May 17, 2012

Arena Push Poll

Muhlenberg College and The Morning Call have collaborated on another one of their famous polls, famous for wrong conclusions. In 2005, they had Heydt ahead of Pawlowski by 7 points. Pawlowski won by 20 points. Were they 27 points off, or worse, were they trying to effect the election? Was their intent to keep the Republicans content and at home? These polls are conducted by Chris Borick, Muhlenberg's political science professor. During a Presidential election, the Morning Call photographed a group of people whom Borick claimed were undecided, and analyzed their responses to the debate questions. By coincidence, I knew half of the people. Although they may like to proclaim themselves independent and undecided, they were committed Democrats.
 Their newest mistake is that valley residents look forward to the Allentown Hockey Arena, and think that it's a good idea, because 58% of respondents felt the arena would have a positive impact on Allentown.
"Politics aside, financing fight aside, Lehigh Valley residents see this as important to Allentown," Borick said. "Despite all the negative news, the public is fairly positive about what this can do for the city — and that includes people from inside and outside the city."
 Although  the pollster himself concluded in 2009 that the public doesn't appreciate their taxes used for such projects, the poll   ignored how people feel about the misappropriation of their taxes for this particular  boondoggle.    Why this push poll now?  It appears to be a response to the  the current  controversy to add support for the arena project.  Pawlowski should buy him lunch.     The Molovinsky Survey of Allentonian Opinion, conducted early morning in diners throughout Allentown, thinks the arena is in the wrong place, and they probably will not go there. I would have more respect for their poll, had they done it before they dug the hole.

16 comments:

  1. These polls always seem bias towards a specific leaning. Thanks for your research.

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  2. What's with this "most people think arena will help Allentown"? The last time I checked most meant more then half. Look at the poll numbers at the end of the story. Speaking of interpreting results to spin an outcome, I can do that too.

    The way I read it 57% are unexcited.

    53% are Not too likely to attend or not likely to at all.

    As far as people believe that the project will be good for Allentown by a ratio of three to one." Where did that come from? That wasn't even one of the survey questions.

    Of course, how can a survey accurately reflect an entire Lehigh Valley's opinion that polled less then 1/2 of one percent (.5%) of the number of residents living in Allentown alone?

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  3. How many thousands of residents live in the Valley? Survey only 500 and that's academic?

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  4. I frequent many Allentown breakfast spots, and have yet to hear ANYBODY speak positively for this debacle.

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  5. Molovinski is like "Chicken Little," always braying, "The end is near!" Like that kids playground at Cedar Beach. Remember the mayhem Mike predicted there? Outsiders! Loitering! Vandals! Graphitti! Gangs! Muggings! Never happened. That playground is a huge success. Some people just can't adjust to CHANGE, especially change for the better. Molovinski is one of those.

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  6. comment @8:14 from the cyberstalker, please ignore and do not respond. thank you

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  7. I have witnessed the quality of this social scientists work and I find it quite dismal.

    Not sure which town this pollster lives in but it is not Allentown. Few seem to be able to get a handle on the populations in Allentown, including the pseudo research consortium that exists among the Phds of The Valley.

    Probably because they really do not care to. The census is fine with them. They do not want to see what lies beneath the surface.

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  8. "Figures lie and liars figure."


    I just conducted an unscientific poll of my own. I am concluding that 91% of those polled are not against an arena, not against an arena in Allentown, and not against Allentown. The same 91% however, are very much against Allentown's method of financing this project since it includes taking money from other communities in order to support a risky venture.


    VOR

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  9. Muhlenberg and Borick have Qunnipeack envy. Every issue of the college's alumni magazine has a feature showing all the national publicity they got. Most are simply references to the 'polls' they take. Plus, the fact that the Morning Call is commissioning polls in order to make 'news' is antithetical to what is true journalism. And yes, I know they all do it. No excuse for a news outlet to be 'making' the news.

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  10. "You'd be hard pressed to show that it's worth the investment ... the numbers just don't add up"

    CHRISTOPHER BORICK quoted in the following article published by The Morning Call on April 22, 2009 :

    "WHY ARE WE FINANCING STADIUMS"

    by Christina Gostomski

    -------

    Am I mistaken, Mr. Molovinsky, or does Professor Borick's position on the subject at hand appear to have evolved?

    Respectfully,

    Rolf Oeler

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  11. Wow great catch, RO. Obviously, the numbers in this poll don't match up to the Call's headline.

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  12. Yeah, these guys seem like they are really suing Allentown for the right reason.

    http://snd.sc/Jl1f73

    Bunch of good old boys yapping it up. That's so wrong. People trying to sink a whole communities' good project for their own egos. Listen to that shout out to Bernie @ 0:17. Freaking pathetic. And the way you guys go on about an inside connection between the MCall and the mayor. This is so sad.

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  13. Yes.
    So sad because the reprehensible behavior displayed by the mayors office and by certain legislators and being chronicled here is true.
    To use the words of a mayors minion: "Freaking pathetic.".

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  14. While your diner surveys are surely scientific and effective, Dr. Borick's credentials are listed below:


    Dr. Christopher P. Borick is a political scientist and Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. He is a nationally recognized public opinion researcher who has conducted over 200 large-scale public opinion surveys during the past fifteen years. The results of these surveys have appeared in numerous periodicals including Time Magazine, The Wall St Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. He has also provided analysis for the BBC, National Public Radio, PBS, CBS News and NBC Nightly News and had his survey results aired on, CNN, FOX News and C-Span. During his career he has conducted surveys for a variety of government agencies and organizations including the Center for Disease Control, The United Way, Wisconsin Public Radio, The Wisconsin Department of Commerce, the Oneida Indian Nation, The U.S. Department of Labor, and Habitat for Humanity. Dr. Borick currently conducts surveys for the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has served as President of the Wisconsin Political Science Association, and as the Director of the St. Norbert College Survey Center.
    Professor Borick received his undergraduate education at The Pennsylvania State University and a Masters Degree from East Stroudsburg University. He completed his doctoral work at The State University of New York at Binghamton in the area of public policy analysis. He has government experience at both the federal and local levels, including positions with the Internal Revenue Service and Monroe County Pennsylvania Planning Commission. He has published and presented over thirty articles and four books in the area of public policy and public opinion, and has held teaching positions at The State University of New York at Cortland, St. Norbert College, Lehigh University and currently at Muhlenberg College. He has won numerous teaching awards during his career, most recently receiving The Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award at Muhlenberg College in 2006. He and his wife Lisa have two children: Sam who is eleven and John who is eight.

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  15. "You be hard pressed to show that it's worth the investment ... the numbers just don't add up"

    that is my personal favorite credential of Professor CHRISTOPHER BORICK

    "WHY ARE WE FINANCING STADIUMS?"

    by Christina Gostomski
    The Morning Call
    April 22, 2009

    --------------

    I definitely remember going to bat for TAXPAYER PARK and having my face kicked in trying to JUSTIFY big Government spending $ 30.0 million.

    It is not an accident I never speak / write about the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs anymore.

    Now, many of these very same Cheerleader schmucks who would not support me when I attempted to wave the flag for Coca-Cola Park now seek to beat the crap out of of me because I am AGAINST SPENDING $ 220.0 million for Chairman Pawlowski's spectacular PALACE OF SPORT.

    How ironic.

    I did not "dig up" the Borick quote listed above here ...

    ... the "WHY ARE WE FINANCING STADIUMS?" article is framed and hanging in my office.

    RO

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  16. Dr. Borick, thank you for submitting your resume, but molovinsky on allentown conducts our polls in-house. molovinsky's credentials and graduation picture can be found on the sidebar of this blog. He is widely read in the Allentown area, and it's where The Morning Call often goes for news.

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