Talking Around the Questions

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467870524511836313.post-80204964469236747492008-04-27T22:29:00.000-07:002008-05-07T11:17:06.830-07:00Talking Around the QuestionsPreliminary results. Raw data. Tabulations. Draft copies. The long awaited community priorities survey is in, but judging from the volume of information and the myriad of ways in which it could be interpreted or spun, it looks like the effort to decipher public opinion has just begun. We have written <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://www.bainbridgepostscript.com/2008/04/power-of-information.html">before</a> about the distinction between the "scientifically valid" random phone survey and the not so reliable self-selecting on-line survey. Judging from what we've heard and seen we can be confident that the on-line survey has no value from a numerical perspective, as several sources have reported taking the survey multiple times by simply disabling cookies or by using a different IP address. And quite frankly, based on the wording of some of the phone survey questions, we have to wonder about that one as well. Only one thing appears to be certain, and that is that there will surely be some creative attempts by Winslow Way Streetscape supporters to explain how citizens voting for "safe and efficient utilities" and "maintaining existing roads" were expressing support for the Streetscape despite their low ranking of "downtown planning" and the prevalence of road maintenance and utilities issues Island-wide. Interested citizens might want to arm themselves with the actual data generated by the two surveys in preparation for their formal presentation to Council and subsequent press. The basic results of both surveys are available as attachments to the upcoming City Council agenda for the April 30th special meeting. However, what is not included are the narrative portions of the on-line survey. Fortunately, a friend of the PostScript forwarded those results to us. We have uploaded a <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20Narrative%201.pdf?gda=FpMltk4AAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxkBA-x6UX3d469YyFNaE3kWG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTnsBjYQeZ54ikbjMP8MyqB8NPzu7bHKUnIu2JVPMSfLA&gsc=EWUHYwsAAACWtd9Ko_R4DWO-iBL-RZd3">reformatted copy</a> of the first narrative question "What are the top three hopes/desires or issues (if any) about local government that concern you?" It might seem hypocritical to disparage the on-line survey in one breath and in another offer the results, but throwing out the numerical value of the survey need not negate to value of reading the unedited concerns and of Island residents. The proportions may be off, but the flavor is still there. Go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/documents/exec/clerk/cc_agn_0408/043008_bi_online_survey_tabulation.pdf">here</a> for the on-line data and <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/documents/exec/clerk/cc_agn_0408/043008_draft_telephone_survey_results.pdf">here</a> for the phone data that are attached to this weeks Council agenda. For narrative answers we have uploaded the following survey questions: To read responses to the question of why respondents answered as they did to the question "How would you rate the quality of life on Bainbridge Island now?" (question #3) go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20survey%20Narrative%20Quality%20of%20life%20Now.pdf?gda=TbUGnWAAAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxmyq7vBvImBUjpbTx-TmMYGG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTX0dfG46dLLOm6ypSwYAlFEHvMa69UY_n0DE7XXGycm7f8qZJw6LmFge9M8vDYIec&gsc=IDqr4AsAAAA-NbEerNaJ16BKko23UpWe">here</a>. To read responses to the question of why respondents answered as they did to the question of "Thinking ahead five years from now, how would you rate the quality of life on Bainbridge Island?" (question #5) go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20narrative%20Quality%20of%20life%20in%205%20years.pdf?gda=ps8ZQmcAAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxmyq7vBvImBUjpbTx-TmMYGG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDQYKijekvO1eBHzLvLvZKYiEHvMa69UY_n0DE7XXGycmzpUk0l0RC-ZVcMWBgP2OZWhlWKsnjpjGaZkgxOOMHRE&gsc=IDqr4AsAAAA-NbEerNaJ16BKko23UpWe">here</a>. To read responses to the first time (question #1) survey takers were asked "What are the top three hopes/desires or issues (if any) about local government that concern you?" go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20Narrative%20Top%20three%20hopes%20desires%201st%20ask.pdf?gda=Juu862wAAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxmyq7vBvImBUjpbTx-TmMYGG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTnsBjYQeZ54ikbjMP8MyqBhxJ9kaqdQ5gDJP-jm8Xxqbow-XO0mm3H4d4J63F0uK3YtjTiWDRmmnIT28kcuJoW&gsc=IDqr4AsAAAA-NbEerNaJ16BKko23UpWe">here</a>. To read responses to the second time (question #30) survey takers were asked "What are the top three hopes/desires or issues (if any) about local government that concern you?" go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20Narrative%20Top%20three%20hopes%20desires%202nd%20ask.pdf?gda=9jx-6mwAAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxmyq7vBvImBUjpbTx-TmMYGG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTnsBjYQeZ54ikbjMP8MyqBhxJ9kaqdQ5gDJP-jm8Xxqbow-XO0mm3H4d4J63F0uK2btlxpgszqgZtpLkp7yFVO&gsc=IDqr4AsAAAA-NbEerNaJ16BKko23UpWe">here</a>. To read responses to the question of why respondents chose the two issues they believed jeopardize quality of life on the Island (question #7) go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20Narrative%20Two%20issues%20jeopardizing%20quality%20of%20life.pdf">here</a>. To read responses to the question inviting comments on zoning and planning (question # 9) go <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20narrative%20Comments%20about%20zoning%20and%20planning.pdf">here</a>. To read responses to the question inviting comments on City infrastructure (question # 17) go <a href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20narrative%20Comments%20on%20infrastructure.pdf">here.</a> (To post or read comments on this story click on 'COMMENTS' below) <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://bainbridge-postscript-forum.googlegroups.com/web/Online%20Survey%20Narrative%20Top%20three%20hopes%20desires%201st%20ask.pdf?gda=Juu862wAAACfM_oXNIdIP05C8iztLrQxmyq7vBvImBUjpbTx-TmMYGG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDTnsBjYQeZ54ikbjMP8MyqBhxJ9kaqdQ5gDJP-jm8Xxqbow-XO0mm3H4d4J63F0uK3YtjTiWDRmmnIT28kcuJoW&gsc=IDqr4AsAAAA-NbEerNaJ16BKko23UpWe"></a>McCoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17399770073145831994noreply@blogger.com