GA gets Push-Polled

Yes, I received on of those calls yesterday.

From a pollster who identified his polling group as The New Jersey Opinion Research Center calling from (800) 251-5850. It was a push-poll with sharply anti-Zimmer facts and figures tailored to the less-informed crowd, echoing talking points coming from Zimmer's loudest critics on the City Council (the usual suspects) and a few loose screws borrowed from Swibinski's 50K PBA /PSOA tool chest.

So the question is who paid for the poll?

Politickernj.com cites the opinion of one person, Tony Soares, who received the same call; he's also cited as the only poll responder "on record".

Add me to the record; the pollster took my name.

And I took notes during the poll, asking the pollster to slow down and repeat himself. So here are most of the questions, not verbatim, but nearly.

Now YOU decide who you think solicited this anti-Zimmer administration push-poll:

• Do you feel Hoboken is on the right track or wrong track?
• Rate your feelings about each person: favorable or unfavorable, somewhat or very:

Dawn Zimmer
Mike Russo
Mike Lenz
Gov. Christie
Ravi Bhalla
Brian Stack
Tim Occhipinti
Carol Marsh
Robert Menendez
Beth Mason
Tom DeGise
Barack Obama
Hoboken PBA

• Rate Dawn Zimmer's job performance
• Rate Ravi Bhalla's job performance
• Rate Beth Mason's job performance
• How certain would you be to support Zimmer if she runs again?
• Who would you support for the next mayoral race: Dawn Zimmer or Carol Marsh?
• Who would you support in the next Democratic Primary for Senate: Dawn Zimmer or Brian Stack?
• Who would you support in the next Democratic Primary for Freeholder: Anothony Romano or Beth Mason?
• Who would you support for the next County Executive: Beth Mason or Tom DeGise?
• If you were told the City had a $20 million surplus, how would you want it used?

-to prevent police layoffs
-put in a fund to avoid future tax increases
- cut taxes now

• Dawn Zimmer recently announced she's cutting 18 police jobs while the city has a $20 million surplus. Do you think she should use the money to:

-layoff the 18 police officers
-give the 18 police officers their jobs back

• DO you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statements:

1. Beth Mason cares about people like me
2. Dawn Zimmer cares about people like me
3. When Dawn Zimmer became mayor she promised to cut taxes by 25%
4. Dawn Zimmer is bringing all factions of Hoboken togeether
5. Every incumbent should be voted OUT
6. Beth Mason is standing up for good government
   

• Would you be more or less likely to vote for Dawn Zimmer again for mayor if you KNEW:

1. She was giving large raises to personal aides while she was laying off 18 police officers?
2. That recently Mayor Dawn Zimmer and her City Council pulled out of selling our municipal garage to a developer for $25 million and now the city's responsibile for paying back the $15 million it borrowed against the garage and will lose $10 million that the City would have grossed from the sale?

• Which of the following news outlets do you read regularly to get information on Hoboken and Hoboken politics?

1. The Hoboken Journal
2. Grafix Avenger (ha ha ha ha... they call THIS a "news outlet"?.. ha ha ha)
   
3. Hoboken411
4. The Jersey Journal
5. The Hoboken Reporter
6. Mile Square View

• Do you watch City Council meetings?

Well, what do you think?

In spite of some speculation on politickernj.com that it was a 'fake poll' I'd say this was the real thing. Because I'm one of those jerks that answers the phone for pollsters so I know the drill. This was the drill. AND... a Wallace 'mommy' who is disengaged from the political scene told me she got the same call; she lives in Councilman Cunningham's Ward. It looks like a pretty sweeping sampling is being taken around our city.

My favorite part of the poll was hearing Grafix Avenger called a "news outlet".

I almost busted a gut on that one.

I wonder if the person who wrote that question has ever BEEN here?