So Nevadans want to pay more in taxes, really?

   Recently I was lead by my union leadership to an interesting local news report.  This report stated “Poll finds support for public workers, taxes”

  Most of this did not sound new.  I have recently read other polls conducted by USA Today/ Gallup that reported similar findings. That yes in general people do not support stripping away collective bargaining laws for public employees. The poll and report released by Gallup on February 21, 2011 titled “Scaling Back State Programs Is least of Three Fiscal Evils” reported that reducing pay or benefits for public employees is opposed by a margin of 53% to 44% in favor.  Additionally that people opposed reducing or eliminating state programs by a much closer margin of 48% opposed to 47% in favor.  The last finding though is what made me think twice about the news report I was being directed to. This same Gallup Poll also found that when it came to increasing taxes, whether sales, income or other taxes, the clear majority of people by a margin of 71% opposed raising taxes.

  I found it odd that Gallup found that 71% of people opposed raising taxes, but here in Nevada for some odd reason people seem to be all for it.  That of course made me want to research then who commissioned the poll, and who conducted the poll and what was their methodology. The article itself did a good job about saying who commissioned the poll, a group of public employee unions under the organizational name of “Nevadans for Nevada”.  What they failed to do is any research or report on the firm that conducted the poll, Grove Insight, Ltd.

  You can find their web site at www.groveinsight.com  the following are just a few quotes taken directly from their web site;

-       “ Lisa Grove created Grove Insight because she was tired of seeing progressive candidates and causes stuck with outdated research methods, unintelligible reports and a one-size-fits-all approach to polling. In her view, there was simply too much at stake.”


-       We see our job as so much more than reporting on the status quo – it is finding a path that achieves your desired outcome. (emphasis added)

-       from designing questionnaires to moderating focus groups, from analyzing survey data to reporting on results in a way that is most useful to our clients. (emphasis added)

-       Using the right language to talk to your audience is critical, and reliable, creative public opinion research (emphasis added) is the first step.

-       Ever committed to putting her progressive values into action,(emphasis added) in 2007, Lisa added a division to Grove Insight devoted to environmental/green market research

 An organization that represents public employee unions hired a polling firm that is committed to its progressive values. A firm that was created because she was tired of watching progressive candidates and ideals loose.  A firm committed to creative public opinion research that will give you a pre determined desired out come.  A firm committed to designing a questionnaire to develop desired pre determined out comes, and to reporting on those findings in a way that is most useful to their clients.  A firm that with polling 500 registered voters concluded that Nevadans don’t mind higher taxes.

  Pardon me, if I question the validity of this poll.

I have an ideal, why don’t we hire a firm that I don’t know is committed to reporting oh I don’t know, THE TRUTH, how about we do something like that.  

  You see no matter what a manipulated poll tells you, the truth is based in reality and its still there, no matter what you believe or design a question to show, and it is that truth we need to find real solutions and real answers.

  Contrary to what Jack Nicholson said, We CAN handle the truth.