We found it very interesting that ex-council member Dankwerth found fault with the recent survey done by Salette Latas concerning OV finances. (See our post Thanks To Salette Latas For Her Oro Valley Poll)
One might question why Ms. Dankwerth felt it necessary to write this letter to The Explorer in the first place, especially since the survey was done by Salette as a community service at NO CHARGE TO ORO VALLEY.
If Dankwerth thinks the survey she alluded to in her letter that cost Oro Valley taxpayers $17,500 was more worthwhile, we would strongly disagree.
One thing that I don't believe anyone could question were the results of the March 2008 primary election for OV Council.
Finishing first with 5,704 votes was challenger Ms. Latas. Finishing last with 3,167 votes was incumbent Ms. Dankwerth. Was this the impetus for this letter---or might it be the 2010 election? Hmmm!
********************************************************************************************
Surveys by OV, Latas were not done the same
I appreciate Councilmember Salette Latas' initiative in seeking citizen reaction to Oro Valley's current fiscal woes and (potential) proposed solutions.
However, comparing her survey which, by her own admission, only contacted 2,000 individuals from her personal e-mail list, to the study conducted by the Town of Oro Valley in December, 2007 is akin to comparing apples and oranges.
Councilmember Latas chose to conduct a qualitative survey — that is, an informal opinion poll of a specific group. By contrast, the Town of Oro Valley quantitative survey was a scientific sampling of a body.
Oro Valley's statistically valid Citizen Satisfaction Survey was the result of countless hours of effort by town staff and council members K.C. Carter, Terry Parish and Helen Dankwerth under the tutelage of a research analyst / statistician employed by Marketing Intelligence, a highly respected leader in its field — not a consulting firm.
Town survey results were based on a sampling of 23,300 registered voters (residents of Oro Valley). A random sampling of 400 responses was then determined as a demographically diverse representative base. The demographic criteria were drawn from a fair and objective source: i.e. U.S. Census, and not from a special interest group.
All town survey respondents were contacted by telephone, came from all areas of the town, and were of six different age groups representative of equivalent (age-related) population distribution.
In order to reach the "clean" threshold of 400 respondents, over 5,000 phone calls were placed to ensure that survey criteria were met. The final 150 responses came from a general list of Oro Valley residents whose address and voice identification statements were pre-qualifiers prior to any other survey questions being asked.
The overwhelmingly positive response to this survey (88 percent) indicated that safety was the chief concern. Satisfaction with Town of Oro Valley police services ranked highest among all issues.
As the town survey was conducted during more stable economic times, the $17,500 cost was not considered an untenable factor. Complete copies of the survey are available on line, at the Town Hall, and at the Oro Valley Public Library.
Finally, as all public input is crucial, and government decisions must be reflective of that input, let us acknowledge the appropriateness of both surveys discussed herein.
Helen Dankwerth, Oro Valley
8 comments:
Well, I think Helen is a smart women, but missing the point.
I think Salette Latas was only comparing the cost of her near free survey to the cost of the town survey at 17,00.
I also think many of the choices listed on the free survey were taken right from the town managers budget info about proposals/idea's
Ms. Dankwerth states that the OV Town Survey which she helped produce was a scientific sampling of 23,300 registered voters (RESIDENTS OF ORO VALLEY) from which a random sampling of 400 responses was taken.
Yet, a resident from Saddlebrook was one of the respondents who was included in that sampling. Since when are Saddlebrook residents also residents of Oro Valley?
This is just one of the flaws that was discovered in the $17,500 survey. I'm sure there were others.
In contrast, Salette matched her respondents against the OV voter file to ensure that all respondents WERE registered Oro Valley voters.
Ms. Dankwerth thinks that Salette's survey was biased because it was sent only to voters for whom she had an e-mail address. However, Salette points out that those e-mail addresses come from e-mails she has received from residents and it stands to reason that residents who contact council members are also residents who are more likely to vote (and I would add that they are also more likely to vote on issues affecting the town, rather than Joe Schmo, who's also a registered voter, but who doesn't follow town politics and votes only during the Presidential elections.)
Therefore, Ms. Latas' survey WAS a "scientific sampling." It was a sampling of voters who are knowledgeable on issues affecting Oro Valley.
Wasn't Dankwerth the one who said that she didn't listen to anyone, but made up her own mind based on whatever she thought was right?
And wow, they only got 150 good responses for that $17,500? Didn't Latas say that she got 398? It sounds like her poll was way more useful.
And the whole Saddlebrook thing kind of blows any claims of accuracy for Dankwerth's poll.
I wonder what is Ms. Dankwerth's agenda?
Ms. Latas' survey appeared to be well done and did not demonstrate any bias.
Am I missing something?
I dunno cause Saddlebrook residents always have a lot to say about what goes on in Oro Valley :)))
Isn't Saddelbrooke trying to get Oro Valley to annex it? not saying that this should give them a say in Oro Valley Politics but they soon may have a say so, that is if the annex ever goes through. I know the Arroyo Grande annex has been in the works for many many years.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong....
Long time reader of this blog. Just decided to start input.
Zogby, Lund, Associated Press, Fox Broadcasting, Gallup, et al - these are all recognized pollsters, all 'scientific', and they all come out with different conclusions at any given time. And so I say to professional polls, "so what"? Councilmember/Citizen Latas is simply gathering a pulse and is not claiming to 'define' her results in order to show THE way. So, EX-councilmember, a DEFEATED EX-councilmember, a now-CITIZEN EX-councilmember, Helen Dankwerth has the audacity to criticize Ms. Latas, a SITTING member of Council, for having done this horrible deed while extolling the virtues of utilizing so called 'professionals' who in the past have cost the Town $17,000 for THEIR survey(s) which, as in all other data collections, the likes of which can be skewed to fit the crime.
This past Monday showed what can be accomplished by the utilization of a no-cost, honorable, and knowledgeable CITIZEN, a no-cost 'pulse', performing in conjunction with those in our Town Government, Town Staff, Police Department, Union Officials and Union Members; frankly the cooperation and thought processes of Town in solving a contentious situation was far superior to anything I witnessed during Ms. Dankwerth's tenure.
For those of you who were not in attendance, did not see my exposition of this in a prior blog, Ms. Dankwerth, shortly after having been defeated, shortly after the victors were seated, had the chutzpah to go before this council and lecture them on responsibility, her own definition of purpose (my interpretation), etc.; and, and did so with the demeanor of a self-serving elitist.
It's time the defeated 'Old Guard' let go. The Town got 'messy' during their reign and the processes for cleaning it up with reason and responsibility are now in play. The successes might be gradual but a 7-0 vote on a difficult issue, with all factors being considered, and a new, out-of-the-box perspective having taken place, gives me and a host of others, a new feeling of hope for the ultimate successes of
our Community.
I have not heard of any of the details, Ezak, but I would have to assume that annexing Saddlebrooke into Oro Valley most probably would be a bit messy. I believe that most, if not all, of Saddlebrooke is over the County line and actually is much closer to Catalina than it is to Oro Valley. It appears that the major concern of additional annexation for Oro Valley is the Arroyo Grande area, INSIDE the Pima County borders. So, if ever there were an annexation of Saddlebrooke it would be a long and arduous process and probably far into the future. So, in the meanwhile, I think that for MOST efforts, Oro Valley should shy away from the inclusion of Saddlebrooke residents in the affairs of Town.
This is my opinion and an opinion only. And, by the way, welcome!
Post a Comment