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News & ArtsWednesday, July 21, 2010
Political Suicide / City Poll: Most Would Reject City Council Members Who Approve Current Tunnel Contract
Posted by Dominic Holden on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 5:21 PM
Friends of Seattle released a poll today that shows the majority of Seattle voters would oppose city council members who support a contract with the state that puts tunnel cost overruns on Seattle. Of the 411 people surveyed, 51.6 percent said they would be somewhat or very unlikely to support one of those council members; only 35 percent said they were somewhat or very likely to support one of those candidates.
Meanwhile, the poll found that—if the citizens run a referendum on the tunnel, as appears likely—a plurality of voters would reject the current proposed ordinance. Of the respondents, 48.8 them would vote to reject the contract obligating Seattle to pay for overruns. Only 32.5 percent of the people surveyed said they would vote to approve the contract. About 19 percent were unsure.
1
Told you I could get the signatures to recall them within two days.
Surrender, Dorothy! We'll get you and your Billionaires Tunnel too!
Surrender, Dorothy! We'll get you and your Billionaires Tunnel too!
2
Thats actually shockingly low for a poll of this type, especially with over 60% saying the wanted the supposed cost overrun provision removed in a previous poll.
In other words, most people don't give a shit.
In other words, most people don't give a shit.
3
A classic "Push Poll" if reports on its questions are correct. Why are results reported if Friends of Seattle does not disclose questions?
A classic "Push Poll" if reports on its questions are correct. Why are results reported if Friends of Seattle does not disclose questions?
4
411 people surveyed? And who the hell is Friends of Seattle? The opposite of Enemies of Seattle!??!?
Sorry this is starting to sound a little desperate Dominic
Sorry this is starting to sound a little desperate Dominic
5
@3) The questions are on the FOS website, which I link to in the post.
@4) A poll of around 400 respondents is typical for a survey of public opinion in a city--and it brings the margin of error, in this case, to 4.9 percent. Follow the link for information about the group and methodology.
@4) A poll of around 400 respondents is typical for a survey of public opinion in a city--and it brings the margin of error, in this case, to 4.9 percent. Follow the link for information about the group and methodology.
6
I have seriously never met a person outside the internet that believes the tunnel project is a good idea AT ALL. I work downtown everyday and make small talk about that sort of thing quite a bit. Where are these people who are ok with the tunnel plan?
8
I was called about this poll and I took it.
It was a sucky push poll designed to get exactly the answers it got.
It was a sucky push poll designed to get exactly the answers it got.
10
Example of why this poll sucks. They claim to have polled 'likely voters' but do not define how they got a phone list of likely voters. The poll results break down the poll participants by age, sex, and likely party affiliation, but that information was not asked during the poll. While I am a likely voter, I don't register my CELL phone with polling agencies, don't believe the King County elections have my cell number either, and it's not listed. However, I have given the number to Democratic party candidates during fundraising. I haven't given them other demographic information identified in the poll.
12
I love the smell of panic. A trend toward rejection of the tunnel and the rats are scrambling.
It's like a repeat of the 2009 mayoral election all over again. How was that 51-48 win for Mallahan, MrBaker? All those polls? All that projecting based on support for the tunnel? How did that work out for you?
In polling, it's not about the numbers, it's about the trends. Big polls and small polls are trending toward rejection of the tunnel. You guys have already lost.
I love it.
It's like a repeat of the 2009 mayoral election all over again. How was that 51-48 win for Mallahan, MrBaker? All those polls? All that projecting based on support for the tunnel? How did that work out for you?
In polling, it's not about the numbers, it's about the trends. Big polls and small polls are trending toward rejection of the tunnel. You guys have already lost.
I love it.
13
@6 ftw.
City Council has a choice. It can surrender and either put the insane boondoggle of a Billionaires Tunnel up for a public vote by the Citizens of Seattle - which doesn't include most of the Millionaires and Billionaires who are pushing for it, because they can't vote in Seattle - or they can kill the Billionaires Tunnel.
City Council has a choice. It can surrender and either put the insane boondoggle of a Billionaires Tunnel up for a public vote by the Citizens of Seattle - which doesn't include most of the Millionaires and Billionaires who are pushing for it, because they can't vote in Seattle - or they can kill the Billionaires Tunnel.
14
@10: It's called votebuilder, and the party knows everything about you. They know they're calling a XX-YY year old white/black/gray man/woman who does/doesn't vote in all/even year/odd year primary/general elections who makes $xx-yy a year and likes/dislikes cats.
Seriously, there's a section in there about pet ownership.
Datamining is awesome.
I'd love to know what about those questions makes it a "push poll", the idea of which is laughable to a universe of 411. A push poll necessitates a huge universe of likely voters - you don't sway the electorate by having FOUR HUNDRED answer questions.
Seriously, there's a section in there about pet ownership.
Datamining is awesome.
I'd love to know what about those questions makes it a "push poll", the idea of which is laughable to a universe of 411. A push poll necessitates a huge universe of likely voters - you don't sway the electorate by having FOUR HUNDRED answer questions.
15
@6
You could try asking the people who work in Pioneer Square (like me) or on the waterfront (my neighbor). Or you could listen to the drumbeat of negativity from the Stranger staff on the Hill, who were delighted to see the Square gutted by the loss of the Elliot Bay Bookstore and never come down town unless they are forced to. And that's why you never see, or will ever see, one sentence on the benefits of putting four lanes of traffic underground so Seattle can have a world-class waterfront. After all, since they don't have to put up with the noise, pollution and ugliness of a Viaduct re-build, and they will never suffer any impact from moving viaduct traffic onto First Avenue in a street option, why should they give a shit?
You could try asking the people who work in Pioneer Square (like me) or on the waterfront (my neighbor). Or you could listen to the drumbeat of negativity from the Stranger staff on the Hill, who were delighted to see the Square gutted by the loss of the Elliot Bay Bookstore and never come down town unless they are forced to. And that's why you never see, or will ever see, one sentence on the benefits of putting four lanes of traffic underground so Seattle can have a world-class waterfront. After all, since they don't have to put up with the noise, pollution and ugliness of a Viaduct re-build, and they will never suffer any impact from moving viaduct traffic onto First Avenue in a street option, why should they give a shit?
17
@15: Have no fear, even WSDOT predicts falling traffic and higher transit usage with the removal of the viaduct with no rebuild.
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