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Should biased polls guide public officials?
Klamath Falls Herald and News
Letter to the Editor
May 31, 2009
    Sen. Doug Whitsett reported that he, Rep. Bill Garrard and Rep. George Gilman commissioned and paid for a five-question poll to measure support for removal of Klamath River dams and associated issues, including a determination of attitudes toward the Klamath Tribes relative to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.

    I am not a big fan of polls and admit I have little expertise in polling science. However, I am probably like most people who believe polls are presupposed to a result due to clever wording of the questions.

    The question whether you are concerned the agreement “will give the Tribes too much control over our water,” implies it gives control to the Tribes.

    The truth is the Klamath Tribes have water rights that will be addressed with or without the agreement, and “our water” will be quantified by the State of Oregon.

    Another question, “Are you willing or not willing to pay higher costs for renewable sources of electricity…” Most folks I know aren’t willing payers of higher costs for anything.

    The power company just informed us that its rates are going up, so I will unwillingly pay the higher bill.

    The question of whether you favor the public purchases of a “reservation” for the Tribes didn’t appear to be asked relative to the agreement and is a term that does not appear in the agreement.

    Did anyone answering the poll think the question acquiring public land (not considered in the agreement) as compared to purchasing private land that is currently for sale?

    The results of this type of poll, while professionally managed and statistically accurate, are clearly debatable, especially when considering the nature of the restoration agreement negotiations.

    My question: Do you think biased polls should guide public officials all of the time, some of the time, or not at all?

Dave Solem

Klamath Falls 
 
 

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