A survey of America's mayors finds that many "aren’t eager to challenge the status quo."

"If they don’t adjust their priorities to match the urgency of the crises they’ve identified, mayors might have no one to blame for stalled progress but themselves."

I attended yesterday's DNA-sponsored merchant meeting, the first such gathering of 2020.

The meeting lasted an hour, during which there was no mention whatever of the impending (2021) Sherman Minton Bridge repair-mandated adjustments -- lane and ramp closures and the like -- that stand to have a disruptive impact on downtown specifically, and in more general terms the city as a whole.

Does Team Gahan have a secret plan for the 11th Hour?

If not, or even if so, shouldn't this be something we're planning for? Or is participatory "infrastructure" of this sort simply not a priority in Nawbany?

U.S. Mayors Say Infrastructure Is a Priority. But What Kind?

The Menino Survey of Mayors identifies priorities like infrastructure, traffic safety, and climate change. But many mayors aren’t eager to challenge the status quo.

... Generally, pedestrian and cyclist safety was prioritized by many mayors—a reflection, perhaps, of the limited progress most U.S. cities are making on their efforts to reduce traffic-related injuries. New research shows that even as being a car passenger is getting safer, being a pedestrian is becoming more dangerous. Still, “majorities of mayors rate travel in their city as safe for all of the groups we asked about,” and only 22 percent of mayors ranked “pedestrian friendliness” as a top infrastructure priority, while 66 percent listed “roads.” Democratic mayors did full-throatedly commit to sacrificing car lanes and parking spaces to bike lanes, with 92 percent on board compared to Republicans’ 34 percent—a partisan divide that’s ballooned 30 points since the survey’s 2015 edition.

Vision Zero, the global movement to dramatically reduce pedestrian fatalities, may be a hot topic in transportation circles but it’s not exactly a national priority in America’s city halls: It’s tied for seventh place (with “lighting”) on a list of what’s been most important for pedestrian safety improvements. Based on CityLab research showing that Vision Zero efforts aren’t paying off fast enough in some of the U.S.’s largest participants, perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising. As for other traffic safety measures, most mayors think their cities are doing enough. Despite global efforts to drop vehicle speeds inside cities, nearly three-quarters of mayors surveyed thought their speed limits were set at the “right level,” while only 15 percent thought they were set too high.

Take the Citizens for a Better New Albany survey.

Citizens for a Better New Albany has a survey for you. And what is CfaBNA? We already told you that.

WITHIN CITY LIMITS: Episode VIII, A Lesson in Compassionate Conservatism.

Nick says: "Take this quick 7 question survey share which issues on a city level are most important to you!"

It's at Survey Monkey.

Burks, Caesar, Benedetti and Rutherford did not return their surveys.

I must admit: The newspaper's Voters' Guide 2011 is probably the most thorough ever.

Unfortunately, when it matters most, some of the candidates don't feel the need to be informative. Bear their reluctance in mind when considering a vote for Burks, Caesar, Benedetti and Rutherford. Perhaps I should have sold my services as ghostwriter-for-hire.

"Fifty-three percent of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the man who started the Protestant Reformation."

He was the guy with the theses, wasn't he?

Basic Religion Test Stumps Many Americans, by Laurie Goodstein (New York Times).

“Even after all these other factors, including education, are taken into account, atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons still outperform all the other religious groups in our survey,” said Greg Smith, a senior researcher at Pew.

All at 2%, or all at 3%. Why the difference?

Has there ever been a coherent answer to the question: Exactly how is it that rental property ownership is not a business?

Also, imagine how much more fun the question would be if it also asked of Hoosiers, (after caps) how do you propose to support local government?

Shall we ask China for foreign aid, and a kickpack from the current voluntary Wal-Mart tax?

CLERE: I asked and you answered, by Ed Clere, State Rep. District 72

Here are the questions (in bold), followed by the results and my comments:

Do you support giving Hoosiers a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment capping residential property taxes at 1 percent of a home’s assessed value, 2 percent for agriculture and rental properties and 3 percent for business property?

Eighty-two percent of survey respondents want a chance to vote on tax caps, and they will get it. After a year of blocking a vote on the caps, House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, finally relented. I was part of the bipartisan 75-23 majority that supported the caps. The Senate, which was on board all along, reaffirmed its support last week, and the question will be on the ballot in November. Now it’s up to Hoosiers voters to decide whether the caps will become part of the state constitution.

Either CM Price or Yankees great Yogi Berra said, “A smoking ban is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”

As previously threatened, the Tribune recently conducted a phone survey about the proposed smoking ban.

Reporter Daniel Suddeath’s on-line story yesterday about the survey contained this management insight from his boss, Steve Kozarovich (publisher and executive editor).

Kozarovich said the survey is unscientific and the newspaper had no intention of generating support for one or the other.

Thanks for that clarification. Unscientific surveys seem somehow to symbolize every shred of the smoking to date, so the more the merrier, I guess.

Now, on to the link.

Phone survey reports residents favor New Albany smoking ban, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

THE RESPONSE

• 369 people answered a phone survey conducted by The Tribune.

• 210 (57%) support the proposed ban

• 118 (32%) oppose the ban

• 41 (11%) are undecided

Results of a smoking ban survey conducted by The Tribune show a majority of respondents favor the proposed restrictions. Calls were made to more than 1,000 residents in New Albany, with 369 people agreeing to participate and stating they are a city resident and older than 18 years of age.

For an interesting (though bone dry) insight into the telephone survey business’s thought process when it comes to the prevalence of cell phones and the concurrent decrease in land lines, go here.

Meanwhile, Suddeath unfairly ignores our fervent eagerness to read gems of wisdom from Councilman Cappuccino, and instead interviews John Gonder and Steve Price, one of whom manages coherence.

See if you can guess which one.

Two council members on opposite ends of the spectrum shared confidence in the survey. “[The results] would kind of jive with what we’ve been told,” said Councilman John Gonder, who voted in favor of the ban on first reading.

Councilman Steve Price voted against the ordinance earlier this month and plans to do the same Thursday. He said the results of the survey aren’t surprising.

“You have to understand most people don’t smoke and don’t go to your clubs and bars,” Price said. “My point was the way it is now, I just like freedom of choice.”

Wow.

Wonder what he means by that?

Readers?