There may be a reason that the Star Phoenix’s Jeanette Stewart’s report on Saskatchewan support for the oilsands from last week reads less like a polling result than it does a math quiz. Readers who tried to decipher the numbers provided would have noticed a glaring omission – the complete polling results.
Well, now is the time at SDA when we juxtapose!
Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Jan. 4, 2011;
Despite alarm bells raised recently over toxins spewed from Alberta’s oilsands into Saskatchewan, results of a recent survey indicate one-quarter of the province’s residents support oilsands development.
The results of a survey performed by Sigma Analytics for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post show 24.9 per cent of respondents “strongly support” oilsands development in the province. But those who caution against this type of development see a different picture in the survey numbers.
“If you didn’t really know much about the issue, sure, why wouldn’t you support it?” said Ann Coxworth, research adviser for the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) and author of a report titled Carbon Copy: Preventing Oilsands Fever in Saskatchewan.
“I think the fact that 23 per cent of people are opposed or strongly opposed is a fairly high level of opposition,” she added. “Over 50 per cent of the respondents have some reservations about it . . . which I think is significant.”
From the now-released Sigma Analytics poll, January 11th;
That’s quite the “split”. But no matter – Stewart’s misleading report was regurgitated, unquestioned, by news outlets across the country. Mission accomplished.
Thank you, BJG. My comment was primarily in response to the quote “Over 50 per cent of the respondents have some reservations about it . . . which I think is significant.” Although a couple people here lapsed into the same tactic, but I think they were simply being cute with Coxworth’s (il)logic.
BJG, I would only note that Stewart is a 20-something pinhead. Junior reporters don’t tackle a story like this in any major newspaper without a fairly heavy hand from the editor. The survey itself, given what these things cost, would have been commissioned and approved much higher up the insect food chain. Also note that it was commissioned by both newspapers, S-P and Leader-Post. That certainly means this was a project initiated by the Publishers and Editors of both newspapers.
As for Coxworth, she’s a volunteer with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. She has a background in adult education and has no expertise whatsoever related to the topic at hand.
I strongly agree with you that this reeks of desperation. Given such a loaded survey, even she had trouble finding anything helpful to the eco-freaks’ cause in this one.
The question I find interesting is simply this: why are the L-P and the S-P opposed to oil sands development in Saskatchewan?
Good question cgh.
Why are the local papers so opposed to oil sands development in Saskatchewan?
They have revealed their bias. They have also revealed their detachment from views of the bulk of the Saskatchewan population. I ask all to bear that in mind during the leadup to the November elections.
Has anyone noticed that the Star Phoenix has moved even further Left recently? This paper is horrid reading even on a good day!
JMD, yes, Ezra’s book is a good read. I am about halfway through my signed copy.
cgh, thank you for the explanation. If Coxworth had her way we would be living in caves eating grass, using candles for light and warmth and all be unemployed or working for the state.
Sparky, you are right. I had a subscription to the Star Phoenix for many years, but canceled a few years ago as it supports all the PC crap that there is these days. This is just another example.
Well said favill @ 12:32:
“Can anybody comprehend why anybody involved in Saskatchewan’s political scene would actively deny the province becoming better off economically? It not only flies in the face of pragmatism but also shines a light on the ideology that serves as the Left’s base–“keep the people poor and we will be their masters”
What you said is ‘it’ in a nutshell.
Even the followers of the muddy culvert and his gang are not stupid enough to vote against prosperity. They have their pensions to think about!! Who will fund their ‘golden years’ if not $$ from the province? Out in Sask. the people know that the east will not ‘help’ out because Quebec comes first. All old dippers are not self destructive; they want their ‘entitlements’ and the poverty of Dipper guments would mean less $$ for them to spend in the sunny south.
Some folks can’t help but hate others succeeding, either personally or as a State or Province.
Myself I throw a great big God bless you at Saskatchewan for having the balls to cut its vampires away into the sunlight so that their birth right is not crushed under the heels of the greedy envious.
By becoming rich they make us all better off. Something no Dipper can imagine.
JMO
Well, jschuler, it turns out that I also misread your original post. My reference to reeking was a snarky crack at your “stupid” comment. My bad.
I’ve learned the lesson of failing to comprehend before. Hopefully, this time It’ll stick.
Perhaps one of the Saskatchewan regulars will ask the two newspapers cgh’s excellent question.
Speaking of the Star-Phoenix, a couple of days ago I was in the service station I normally take my car to for a little problem that was a quick fix. I sat in their waiting area for no more than four or five minutes. Normally, they have a copy of the SP in the waiting area for their customers to read.
There was a woman sitting beside me reading the Star-Phoenix and I swear it was tabloid sized. I didn’t see any other sections lying around, so I don’t know if the bit she was reading was a “special” insert or if the whole paper has shrunk.
If the later, then whoopie. One more old media of the leftie hue is slowly sinking into the sunset.