This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

When Rocky Anderson was Salt Lake City's mayor, his liberal rhetoric and environmental activism drove Republicans crazy.

One GOP strategist once told me that wherever he went to support Republicans throughout the state, even if it was an event for an auditor candidate in, say, Sanpete County, the mantra against his opponent would be: "Do you want another Rocky Anderson?"

In fact, a mysterious group materialized with a campaign arguing that residents in Davis County and the fringes of Salt Lake County should be allowed to vote in the Salt Lake City mayor's race because they work and shop in Utah's capital and are affected by its policies.

One official of a southwestern Salt Lake County city favored the idea, stating that Anderson's policies affected his area, so folks there should be able to vote against him.

Anderson provoked much of that kind of talk when he joined a lawsuit brought by environmentalists against construction of the Legacy Parkway through Davis County because of its path through sensitive wetlands.

Those backing the notion of non-Salt Lake City residents voting in the mayor's race said Anderson was damaging their ability to commute to work and, therefore, negatively affecting their lifestyles.

Well, how about some tit for tat?

I realize this is as unrealistic as the campaign to have Bountiful residents cast ballots in the Salt Lake City mayor's race, but I propose Salt Lakers should be allowed to vote in legislative races in rural Utah, as well as Salt Lake County suburbs such as West Jordan, South Jordan, Bluffdale and Herriman.

Those legislators, who represent fewer folks than the population in Salt Lake City, not only push policies and pass legislation that most Salt Lakers oppose, but their actions also often harm capital residents.

It's fair to say that the majority of Salt Lake City residents favor background checks for those buying firearms at gun shows. They want federal protections of public lands that encompass some of the nation's most stunning vistas. They back equal rights for gays and lesbians, including protecting LGBT individuals from being targeted by hate crimes. They support medical marijuana to treat certain ailments. And they oppose steering their taxes to fund long-shot lawsuits against the U.S. government or to defend a rural county commissioner found guilty of federal crimes.

But the rural folks' wishes, which frequently clash with the sensibilities of Utah's bluest city, almost always prevail. This discrepancy exists largely because of the way legislative districts have been drawn to basically neuter areas populated by liberals and Democrats.

There are only 12 Democrats in the 75-member House and five in the 29-member Senate. All but one of those 17 Democrats live in Salt Lake County, with most of them inside Salt Lake City's boundaries.

Because the Republicans are so dominant, all decisions are made in the GOP caucuses, with the Democrats — i.e. Salt Lake City representatives — locked out and largely ignored.

One could call that taxation without representation.