Kansas GOP Insider (wannabe): Congressional Survey

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Congressional Survey

Kevin Yoder wants to know what you think. Seriously, he does. He's mailed out a survey asking deep, meaningful questions and he's Facebooking about it, and he's emailing about it, and just tell him what you think already, OK?

On Facebook, he (Oh fine. A staff member) writes, "As your Congressman, I am dedicated to providing outstanding services to the constituents in the 3rd Congressional District in Kansas... Your answers will help me focus on the issues that are really important to Kansans in the 3rd District."

The survey asks hard-hitting questions like: Generally speaking, would you say things nationally are headed in the right direction, or are things off on the wrong track? and In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as President? 

And then it asks you to choose your TOP TWO issues from a list that includes things like, "Moral issues, immigration reform, healthcare and cutting taxes."

This kind of survey is so vapid. If I say "healthcare" is one of my main issues, does that mean I think ObamaCare is a great idea or a terrible one? What does Yoder think I mean when I check a box saying "moral issues" are one of my top concerns? It's possible that I worry about the growing oppression of Christians in America or maybe I just want more public opportunities to sacrifice Democrats to Gaia. There's no follow-up question that addresses why any of those issues may or may not be my top concerns.

Surveys are typically used as a means for politicians to show "support" for various spending programs. An example locally: Johnson County Parks and Recreation will tell you up down and sideways that people in Johnson County want more parks. How do they know? Because one time, they did a survey with a question asking, do you like parks? And people said yes. There were no questions about how much people wanted to spend on a park. But EVERYONE likes parks. I also like vacations, a lot. That doesn't mean I want the government funding them for everyone. 

In reading (and taking the survey multiple times!) I can't find any pet projects in the questionnaire that Yoder is trying to fund. So there's that. 

However, I think it's relatively clear that the goal of the quiz is to get Yoder's name in front of people and take full advantage of Congressional franking privilege. Mission accomplished, I guess.

As an aside, a very dumb co-worker today was extremely angry about the survey being sent to her house. She said how dare the Congressman spend tax money in sending it. And how dare he tell her to she HAS TO fill out a survey. I just let her keep on thinking that she had no choice but to fill out the voluntary paperwork, because I just don't see the point of trying to correct someone that ridiculous.

K.Yo., look for my survey(s), will you? And if you want to sponsor legislation by which the American people fund at least one dream vacation per year for me personally (and one special friend) I won't be opposed. Unfortunately, your survey monkey didn't offer a comment section, or I would have mentioned it there.

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