Uh oh, Dave K isn't going to like this one. Mayor Beutler wants to conduct a citizen survey this year to find out what we Lincolnites think about a host of issues. I wouldn't mind seeing the results of such a survey. My only fear is that the responses will be difficult to interpret because of poor question wording. I really hate poorly-constructed surveys. Creating a perfect survey is all but impossible, but crafting a good one isn't all that difficult. Unfortunately, crappy surveys are drop-dead easy to create, and that's the category most surveys end up in. Mayor Beutler wants to use local resources to create and run the survey. I don't know what's available on the commercial side, but I can think of several people and organizations at UNL that I would trust to run a good survey.
Whatever the survey looks like and whoever does it, I want to strongly encourage Mayor Beutler to release all of the aggregate data to the public in an easy-to-use format. If we pay for it, we should have full access to the results.
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See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
I expect a lot more of these feel-goody pet projects to come about now that bond issue funds are available for discretionary use. You’re right, it will be a crappy survey that will do nothing but make old people and the types who attend city meetings feel better about themselves.
Let’s be honest. Good intentioned or not, the recent LES survey was a pretty worthless endeavor.
There are plenty of good survey companies in Lincoln, some of whom may be willing to craft a good survey for little to no charge. Maybe a deal can be made that someone can get their company name on it in exchange for putting it out there for nothing.
It could be done online with not a lot of added costs to the city (BUT WAIT, what about the poor and homeless who don’t have computers and cars and grocery stores?). Uh, they most likely don’t do surveys anyway. ?
Okay, I apologize for the last paragraph. If a useful survey could be crafted that actually mattered, I wouldn’t be the offended. I just think they are usually awful surveys, and they are all about pipedreams or things that don’t matter that much. I’d rather see a big idea box where people can input real ideas and real solutions that will help taxpayers spend less or earn more or help the city grow in real, measurable ways, not feel-good nonsense. My jab about the cars and grocery stores was not call for, and I apologize.
the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) is the only place I’d trust in town, but I’m sort of biased. I’m giving a lecture over there in 30 minutes.
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