As election season shifts further into gear, several Benicians have reported receiving calls purporting to be surveys about the City Council election while asking questions reportedly putting one of its candidates in a negative light.
One person who reported hearing the call was Vice Mayor Steve Young, who detailed his experiences with a recent call from data collection company Research America, Inc.—which has branches in Sacramento and Pleasant Hill–first in a post on The Benicia Independent, then on Nextdoor and the Facebook group “Benicia Happenings” and later published in the Benicia Herald. Young wrote that the call came from a Saratoga phone number, and the surveyor said she would be asking questions on the gubernatorial, senatorial and Benicia City Council race. However, Young said only questions about the council election were asked.
Young wrote that the caller read statements about the candidates and asked if they would make Young more or less likely to vote for them. Young wrote that the statements about Largaespada were largely positive and those about Kari Birdseye were negative, such as “She wants to shut down Valero, costing hundreds of jobs” and “She will bring radical left-wing politics to City Hall.”
Young later asked the caller some questions of his own. Among other things, he noted the caller was calling from the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania but was using a California number to get more people to answer the phone. She also responded that between 40 and 80 people were making the calls on a given day.
Young considered the process to be a form of “push polling,” in which individuals or organizations purport to be conducting opinion polls but mainly try to sway voters toward or away from certain candidates. The practice was documented during Benicia’s mayoral election in 2011, in which callers read statements against Mayor Elizabeth Patterson. The calls were widely condemned by all the mayoral and City Council candidates that year, but it was never determined who paid for the calls.
When the article was posted to Nextdoor and “Benicia Happenings,” Largaespada responded by saying he had no involvement with the poll and it was conducted without his permission. However, he wrote that residents had reported different reactions, including those who said it was biased toward Largaespada, those who felt it was biased against Largaespada and those who said the statements were equally balanced. These mixed responses were reflected in the comments of the “Benicia Happenings” post, with some saying there was an obvious slant and others commenting that the calls did not appear to be for or against any particular candidate.
Largaespada also decried the practice of push polling.
“I don’t believe it benefits anyone,” he wrote. “My hope is that all voters take the time to do their own research – visit the candidates’ websites, attend or watch the candidate forums, attend a meet and greet – and form their own opinions.”
Young responded by saying he would take Largaespada at his word but assured that his descriptions of the questions were accurate.
Birdseye slammed the calls in a blog post on her campaign site.
“I rewatched Michelle Obama’s 2016 speech this morning and am inspired to repeat one of her most memorable quotes: ‘When they go low, we go high,” she wrote. “Fits perfectly right about now.”
It is unknown who funded the polls. When reached for comment, a Research America employee said the calls were intended to collect data for EMC Research, a marketing research company with a branch in Oakland. The employee said the calls were merely opinion polls designed to elicit views of voters and denied they were intended to sway voters. EMC Research could not be reached for comment.
Reached by email last Friday, City Attorney Heather McLaughlin said the city was investigating whether or not the calls were violations of Benicia Municipal Code. She reached out to Research America and asked them to review Section 1.40.042 which states that “Campaign communications funded by an independent expenditure supporting or opposing city candidates or city measures shall include the phrase ‘Not authorized by a candidate,’ and shall also include the name of any contributor of $2,500 or more made in the past six months to a committee funding the independent expenditure, in the phrase “Major Funding Provided By [Name of Contributor(s)].’” It also states that in phone call and other audio campaign communications, the disclosures must be spoken in a clearly audible manner at the beginning or end of the transmission at the same speed or volume as the rest of the call and be at least three seconds long. McLaughlin also told Research America to refer to sections 1.36 and 1.42, which deal with fair campaign practices and voluntary spending limits respectively.
McLaughlin said the issue was a matter of disclosure.
“It is a little hard to say what section (the polls) are violating since we don’t know enough about the poll,” she wrote. “If the poll is paid for by a candidate there are rules for that. If it is paid for by an independent committee there are rules for that. All of it basically boils down to disclosure. They should be disclosing who is behind the poll.”
McLaughlin said she was talking to outside counsel and may consider the item for the agenda of the Oct. 2 City Council meeting’s closed session.
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Note the word “several”. That simply means not a large amount. Just how serious is this? Vice Mayor Young says it appears to be in favor of a certain candidate. That candidate Birdseye who he supports slammed the poll. Yet at the same time Vice Mayor Young says he will take Lionel at his word. Word that he was not involved in this poll. But also disputed Largaespada interpretation of the poll to “SEVERAL” residents. I consider Vice Mayor Young’s words soft and not at all convincing that he believes what Largaespada said.
Concerning the push poll, I consider Vice Mayor Young to be honest and a person that exemplifies integrity. Also, I’d take his word about the push poll (as he personally experienced the push poll) over somebody’s subjective opinion about the push poll (who might not have received the call).
Very partisan comment. My comment is based on his past views. Try 900 homes as a Facebook headline. Not at all honest. 900 homes was never going to happen and he new it. Scare tactic at its highest level. Get Woke Thomas.
Bob, I don’t make partisan comments. That is your domain.
Do you know where the push poll originated? Do you have any involvement in it? You certainly seem to know something, have an opinion, about the questions that were asked.
You ignore your partisan views that you have. I at least admit I am a conservative Republican and voted for President Trump. I also predicted he would win. Why would you ask such stupid questions? Read my comments about questions asked. Do your homework. Believe me Thomas I know a lot more about Benicia politics than you do. Do you live in Benicia?
“You ignore your partisan views that you have.” Oh, well you’ve paid close attention. Why don’t you tell me what they are? Better yet, why don’t you tell me to what party I’m registered. Yeah, I thought not. Just a stupid comment by you.
Back to my question, which you ignored, Mr. WOLK: Did you personally have something to do with the push poll? You’ve made inferences that the questions may not have been as biased, as the the Vice Mayor has assured us they were. Do you have firsthand knowledge of the specific questions? If not, how can you make the statement that they were not?
Also, starting a sentence with “Believe me..” does not make what follows valid.
Read the article by Vice Mayor Young. He told the whole story. He must have had pen and pad on hand. He was very clear what the questions were. This is a way over blown issue by Vice mayor Young who is supporting Birdseye. Thomas are you part of this push poll? When saying you did not know about them a red light goes off. Maybe it was you. Are you part of this push poll? Never start a sentence with “I consider” shows lack of respect for the person or topic. Also means you know nothing about the topic. Your sarcasm is way out in front on all your comment. Get WOKE Got it Rojee
Mr. WOLK, I did read the article. Yes, you are right he did tell the whole story. Why would he have needed a pen a paper in hand? No I did not have anything to do with the push poll? No. Very easy to answer.
Now you try answering the question once and for all. Were you involved in organizing the Push Poll? Given your track record of trying to besmirch the name of anyone that does not agree with you, you make a highly likely suspect. Might this be the reason you are trying to down play it?
“shows lack of respect for the person or topic”. Again, a domain of yours, no?
Also, your definitions are weak, shows you don’t really know the meaning of words, or phrases (like the one you choose to use with reckless abandon).
Your responses are filled with an arrogance that you can cut with a knife.
“Get woke, Rojee.”. One of your BLM friends, Couz?
Now you can answer this. Have you every used the name Rojee in any on-line blog such as the Fairfield paper? Your time to tell the truth. He needed a pen and paper to write down the questions. Did he record the call? Being that I am a suspect in your very narrow thinking that means that I am not. You are not a credible source. Just the fact that you are now trying to smear my name is enough. “A highly likely suspect”? You will now have a come back and again try to smear my name. I challenge you to say that again with proof. You will not and cannot because you are a very weak person that just does not like my political leaning and your sarcasm shows it. .Again do you live in Benicia? Just the truth Rojee. I will continue to use Rojee until you provide proof that you have never used that name or even Gunther. Watch his sarcastic come back. No Proof Rojee.
Mr. WOLK, None of what you wrote makes a bit of sense, and even if it did, it seems it would be irrelevant. Just answer the question. I’m not trying to smear your name (you do fine with that on your own), I’m just wondering if you can answer the question. If you can’t just move on and quit responding. Did you, or did you not, have any involvement in the push poll? A simple yes or no would suffice. Anything else is just a waste of your time. I’m betting your frail ego will get the best of you.
Nick, nice piece of journalism. Facts presented, no opinions offered. Wish more journalists wrote like you do.