In case you wanted to vote in this on-line poll...
In a message dated 2/28/00 6:56:23 PM, cartero@nguworld.com writes:
<< The Ahwatukee Foothills News has its online poll about the Transit 2000 plan up and awaiting YOUR opinion at:
http://www.ahwatukee.com/afn/choose.html
Take a moment to register your opinion and, if you feel like it, click the comments link to email them your thoughts on the plan.
The poll is worded goofy, but if you assume "yes" means you support the tax "no" means you oppose it, it makes sense. I gave them a load of criticism about the poor poll wording before I told them how I feel about the transit tax :)
Just for yucks, I've copied my comments below:
- Mikey
---------> Begin copy of comments <----------
First, a couple of criticisms :)
The poll is worded as multiple choice;
"Are you in favor or opposed to Transit 2000, the proposed 4/10 of a cent sales tax increase to fund bus service and light rail, which will be on the ballot March 14?"
but the anwser is yes/no. Technically, you could say that everyone is either in favor of or opposed to Transit 2000. Your wording could be taken to mean that 54.5% (the % saying "no" as of when I took the poll) of those polled are undecided or don't care, while 45.5% (those saying "yes") actually have an opinion.
I think most folks figure "yes" means they support the new tax, while "no" means they oppose it. However, it is possible that the confused wording is skewing the results; though in whose favor I couldn't say.
Second, you still have the Presidential Preference Poll on your Java-enabled page. Perhaps you are missing a lot of potential pollees by not having the correct poll on the Java page.
Now for my actual opinion of the Transit 2000 plan:
Somebody please get me a wooden stake. This is the fourth time in a little over ten years that downtown business interests have tried to convince us to pay for their trolley. It didn't make economic sense in 1989, 1994, or 1997; and it makes even less sense in the 21st century. It's time for Colangelo and Co. to get a clue.
I won't go into great detail, but spending $4.8 billion dollars on a scheme which, if it meets its proponents wildest expectations, will only carry 1 percent of the travel in the metro region is worse than stupid. Shoot, its flat insane! I recommend that all voters visit www.De-railthetax.org or www.ArizonaLibertarian.org/StopThatTrain/ if they want the gory details of just how bad the Transit 2000 plan is.
More importantly, I recommend that all voters visit www.SkyTran.net and take the 5 minute "Photo Tour" to learn what transit in the 21st century will look like. That's right, it isn't a matter of if such a system will be built, but rather, it's just a matter of exactly when and where it will be built FIRST. I fear that Phoenix isn't blessed with "civic leaders" who have the courage or foresight to grasp this truly "World Class" opportunity. Let's start changing that in the next municipal election in 2001 - AFTER we give the Transit 2000 boondoggle a hearty thumbs down on March 14.
Mike Dugger
Ahwatukee
The Ahwatukee Foothills News has its online poll about the Transit 2000 plan up and awaiting YOUR opinion at:
http://www.ahwatukee.com/afn/choose.html
Take a moment to register your opinion and, if you feel like it, click the comments link to email them your thoughts on the plan.
The poll is worded goofy, but if you assume "yes" means you support the tax "no" means you oppose it, it makes sense. I gave them a load of criticism about the poor poll wording before I told them how I feel about the transit tax :)
Just for yucks, I've copied my comments below:
- Mikey
---------> Begin copy of comments <----------
First, a couple of criticisms :)
The poll is worded as multiple choice;
"Are you in favor or opposed to Transit 2000, the proposed 4/10 of a cent sales tax increase to fund bus service and light rail, which will be on the ballot March 14?"
but the anwser is yes/no. Technically, you could say that everyone is either in favor of or opposed to Transit 2000. Your wording could be taken to mean that 54.5% (the % saying "no" as of when I took the poll) of those polled are undecided or don't care, while 45.5% (those saying "yes") actually have an opinion.
I think most folks figure "yes" means they support the new tax, while "no" means they oppose it. However, it is possible that the confused wording is skewing the results; though in whose favor I couldn't say.
Second, you still have the Presidential Preference Poll on your Java-enabled page. Perhaps you are missing a lot of potential pollees by not having the correct poll on the Java page.
Now for my actual opinion of the Transit 2000 plan:
Somebody please get me a wooden stake. This is the fourth time in a little over ten years that downtown business interests have tried to convince us to pay for their trolley. It didn't make economic sense in 1989, 1994, or 1997; and it makes even less sense in the 21st century. It's time for Colangelo and Co. to get a clue.
I won't go into great detail, but spending $4.8 billion dollars on a scheme which, if it meets its proponents wildest expectations, will only carry 1 percent of the travel in the metro region is worse than stupid. Shoot, its flat insane! I recommend that all voters visit www.De-railthetax.org or www.ArizonaLibertarian.org/StopThatTrain/ if they want the gory details of just how bad the Transit 2000 plan is.
More importantly, I recommend that all voters visit www.SkyTran.net and take the 5 minute "Photo Tour" to learn what transit in the 21st century will look like. That's right, it isn't a matter of if such a system will be built, but rather, it's just a matter of exactly when and where it will be built FIRST. I fear that Phoenix isn't blessed with "civic leaders" who have the courage or foresight to grasp this truly "World Class" opportunity. Let's start changing that in the next municipal election in 2001 - AFTER we give the Transit 2000 boondoggle a hearty thumbs down on March 14.
Mike Dugger
Ahwatukee