Survey failed to talk to all downtown businesses

What strikes me most about Bill Litsinger's recent Vox Populi is not its lack of any fresh take on the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association or the business improvement district but rather the circulation of yet another survey designed to reinforce an already held position among people who share that position. Nobody asked me. Nobody has ever asked me and I've been a downtown businessman for just short of 13 years.

I actually like not being asked. Answering survey questions takes a lot of time and since the people conducting them usually have an opinion, an argument is likely to ensue. But I also enjoy having an opinion and having it count, so I am going to share one or two of them with you now. If you have a point of view and plan on conducting your own survey, save this letter and refer back to it so that you don't actually have to come in and speak to me while I'm trying to help customers, but you can include my opinion in your results.

First, I still like the concept of the BID. I don't like the tax, but I do like the flowers in the summer, the Christmas lights in the winter and, contrary to the opinion of the 27.2 people in Mr. Litsinger's survey who felt otherwise, I love the fountain and think it was money well spent.

I support the bypass. I will miss the smell of the cattle trucks, but I've seen so many near misses that I believe the if all the bypass does is get some of the trucks out of the city it will be a success.

Some of my closest friends, people whose opinions I respect, disagree with me. We continue to support one another's businesses and we speak to each other. We just don't talk about the bypass.

I have lots of opinions, none of which are any more or less worthy of consideration than anybody else's. So the next time you take a survey, at least give me the opportunity to tell you I just don't have the time to participate. I appreciate it.

BILL CLATWORTHY

Sandpoint