Bad Issue 1 poll: Between now and election day, we’ll see a variety of polls that purport to be an accurate window into what voters think. If you see an online survey, ignore it because they’re unreliable. People passionate about a subject will more likely fill out an online poll. That skews the results, and we saw that with Issue 1. One online survey from an Ohio university claimed the vote running neck and neck. Some anti-Issue 1 leaning content providers gleefully ran the results. The poll was off by 14 points. By contrast, scientific polls balance responses by using a sample of different demographics representative of the entire voting public. Online polls don’t do that and fall under the category of “reader beware.”
The heat: It hasn’t been hot, it’s been scorching. I hate it. Farmers love it. The United States Department of Agriculture expects corn yields to increase 5% over last year to an estimated 625 million bushels. Soybeans project to yield 57 bushels per acre, and that would be a record. We can thank the heat for that. According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, warmer soil means a more rapid crop development for corn and the emergence of planted soybeans. So the hot weather means much more than a day at the pool. It helps farmers, and that’s always a good thing.
Drivers don’t listen: Local police departments say drivers continue to operate motor vehicles while using a cell phone, and that’s now against the law. We’re nearing the end of a six-month grace period, and police will soon be able to ticket drivers who hold or look at their cell phones while operating a vehicle. And no, you can’t keep the phone in your lap or on your shoulder. People don’t listen, especially regarding safety, and the laws on the books don’t give them a reason to pay attention. The most stringent penalty means a $500 fine, four points on your driver’s license, and up to a 90-day driver’s license suspension if you violate the law three or more times in two years. You want to get people’s attention? Make this the penalty for the second violation with no time limit. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and we must protect people on the road from those more concerned with a text than a life.
Car bubble: This may be the start of a car bubble. The Wall Street Journal reports bad signs for a car industry that’s been hyper-aggressive in raising prices. Pandemic-era car shortages seem like a millennium ago. Now? The high prices have started to scare people away. Only one car, the Mitsubishi Mirage sub-compact, sells for less than $20,000. The average vehicle costs $27,000 --- on a used car lot. Customers now pay an average of $716 monthly for a new car loan. The numbers mean less than the overall takeaway. Customers have become overextended on vehicle payments.
Seeking voters: Polls show Democrats and Republicans, overall, dissatisfied with their potential choices for president. The third-party group, No Labels, says it will run a ticket if Biden and Trump face each other in a rematch of 2020 and if research shows a third-party run won’t benefit Trump. I’d like to talk to Republicans and Democrats about what they think of No Labels. I’ll arrange a video call with a small bipartisan group to discuss. Expect more of these in an effort understand what community members think of specific issues.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday. He can be reached at raymarcanoddn@gmail.com.
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