Reply to DC ANC's using quasi-polling to support their positions?

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[quote=Anonymous]How common is it for local DC ANCs to use quasi-polling methods to claim community support for a particular issue?

Our current and immediately former commissioner often claim they have "polled" the community.  However, many of our neighbors never are polled.  This did not seem to happen with our previous commissioners (the ones prior to our current commissioner and our immediately former one).  When questions about methodology are raised with our current and immediate past commissioner, they often say why don't you do a poll of your own if you don't like the results.  Also, they will claim they will make sure we are polled the next time they conduct a survey, if only we will join their community email list.  However, if a constituent does agree to join this email list and eventually disagrees on a particular community political issue proposed  by the commissioner, it may not be uncommon for the constituent to stop receiving emails.  When questioned about this situation, the commissioners may often claim their is some sort of technical issue and constituents are not purposely removed because a constituent may disagree with a commissioner's position on a given community issue.

For instance, we have a community park/green open field that is now managed by an outside organization that is called CRYSP DC (formally Friends of Capitol Riverside Youth Sports Park).  It is made up of an assortment of individuals, including local leaders.  They recently installed a new disc golf course in the middle of a previously open green field.  To help make this new game happen, they cut down big trees and underbrush from other trees that provided wonderful shade in the August heat.  For background, we live is a Ward that has a more limited tree canopy compared to most other Wards.  The negative environmental impact is a concern.  This is one small issue, of many, where the ANC claims community support based on their quasi-polling results.

However, it reminds me of an incident that happened many years ago in another Ward.  Local professional activists or others who had more free time than most claimed their community didn't want a restaurant to be built.  They had their own ANC polling.  However, when the individuals who wanted to start their restaurant had the resources to commission an independent scientifically-based poll, it turned out most residents in their ANC actually supported the building of the restaurant.   I am curious, is the use of quasi-polling based on non-scientific methods a tactic common across DC's ANCs?   Thanks.  [/quote]

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