Opinion: Political Pollsters Are Calling. Will You Answer?

Welcome Irvine voters to early polling!
Has your phone started ringing with “caller unknown” calls? Some brave Irvine residents who have answered these anonymous calls are getting quizzed on their opinions of candidates, and on other Irvine issues, with a focus on the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).
It is awfully early for the polling to start given that the election isn’t until November 2022. But special interests are always ready to get ahead of the game. At one time — before my eyes were opened to the true nature of city politics — I anxiously and enthusiastically answered these polls. I wanted to have my opinion influence the shape of our awesome city’s future, so I was eager to be heard by those running for office.
But the fact that polling in our municipal politics is so rife with abuse demands that we watch it closely, identify the true intentions behind it, and do our best to discern the hidden actors behind those intentions.
Legit Polling or Digging Up Dirt?
So, who is behind this current line of questions being asked? That remains unclear. But Watchdog has learned that the following questions were included in the survey, which we report to you so that you can make your own informed decisions about the special interests at work in our politics, and so that you can avoid serving as an unwitting participant in anonymous political tactics that you would not otherwise support.
- What is your opinion about:
- Anthony Kuo
- Cottie Petrie-Norris
- David Min
- Farrah Khan
- John Park
- Kathleen Treseder
- Katie Porter
- Larry Agran
- Lauren Johnson-Norris
- Mark Newgent
- Mike Carroll
- Steven Choi
- Sydney Wu
- Tammy Kim
- Are you concerned about the Great Park?
- Are you familiar with the Veterans Cemetery?
- Do you prefer the Veterans Cemetery to be located in Anaheim or Irvine?
- Would you support housing development in the land originally designated for the cemetery in Irvine?
- Have you heard of the OC Power Authority?
- Do you support the OC Power Authority?
- Three people named Smith, Miller, and Jones are discussing OCPA. Whom do you agree with most?
- Smith supports OCPA, because he’s excited about the possibilities for Irvine.
- Miller supports OCPA somewhat but is skeptical.
- Jones opposes OCPA, because he doesn’t want another governmental agency.
- Do you support Irvine increasing its tax revenue by allowing cannabis dispensaries?
- Would you be more supportive if the dispensaries were located in the Irvine Business Complex?
How Will You Answer?
What will you do when your phone rings? Personally, I would go through the poll answering only “I don’t know” just so I can hear the questions. But I hope you will consider declining to participate because the best answer to the special interests and their paid political operatives is to stay informed, demand transparency and accountability in government, and not allow their campaigns of misinformation and manipulation to have free reign over our elections.
7 Comments
Doug Elliott
October 16, 2021 at 12:13 pmIt’s interesting that the questions about the Power Authority don’t pertain to any of the controversies that have been reported. Who has the motive and means to conduct such a poll? I could make an educated guess, and I think many Watchdog readers would guess the same.
Branda Lin
October 16, 2021 at 3:58 pmCoincidentally, OC Power Authority CEO Brian Probolsky’s brother, Adam Probolsky, is a pollster and runs a company that is behind campaign strategies for the developer candidates including attack mailers on candidates they don’t like. Nobody has the money to run city-wide polls such as these except for the developers. The call we received yesterday was not a robo-call but a live person. Others have reported the same. I understand they work with lobbyist Patrick Strader and are part of the political machine in Irvine.
Please do not give them any useful data. They use this information to help strategize their hit pieces on candidates and issues. I would simply hang up.
Branda Lin
October 18, 2021 at 9:55 amInteresting Sydney Wu’s name is on there. Wu was appointed to the Transportation Commission by Mike Carroll and is Chair of the Transportation Commission. Wu was also appointed to the OC Power Authority’s Community Advisory Committee by Mike Carroll, though my understanding is he has never shown up to any of the meetings. The two at-large Community Advisory Committee seats still remain vacant.
Luis4Irvine
October 19, 2021 at 12:23 pmWhat is your opinion about:
Anthony Kuo – Seems nice but votes against the interests of Irvine families. Honestly, i have a list of his 3 years of record, and I haven’t seen any votes of his that helps Irvine families.
Cottie Petrie-Norris – I am ok with Cottie.
David Min – Meh
Farrah Khan – Better than Shea. We can do better than Mayor Khan
John Park – Seems like a nice person, will never win a city council seat in Irvine.
Kathleen Treseder – If Dr Treseder plays this right, Kathleen will be our next city council member of Irvine.
Katie Porter – Takes corporate money, but the best we have in OC, possibly the best we have in California.
Larry Agran – Larry is Larry…
Lauren Johnson-Norris – Is LJN planning another run?
Mark Newgent – LMAO
Mike Carroll – Terrible, ethics violations left and right. Pawn of the developer and entrenched in all the backroom dealings at OCPA and TCA and others.
Steven Choi – Bad, hasn’t done shit for OC families.
Sydney Wu – ?
Tammy Kim – Supported Tammy during her campaign. Love her support for Bernie. What has Councilmember Kim done for Irvine families? Votes in lock-step with Five Point LLC. Politician.
Are you concerned about the Great Park? Yes
Are you familiar with the Veterans Cemetery? Irvine 4 screwed our OC Veterans, and now ARDA site will be bid out to Five Points for them to profit hundreds of millions.
Do you prefer the Veterans Cemetery to be located in Anaheim or Irvine? Irvine 4 screwed our OC Veterans, and now ARDA site will be bid out to Five Points for them to profit hundreds of millions.
Would you support housing development in the land originally designated for the cemetery in Irvine? FUCK Five Points
Have you heard of the OC Power Authority? LOL
Do you support the OC Power Authority? LMAO
Three people named Smith, Miller, and Jones are discussing OCPA. Whom do you agree with most? FIRE CEO OCPA BRIAN PROBOLSKY AND SHAME ON OCPA BOARD MEMBERS JUNG KHAN AND BOARD PRES CARROLL THIS IS 5 MILLION OF OUR IRVINE FAMILIES TAX DOLLARS
Smith supports OCPA, because he’s excited about the possibilities for Irvine.
Miller supports OCPA somewhat but is skeptical.
Jones opposes OCPA, because he doesn’t want another governmental agency.
Do you support Irvine increasing its tax revenue by allowing cannabis dispensaries? Don’t really care, neighboring cities have dispensaries. I haven’t heard any outcries for dispensaries to be in Irvine.
Would you be more supportive if the dispensaries were located in the Irvine Business Complex? Don’t really care.
-Luis Huang (Oct 19, 2021)
Christina
October 18, 2021 at 1:29 pmClearly this poll is Adam Probolsky’s work. The questions about the OCPA are soft ball and leave out the question about the controversial CEO, which I would assume would be of interest to the community. Sydney Wu is Carroll’s choice for Council. He was asked to run previously, but he has little name ID. Anthony Kuo is running and we all know he will hitch his star to his close friend and colleague, Farrah Kahn the declared Woman of Truth by the OCDP!
Should be an interesting campaign season.
With Lennar taking over the Great Park, let’s see if they will bring hundreds of thousands into this upcoming race as did Emille Haddad previously.
Woofy
October 18, 2021 at 5:23 pmI will say Branda Lin for council!
Dee Fox
May 9, 2022 at 12:02 amI know this is a relatively old article, but came up in a search I was doing and had to comment. Totally agree that Branda Lin should run for council…heck, she should run for MAYOR! She is RESPECTED, HONEST, and completely UNBIASED! A rarity today, for sure!
Comments are closed.