Scott’s Blog Experience

According to the latest public relations gimick by the Lakeview leaders that are proposing a new Lakeview Museum on the Riverfront. HOI News reports that: “the results of a survey done by Peoria County prove the public is behind the new Peoria Riverfront Museum”. It proves it? Really? HOI goes on to write: The survey polled 1,000 people in the city of Peoria and Peoria County. But the story fails to report on what demographic or who they polled. It just say’s “people”. What people? The breakdown went like this:

“It just shows what we’ve known all along. There is wide support in the museum project and a lot of people are interested in making the project move along,” said Kathleen Woith

4.6% said they’d support a tax increase for Peoria County property owners,

21.1% said they’d support a multi county property tax

31.8% percent said they’d support a temporary quarter cent sales tax increase in Peoria County.

Notice the 3rd option that say’s “Temporary”. You know, like the “temporary” beverage tax for the Civic Center that was adopted years ago that has yet to be repealed.

I have one question that was not asked from HOI news. Who did they Poll? What demographic did the use? Were they all County Employees? Were half County Employee’s and half City Employee’s? CJ over at the Peoria Chronical has a good take on the credibility on this poll also. Who did they poll? It’s easy to say “We knew Peoria would support a sales tax increase” when you already know the outcome. Or have an influence on the polling demographic. It would be like asking 1000 Actors in Hollywood who they support, McCain or Obama? Even the survey questions seemed a bit biased when asking a simple yes or no to anykind of tax increase.

Let’s see who they polled before we believe “Peoria” supports a tax increase of anykind for this museum. I have a new poll question, let’s see if we get the same result.

Technorati Tags: Peoria Lakeview Museum Leaders, HOI News, Lakeview Museum Leaders Poll for Tax increase