents, the divide will grow deeper. And many of my rural neighbors fear that eventually it will swallow up the fading voice of traditional values and conservative beliefs held by the residents of the cedars and the sage brush.The reason those small-town residents are perceived as indifferent to running for office is not insufficiency of population or unsuitable locale, as Meghan simplistically implies. It’s that the Democratic influence in Summit County has long loomed like a gargoyle over the courthouse, dissuading and dejecting any non-Democrat audacious enough to run for office.This is the undeniable condition that spurs the “few disgruntled citizens” pressing for House Bill 356. Those “few” actually make up 59% of the North Summit area, and 53% of the Kamas Kalley. According to analysis of official voter data, registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by as much as 4:1 in South Summit and 5:1 in North Summit. Yet the ratio of elected county officials is 0:5 — no need to mention which side the conservatives enjoy. Nevertheless, Ms. Mckenna implores that any mention of this disparity is pure divisiveness! Counterproductive dysfunction! As opposed to her own “meaningful dialogue.” Was it meaningful dialogue when County Councilor Tonja Hanson recently lent tacit credence to the bigoted rantings of a Park Record commentor screeching “racist” and “klansmen” at other commentors? Yet her status as (the only) East Side resident on the council should, according to her and Meghan, assuage my concerns regarding her ability to represent my values or those of her nearly 12,000 Republican constituents. I’m not convinced.House Bill 356, clumsy as it may be, is an attempt to bridge the gap — rather, to allow the county’s rural-minded citizens to cross the chasm between sleepy Coalville Main Street and lofty Marsac Avenue. Smaller districts would make campaigning more equitable. A candidate with an R next to their name can currently expect to spend as much as $40,000 to spread their message to 30,000 potential voters. Yet they will still likely fail to overcome the Democratic voter bloc due mainly to the political rift felt nationwide.Park City and its surroundings, with its scanty 30% Republican population, is the arbiter of county governance by virtue of the fact that it simply will never vote for an R and has the population to throw its weight around. They certainly have that right. However, Ms. Mckenna can hardly argue fairness when a resident of Henefer is required to spend a fortune campaigning for a part-time job as councilor to gain the votes of so many tourists turned residents who couldn’t find Henefer on a map, let alone articulate the concerns of a multi-generational rancher.Let Park City have their say and let the rancher in Henefer, and the school teacher in Peoa, have their say that actually amounts to something by creating manageable districts that align with the sentiments of the people they elect.The argument by those who currently enjoy the positions at the top is that the daily goings on of county government are predominantly non-partisan. That may be true but it begs two questions:Would you maintain that argument if, say, Voldemort or worse yet, Donald Trump Jr., moved to Park City and vied for office? Of course not.2. Those with vision beyond the ski slopes don’t take for granted our current condition or turn a blind eye to the results of leftwing strongholds across the country (L.A., Portland, Baltimore, Chicago, etc.). It’s very easy to opine thatRepublicans should keep national politics out of county business when you (a “progressive”) will comfortably maintain possession of a seat at the table.As of late, equity seemed to be the policy du jour. Why not here, why not now? Bill 356 makes the playing field smaller and more attainable for all. It would empower the elections of more accountable and responsive representatives and I believe a more involved citizenry. All Summit County residents deserve to feel as though their vote matters. Support HB 356.Tory WelchHoytsvilleThe post Only fair appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less