Sioux Falls Parks and Rec did a survey (FF to 12:00);
The survey was mailed to 6,000 residents across the city, and it had a 15.7 percent response rate.
According to MLL who conducted the survey, 15.7% (925 respondents) is very high which makes this survey very accurate (a 3% error rate).
While the city and even our very own Argue Endorser will have you believe the percentages, that citizens want an indoor pool, it’s the ratio’s that matter;
And though voters have turned down both a rec center and an indoor pool, the respondents who participated in the survey said both items are areas of need. Sixty percent want an indoor aquatics center, while 57 percent wanted a rec center.
Ignore the percentages for a moment and look at the ratios;
The left number indicates those who WANT something to be taxpayer subsidized, the right number indicates those that feel it should be paid for thru user fees, which is pretty revealing. In other words 1 in 7 people are OKAY with an indoor pool being taxpayer subsidized. The other 7 want it paid for thru user fees, much like our public golf courses. But isn’t that what we already have in the private sector right now? Of course, that is why the city DOES NOT need to build an indoor pool. Citizens are already paying user fees at private indoor pools, and it seems they don’t have a problem with that. Heck, if you really want to use the survey further, I found it interesting that more people support taxpayer subsidized theater over indoor swimming, in fact, taxpayer subsidized art kicked indoor swimming’s ass. (concerts, festivals, arts and crafts). So why isn’t the city council and mayor saying we need a public arts center? Good Question.