[JK:I received the following email from Bob Turner]
Hi,
One of our Political Science students is doing a short survey about Saratoga Springs politics. I am trying to help her get as large and representative sample as possible. It is for a statistics class assignment. Would you be willing to post this message and link on your blog? Happy to have her share the results.
Thanks
Bob
Survey on Saratoga Springs Political Issues
Please take just a few minutes to complete a short survey about Saratoga Springs politics. Your participation will provide important insights about current issues in Saratoga Springs. Your participation is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. Click on the link below to take the survey. Thank you in advance for your time.
Sarina Musallam
lick on the link below to take the survey.
https://skidmore.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0HsJAwOzEgxbArP
Bob Turner
Associate Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies and Sciences
Director, Environmental Studies and Sciences Program
Director, Faculty Student Summer Research Program
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Wow—I’m not surprised that Bob Turner would try to disseminate this shoddy survey but I am surprised, JK, that you would post it. I don’t know who is supervising this student but someone needs to sit down with her and go over the guidelines for writing decent survey questions. Many of these questions are loaded with information that lead the survey taker in only one direction. This is known as a “push poll”. It doesn’t give you any sense of what people really think about an issue but produces results that can be put to political use to claim support for an issue. For instance, who would oppose an initiative that “would create more workforce housing in Saratoga Springs” and “ create more affordable housing for residents” as one question states. My favorite, of course, and no doubt the reason Professor Turner wants this survey circulated, is the Charter proposal question. The question states that the charter proposed by Turner’s commission “will result in a more effective, less polarized, and a more/modern and professional system of government”. If you choose to bubble in the “oppose” button on this question or for that matter the “not sure” button you are opposing this plan for a fabulous new government for Saratoga Springs. How could you? But is this really what the charter proposal will do? I understand Turner has also posted this survey on the middle school and high school Facebook sites. Skidmore should be embarrassed to have a student survey that is this poorly done put out there in the community. This offers some insight into what Turner thinks is a legitimate survey, one that is reflected in the dubious methodology used in the charter commission’s oft cited employee and candidate surveys.
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And from an associate professor no less…lol…in other words Do you support or oppose or not quite sure that Skidmore Prep School should try to influence or maybe be able to run a student for City Council?
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Took he survey. Not impressed. Too many personal qualifiers and no way to prove survey taker’s credibility. Sounds fishy.
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+1 to everyone above me. Who do I bill for the time I wasted taking this? Answer: Not Sure.
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Bob Turner: Making an everlasting impression. His reputation remains tarnished.
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