The Secret Cornell

At the opposite end of the spectrum from those endless business/product surveys — are the Cornell opinion surveys.

These surveys are always taken after the policies and regulations have been decided; but before residents are aware of this – so there can be no discussion or thinking things through: and using an accepted methodology for data collection to give legitimacy to their skewed and deceptive questions.

Cornell’s cold-call Lansing telephone survey instituted quotas of respondents for each different demographic category they created — and hung up any anybody who had been “apportioned out.”

Its psychologically manipulative questions included asking what residents wanted in “the Town Center” – but never asking if residents wanted a Town Center: resulting in the authorities claiming that “residents wanted a Town Center with . . .”

They didn’t ask: “Would you support re-zoning to allow large-scale apartment complexes?” –instead, they asked: “Would you support housing for families in need?”

In the days following; there was a ground swell of public unrest.

The Town of Lansing telephone survey filled the Town’s public meeting room with angry and concerned residents. Authorities backed down: claiming that it was “only preliminary” and just “to get an indication” – and that other surveys would be conducted later.

They lied.

No other surveys were ever made; and that same publicly rejected survey was presented in the Town’s Comprehensive Plan as a public mandate.

In a university community notable for their intellectual dishonesty – the only “wrong” is not getting what you want.