This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
While I have enjoyed Robert Gehrke's columns immensely, I felt his piece on the "mob" anger in evidence at Rep. Jason Chaffetz's recent town hall meeting in Salt Lake County missed the mark. People are not only angry at Chaffetz's lack of action on the myriad ethical issues associated with the 3-week-old Trump administration. There is pent-up frustration over his actions over the last two years with the unending Hillary Clinton investigations, posturing over Planned Parenthood and his outrage over Barack Obama's use of the Antiquities Act to protect Bears Ears.
Yes, people in Salt Lake County are angry and their political power has been neutered with "pizza pie" gerrymandered congressional districts that ensure that urban voters have no one to represent them. I seriously doubt anyone was paid to agitate at the town hall. Chaffetz can continue to dismiss and ignore Salt Lake County voters because he can easily slide to victory every two years with Utah County and rural county voters to dilute the impact of his slice of Salt Lake County.
If as Gehrke suggests, energy needs to be "channeled in a constructive direction," then let it be to convince the state Legislature to delegate redistricting after the 2020 census to an independent commission which recognizes communities of interest.
Christine B. Helfrich
Millcreek