PALM SPRINGS — An overwhelming majority of Palm Springs voters say they will vote “no” on Measure C, which would ban vacation rentals in most of the city, according to a public opinion poll.
The scientific poll, conducted between May 2 to 7, found that when given a neutral description of Measure C, 64 percent of voters say they would vote “no,” 24 percent say they would vote “yes,” and 10 percent say they are undecided.
The poll, or survey, was conducted by David Binder Research, well-known for work on Califormia marriage equality and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. The survey was ordered and paid for by “We Love Palm Springs – No on Measure C,” which is a coalition of pro-tourism individuals and organizations in Palm Springs, with support from more than 700 donors along with numerous organizations.
The “Vote YES” group told Uken Report it finds the survey/poll questionable.
“Palm Springs voters are smart, and they understand that tourism is the number one driver of our economy,” said Bruce Hoban, co-chair of the We Love Palm Springs group, which is leading the No on Measure C campaign. “People recognize that extreme measures like Measure C’s ban on vacation rentals will damage our economy and restrict our city’s ability to serve residents.”
The poll found a high level of awareness among voters about Measure C, with 78 percent of respondents reporting they had heard “some” or “quite a bit” about the measure. The survey also found that what voters have heard about Measure C is more likely to increase their opposition to the measure than to increase their support for it.
“This voter initiative takes us over a cliff that only a subsequent voter initiative can undo,” Hoban said in a prepared statement. “The City Council cannot come to the rescue since not one word in this terribly crafted legal language can be altered by them. The more supportive voters are of giving the city’s strong existing ordinance a chance to work, the more our City Council can continue to tune and adjust what it is already being strongly enforced.”
Palm Springs Neighbors for Neighborhoods (PSN4N) find the “We love Palm Springs” questions the findings of the survey.
Sources tell us that their sample size was “400 likely voters.” We are questioning whether this sample is truly representative of the over 24,000 registered voters in Palm Springs.
Robert Grimm, PSN4N campaign manager said, “We also surveyed a sample of voters through direct contact walking door-to-door over the last eight weeks. We found that the majority of residents we spoke with were intending to vote YES on Measure C.
“Voters we spoke with expressed dismay with their quality of life in their neighborhoods,” Grimm added. “We noticed that people living in areas with many (short-term rentals) STRs expressed more distress then those with fewer STRs in close proximity. However, residents without STRs in the near vicinity expressed concern that it could become an issue for them, given lack of caps and density restrictions.”
Polls prove not to be indicative of the actual outcome of an election.
“We clearly saw this in the last presidential campaign. And we encourage every voter to vote YES on this important quality of life issue.” Grimm said.
Come June 5, Grimm said he is confident that the voters will finally be heard and their voice will be load and clear.
“Neighbors belong in neighborhoods,” he said.
