Discussions

This is a real kick in the gut for people who are concerned about the coming property tax and water rate increases.  
 
The City has hired Probe research to conduct a poll of 400 Brandonites regarding a wide range of issues facing Brandon. The poll takes about ten minutes and covers everything from taxes and water rates to what you think about the job the police are doing.  
 
The reason I know this is that I was called by Probe on Sunday and answered all of the questions.  
 
By some strange coincidence, my mother was also called by Probe, but the caller asked to speak to the "man of the house" (the same thing the caller asked me). When my mother said she was a widow, the caller said she could not participate in the poll, because he only surveying the "men of the house". My mom has actually received three calls from Probe this week and each time, they weren't interested in her views because she, a widow, isn't the man of the house. Think about that: your City is spending thousands of dollars on a poll to find out what men think of things in Brandon. If you're female, aren't you offended? My mom sure is.  
 
Beyond discrimination and sexism, there are other issues to consider, including these:  
 
1. At a time when the City is about to impose massive water rate hikes and property tax increases, how can the City justify spending at least $15,000 on polling, just to find out what 400 men think?  
 
2. Wouldn’t it make more sense for each councilor (and the mayor) to simply call a ward meeting or, heaven forbid, pick up the phone and call forty voters each, just to find out what they think?  
 
3. Why do these politicians only go door-to-door at election time – and pretend to listen to voters’ concerns - yet hire a polling company a year later, ostensibly to listen to the same voters’ concerns? Is it really unreasonable to expect the mayor and councilors to dialogue with their constituents more than once every four years?  
 
4. $15,000 is the equivalent of the entire property tax bill from six average-size homes in Brandon. Wouldn’t taxpayers rather have that money spent on something like, say, potholes and crumbling sidewalks?  
 
5. If money is so tight at City Hall, how can they come up with $15,000 at the drop of a hat? After they raise taxes, will they spend $30,000 on polling next year?  
 
6. Is this poll a sign that the mayor and some city councilors are afraid to face their own constituents after Monday night’s fire hall vote? Judging by the massively-negative public reaction, I would say that is a distinct possibility.  
 
What do the citizens of ebrandon nation think?