I've always looked at the term "common sense" as "my opinion, until something changes it." You know, like facts or another opinion that makes more sense, if I'm open to listening to it.
With all the numbers that have been thrown around on the Southlands since the Dec. 17 Delta council meeting, it's been a little tough to make sense of the fact that everyone seems to have the majority opinion. We've had public information sessions, public hearings, surveys and letter-writing campaigns that haven't convinced some where the true measure of public sentiment lies.
My common sense tells me it's time to do a real survey. With the high likelihood of a by-election in our future since basically half of council is running provincially, it seems to be the perfect opportunity.
I've been involved in dozens of consumer research surveys; commissioning them, evaluating them and sometimes even writing them. If there is one thing I've learned from all that work, it's that you always learn something. Sometimes you learn what you initially thought was indeed correct, and many times you learn that a firmly-held belief just isn't the case. In any event, you always learn the truth about what people are thinking.
Sure, we've had a couple of public opinion polls already. The write-in survey from 2010 gave a result showing over 60 per cent opposing development. Over 5,000 were filled out, and ultimately I'd say that is statistically valid, except that the sample was too easily manipulated by having many people from the same household respond.
To have real faith in a public opinion survey, I believe it has to be a random sample. What better way to get a random sample of people who care about our community than through an election?
Even though only 33 per cent of residents voted in the last municipal election, that was more than enough of a sample to get a true read on the public's opinion. When you get right down to it, an election is really just a public opinion survey asking the question: "Who do you think are the best people to run our municipality?" My guess is even if we had 50 per cent voter participation, the election outcome would have been the same.
So if public opinion really does have a bearing in this decision, I urge council to include a non-binding question on the by-election ballot. It will cost little, if anything, since we are already going to the polls. I've even got a couple of suggested questions:
1. Are you in favour of the current development proposal for the Southlands?
2. Are you in favour of any development on the Southlands that includes transferring 80 per cent of the land to Delta?
One way or another, we'd get the answer on what the public thinks.
We should deal with this once and for all, especially when Surrey can come to a conclusion about a casino development after only two days of public hearings.
Seems like common sense to me; that is until someone tells me different.
