Letter: Survey results may not ring true

Re: “Survey: Residents are open to new taxes,” Dec. 20. First of all, residents and businesses of Glendale should realize the survey was not “scientific” as claimed. No poll or survey is objective, therefore not “scientific,” because it is well-established that crafted questions produce desired responses which, as such, have no value.

To illustrate the point: the survey used the phrase “assessment district” to craftily avoid using the word “tax.”

That survey was conducted with a mere 400 responders, sampling only 1/5th of 1% of Glendale’s population of 200,000. Yes, that survey had not only crafted questions but was also a very small sample.

And next, $80,000 was recently approved by City Council to be spent “to look into whether voters would approve a proposed tax measure on the June ballot.”

Third-grade arithmetic shows if another 400 responders are queried for $80,000, the cost per responder is $200. Outrageous, and many or most think worthless. Shame on the City Council for authorizing these costly “surveys.”

The City Council must stop spending to collect more worthless “data,” spending for that tasteless bronze statue, which continues to offend many including our Japanese sister-city, as well as the council’s other frivolous pet projects.

The council should listen to the people. Enough already.

D. A. Bathker
Glendale