Candidate talks about representation

A Spectrum by Kevin Sorensen

I am passionate about fair representation. I am not ashamed to be passionate, or emotional as my assembly representative characterizes it, about fair representation. Passion for fair representation is a noble tradition in America. It is at the heart of the Revolutionary War, the emancipation of slaves, the liberation of Europe, women's suffrage and the civil rights movement.

Fair representation is at issue in our borough today. In fact, I believe it is the biggest issue facing our borough, though not a grand historical event, but important to us. It is at the foundation of questions for schools, roads, emergency services, taxes and economic development.

The redistricting board proposed a plan that by any objective standard diminishes the borough's influence and representation in the state Legislature. This year the borough budget is more than $150 million and the borough collects less than $40 million in taxes. The fact is that the borough's schools and roads receive in the range of $100 million from the state each year.

Under the proposed redistricting plan, our borough will receive millions less each year. The borough will either have to reduce our school, road or emergency services funding or raise taxes. It could very likely be that the borough may have to reduce spending and raise taxes to compensate for the loss. This may explain why my assembly representative has been a proponent of the sales tax.

In her Sept. 21, 2001 Spectrum article in the Frontiersman, my assembly representative wrote to set straight and stand on her record. She stated concerning redistricting that "Constitutionally we don't have much of a case." I suppose this is to explain why she has voted against every action to contest the redistricting. This is interesting since the legal counsel for the assembly stated regarding the constitutional requirement that "the board's approach may be vulnerable to attack." Legal counsel goes on to conclude, "I think the potential is great for the courts to ultimately find that the new plan violates the constitution."

My assembly representative goes on to state that a $200,000 price tag isn't justifiable to dispute the redistricting plan and should be spent for other essential services in the community. It is hard to know which essential service the borough can provide the citizens that is more essential than assuring fair representation. But then, I'm passionate about fair representation.

Kevin Sorensen is a candidate for the Mat-Su Borough Assembly.