The results are in, and based on the article in today's Times Tribune, we have some problems. But, we have some good things to talk about as well.
Lets talk first about the numbers, only 218 people completed the survey. Thats not many for this area in my opinion. But, lets see who they might be.
Survey Takers Total Running total
Estep and wife 2 2 Carpenter and wife 2 4 Estep's office staff and spouse 8 12 Carpenters staff and spouse 2 14 Chamber of commerce members and spouses 14 28 Tourism commission and spouses 10 38 City commission and spouses 8 48 Mayor and spouse 2 50 City employees and spouses (conservative guess) 30 80 Depot gang - with spouses, singles, or whomever 25 105 Recrecation commission and spouses 8 113 Library board of directors and employees 10 123 Bank executives, spouses, and misc employees and spouses 30 153 Downtown manager and spouse, 2 155 Times Tribune staff and spouses 10 165 Downtown committee members and spouses 20 185 Economic Development Board and spouses/family 10 195 Local attorney's and family and employees 5 200 Local Realtors and family/friends 8 208
SO, what do you think? Am I far off on my guess's as to who may have filled out the survey. Why did I use these catagories of people? Because they have the most to gain or lose from this survey in my opinion. Why, look at the list.
Of course, some could be way off, but maybe not. I could have added doctors accountants, even restaurant owners and employees. They all have a lot to gain or lose from this survey.
What if I'm close on this, the total numbers I mean. I came up with 208 people that have a true interest in what this survey may say.
Take the city employees for example. Do you think at least 15 or so of the total number of city employees took the survey? And if they did, do you think those 15 had their spouses take it too. I think so.
And all the committees and commissions, I think they would all take it, along with their spouses, and some of their older children and their spouses.
I left out the school system. We could add that in, but, remember, there's only 218 that took the survey. Keep in mind both newspapers printed the survey for all to see, all the questions that would be asked. Education was a in the "rated" catagory section. With the report from the team that announced the results, and the education achievements being one of the most positive, all 218 of the respondents could be from the school system and their spouses.
This is a great tool for the town to use. I hope they use it well.
Around 190 of the Folks who filled this out were"MY" inner circle of friends. There is a movement to make me "Fred Garvin" the new Tourism Director, my qualifications, good looks, local mobilitly and just simply being very popular makes me the logical choice here.
I figure with only 2% of actual residents even filling this out it gives the opportunity to take command of local politics and finally show my superior talents. I will make several key appointments if the right people jump on my band wagon.
Thanks Fred, I knew you and your group would be deeply involved in this survey. You're a great community minded individual. We're waiting for the next election when you can run along with me for city commissioner, and we can straighten up this town.
But on a more serious note, I must correct my numbers I posted on the first post here. My wife informed me I was off somewhat on my guesstimates. And, she was right.
While I was trying to stir the pot a little, get someone along with Fred to post, some real numbers came out of the closet.
Myself and the wife filled it out, my son and his wife, my daughter and her husband, that's 6 right there. My daughter is a teacher, and she informed me that she showed the survey to 7 other teachers at her school, and they filled it out, so there's 13 survey's. The office where my wife works, there's 5 office staff there, and they all filled it out, so there's 18 that did. My neighbor and his wife, and two teenage children, and junior and senior at corbin, filled it out, so theres a total of 22.
Take that 22 from the official total of 218, and and that leaves 196 in limbo. Look at my list, and think about it, and I would figure those people in the catagories I listed would fill out the survey. I say that because every group that I listed could be directly affected by this survey.
Oh well, personally, I think when only 218 people take the survey to start with, shows a great lack of true community spirit to begin with.
I'm afraid the Advocate may be correct here, the numbers +/- 10% are probably close. Thats what makes this entire survey bogus, 218 people are no where near the sample size needed to get a true reading of what is going on.
It would have been easy for example, one or two folks to sit at a desk, use a proxy server, fool the system and fill out 50-60 of these things. Throw in the fact that 218 is only about 1-3% of Corbin residents and the math gets even more fuzzy.
Now, the survey said Corbin and surrounding areas? Does this mean Tattersall, Ohler Road, Woodbine and other areas close to the city that had 40701 or 40702 zip codes could also fill this out?
The number of folks included at this point could be 20K to 40K which would make the survey sample less than .50 of a percent? Is this thing worth the paper it's written on? How much money did it cost the city and or state to pay someone to put this online, set up the logistics, pay for all the marketing to advertise this, put people in place to count this stuff, pay folks to come down and explain it and then get only 218 of which at least 50% we all know is questionable?
What did it cost the taxpayers and who had to pay for 218 opinions out of 40,000????
