The $15,000.00 Questions... ARE YOU INFORMED?

A Survey of People who are not aware is a Survey that should not be done. This survey will result in a survey of people who don’t pay attention to what is happening, and have no idea about the functioning of the City Government. It is telling that 1000 phone calls will be needed to get 300 participants. Of those 300 how many will be truly fully informed of the issues and topics in the questioner? Perhaps 10.

One of the questions should be: Are you knowledgeable about the Financial Functioning of the City, and the Functioning of the City Council, and Name your city council members? IF the respondent can’t name 3 of 5 council people they should not participate in the Survey.

When the City Doesn’t Make clear to the public all the financial information including the level of Debt Outstanding for the RDA, and the detailed information made available, say on the city web site, how can the citizen answer the question, “Is the City spending the residents tax dollars well?. Well it depends on what you mean by well. The City has no functional problem writing a check, buying a house or a car for the city manager. IF you mean well as in the best use of funds for the betterment of the entire city... well that is another issue. The City Manager’s failure to make full and complete disclosure of all the finances and land deals public the ordinary citizen would be making an assessment of the proficiency of the City’s Financial Prudence on a shoddy foundation of restricted and often misleading information.




http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_8070794

City to survey satisfaction of GT residents
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 01/24/2008 08:19:11 PM PST


GRAND TERRACE - Is the city headed in the right direction?
Are members of the City Council doing a good job?

How well is the city spending residents' tax dollars?

You may soon receive a phone call asking these and other questions.

The City Council on Tuesday night narrowly approved spending $15,900 to hire a Santa Monica-based research firm to conduct a community satisfaction survey.

Mayor Maryetta Ferre, Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia and Councilman Dan Buchanan voted in favor of the contract.

"We want to have an ongoing dialogue with our community," Garcia said. "Knowing what your opinions are is very important."

Councilman Jim Miller and Councilwoman Bea Cortes opposed the proposal.

Miller questioned whether the survey is a wise use of tax dollars.

Cortes said the timing of the poll isn't right because it comes so close to the Feb. 5 presidential primary. Voters are already receiving lots of political calls and might not want to participate, Cortes said.

Pollsters with Probolsky Research LLC plan to start calling residents in the next week or so.

If you agree to participate, it will take about 10 minutes to complete, officials said. Twenty-five questions will be asked of 300 poll respondents.

The survey will include all demographic categories in the city - senior citizens living alone, families with young children, single people, and various ethnic groups, income
levels, political parties and geographic areas.

Adam Probolsky, the firm's chairman and CEO, told the council that more than 1,000 people might need to be called in order to get a representative sample of 300 responses.

"We basically want to find out through a scientific sampling how the citizens feel the city of Grand Terrace is providing services to them," City Manager Tom Schwab said.

The city last did a formal survey of residents in 1995.

The survey also will ask residents' views about parks, library services, a new senior housing project, a proposed power plant, a new high school, shopping preferences and the use of eminent domain.

The results will become part of the discussion at the council's annual goal-setting workshop in late February or early March.

The answers could play a role in city budget decisions for the fiscal year starting July 1, Schwab said.