Deja Vu, All Over Again?

I am getting wind of a telephone poll that may be being conducted or soon will be conducted by folks representing or being paid by Marymount College to poll potential voters concerning The Marymount Plan.

I am also hearing that this poll is a 'push poll' not unlike what Bob Bisno attempted to get away with when he paid to have a poll he himself partially wrote go out as an 'objective' poll related to Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

Naturally when the polls results were made public and the results showed more support for Bisno's plans to build 2,300 condos along Western Avenue, in northwest San Pedro, the press and folks like me got curious and found out the truth.

Bisno paid a polling firm and worked with that firm to create specific questions that would lead people being polled into pre-determined responses.

Pollsters steered the questions in a manner that was not objective at all and the results provided by the polling group favored an outcome that was not supported by a great number of members of the community.

In a press conference attended by newspaper press and regular folks, including me, I was able to pose questions to Bob that he not only would not answer factually, but also would not provide an answer to some direct questions.

It now seem to appear that another telephone poll, this time concerning Marymount College and its Initiative may include subjective questions that could lead respondents into answers that favor Marymount's position rather than being an objective poll.

The light is also being turned toward possible questions and responses that lure individuals into considering issues related to those opposed to Marymount's quest for on-campus housing and attempts to supersede municipal codes and other guidelines.

Please don't be fooled with these 'push polls'. They are written to provide non objective answers and results that favor the group that is paying for the poll in the first place.

The poll may also attempt to put into the minds of some, ideas that may not be true about those who have criticized Marymount's attempts to have on-campus housing built and groups that have been organized to oppose the Special Election and The Marymount Plan' Initiative.

If you are called by any polling group and you decide to participate in a poll regarding anything in Rancho Palos Verdes and/or specifically Marymount College, please do the following:
Ask who the polling group is, by name.
Ask who is paying for the poll to be conducted.
Answer just as you wish to answer, with your own opinion.
Please Email me at mrichards2@hotmail.com with any and all information you can provide and I won't post your name or any personal information about you unless you specifically wish me to do so.
It would also help greatly if you could provide me with whether you favor The Marymount Plan and its Initiative or you favor The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project or if you oppose both The Plan and The Project.

It was not all that hard to prove that Bob Bisno's poll was pretty much a fraudulent demonstration of how a developer attempts to sway public opinion with a poll generated and conducted with almost certain outcomes prior to any phone calls being made.

Now please, I am not stating as fact that any poll conducted now or in the future by anyone associated with Marymount College, is not an honest or responsible poll, but I am allowed to consider that, perhaps there might be some reasons to possibly question any and all polls related to Marymount College between now and November 2, 2010 INCLUDING any and all polls by individuals and groups opposed to any part of The Marymount Plan, for any reason.

You are certainly just to opine about the two polls I have listed on this blog and you may question me about them all you want. I don't have anything to hide by the two polls or any future polls I have on this blog.

It would be great to have a group conduct a truly objective poll of the registered voters in Rancho Palos Verdes about The Marymount Plan and on November 2, 2010 it looks like a type of one will be conducted.

Especially with matters that have elections involved, it is probably best to be suspicious about all polls related to anything that would be on a ballot.

Bob Bisno tried to fool us once and he didn't get away with it. Thinking that we might see another group or entity attempting to fool us a second time is something we all should be on guard against.

By now and after ten years of study and the approval of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, all registered voters should have a pretty good idea how they feel about The Marymount Plan if they have been paying attention. For those who don't really care, I hope they stay away from voting on a measure they are probably too little informed about to make a responsible and reasonable determination.

I feel on November 3, 2010, our registered voters who know enough about the issues will have determined, using facts and their gut feelings, that The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project already approved, is superior to The Marymount Plan and the majority will vote "No" on the ballot measure.

As a former President of the United States said, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..........................we won't get fooled again."