Bucking the likes of Facebook and Twitter, the state senator who represents Park City on Capitol Hill uses newspapers in his district when reaching out to his constituents.
For about five years in a row Vernal Republican Kevin Van Tassell has stuffed surveys for voters into several papers in Senate District 26 while anticipating the start of the legislative general session.
On Tuesday, Van Tassell said about 500 people had mailed the surveys back to him.
“I really feel those who send those back feel compelled to,” Van Tassell said. “I put a lot of value in them.”
This year’s questionnaire included inquiries about the economy, Medicaid, liquor laws, immigration and public lands.
“It gives [Van Tassell] a way to gauge changes in sentiment, or changes in public opinion,” Summit County Republican Party Chairman Henry Glasheen said about the questionnaire. “It gives you the indication that Kevin is trying to vote according to the will of his constituency I think the big concern that people had in this election was that they felt like their voices were not being heard. With the advent of the Tea Party and other people that have come on the scene, there have been big opinion shifts and I think it’s smart for him to try and see if he can solicit an indication of whether or not that affects his constituency.”
State Senate District 26 includes portions of Summit, Wasatch, Duchesne, Uintah and Daggett counties. Van Tassell receives e-mail at [email protected].
Here is a sample of the questions included with Van Tassell’s mailer:
What do you believe the budget priorities should be for the 2011 session?
Would you support or oppose an enforcement-based immigration law in Utah which would require local law enforcement to check the legal status of those suspected of criminal activities?
Several proposals to be considered by the Legislature this year would give the state of Utah greater control over the use of land owned by the federal government. Do you support or oppose these proposals?