Faced with managing a $3 billion state budget deficit, the House education budget writers have proposed nearly $1 billion in cuts and the loss of thousands of teacher jobs. The plan has also sent the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), the lobbyists for the teachers unions into “war mode”.
NCAE’s first shot was release of a survey conducted by an “independent research firm” that shows strong support for more revenue for public education. An NCAE press release gushed:
When asked how to balance the state budget, 85 percent of survey respondents said they opposed cutting the number of teachers in public schools and raising class sizes. No other category of how to fix the budget – including proposals to raise taxes – received more opposition than cuts to education spending.
NCAE says the polling “was conducted by independent research firm, Anzalone/Liszt Research out of Washington DC. Google lists the Anzalone/Liszt as a “full service democratic polling and public opinion research firm.” More helpful information about the “independent research firm” is available from the Anzalone/Liszt web site:
Anzalone Liszt had a great 2008! We helped deliver the crucial Southern states of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia to President-elect Barack Obama. For the second straight cycle we helped defeat an incumbent U.S. Senator by electing Kay Hagan in North Carolina. Additionally our firm helped protect 14 Democratic congressional incumbents, flip two Republican open seats (AL-02 / IL-11) and defeat two Republican incumbents (NV-03 / NC-08). We helped elect statewide candidates in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and West Virginia and helped sustain Democratic majorities in the Illinois, North Carolina, and Colorado State Senates. Congratulations to all our winners!
The firm also thought you’d be interested to know: “In 2006, Anzalone Liszt Research beat more incumbent Republicans (five) than any other polling firm in the nation.”
Those descriptions sure shout “independent” to me.
Not to nitpick, but wasn’t your organization formerly headed by a former head of the N.C. GOP and campaign manager for the Republican candidate for governor? and then you conducted polls about the governor’s race?
That doesn’t sound all that independent either.
Porter:
Civitas was previously led by an NC GOP chairman who also served as a consultant to the former Republican candidate for governor.
While Civitas does polling — and we stand behind the results — we don’t trumpet the word “independent” on our polling.
Thanks for your comments.
Bob Luebke
ai.. tni hapus lng n ang ncae v!!