Hoboken released the results of an online survey regarding face mask usage and a proposed ordinance before the council that, if adopted, could impose a $250 fine for those who don’t comply with the governor’s orders to wear them.
The Executive Order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy requires face masks be worn in situations where social distancing is impossible.
According to the city, the public would be educated on the new ordinance by a social distancing task force that, along with Class II police officers, would hand out face masks and warnings for a period of time before enforcing the ordinance with fines.
According to the city, 3,661 people filled out a survey over a 24-hour span.
According to the survey, 51 percent of respondents agree or strongly agree with a fine of $250 for not wearing a face mask when social distancing is not possible, with 41 percent disagreeing or strongly disagreeing, and 8 percent not sure.
Seventy percent of the “high risk” population, including seniors or those with serious underlying medical conditions, indicated they would feel safer or much safer if a $250 fine was instituted, while 26 percent of the at-risk population said they wouldn’t feel safer or wouldn’t feel safe at all.
62 percent of respondents indicated that they believed a $250 fine would make other people more likely to wear face masks, while 37 percent indicated that a $250 fine would make them more likely to wear a face mask outdoors.
Push poll or legitimate survey?
A push poll, defined by the MacMillan Dictionary, is an opinion poll whose real purpose is to influence people’s opinions rather than to collect information about them.
“The survey results are about as credible as the survey itself, which was drafted to sway respondents to support the ordinance – aka a Push Poll,” said Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher. “And this type of taxpayer-funded propaganda is wholly inappropriate. If the mayor really wanted to make a difference instead of just sending emails to make headlines, he would have taken real mask-related actions to improve safety, including supplying masks throughout Hoboken, organizing an on-the-ground community effort to advocate mask usage, and asked Hoboken Police to give warnings and issue summonses and fines under our existing state law.”
In an email to constituents, Fisher said the survey attempted to sway results by creating the visual of a crowded Washington Street and the Waterfront to invoke concern; posing all questions as “facemasks should be required” as opposed to “should not be required;” using false assertions in questions; and excluding relevant information from questions like the existing state Law which she says already carries jail time and fines.
She said the city should have included questions asking about the awareness of the State Mask Order; how the state ordinance should be enforced, and about awareness of Gov. Murphy’s requirement that local laws can’t differ from state law, among others.
“For 2nd Ward residents in particular, mask-less crowds and joggers have been a big safety concern,” Fisher said. “But deceiving the public to get a desired outcome is dishonest and should not be the method used by our mayor or any leader for that matter.”
“The unbiased, public survey on face masks released by the City had an incredible response rate of over 3,600 participants in a 24-hour time span,” said City spokesperson Vijay Chaudhuri. “The administration hopes that all government officials and elected leaders take the feedback, especially from those most at-risk to COVID-19, into account.”
Councilman Jim Doyle called it a fair survey.
“The debate over the proposed mask ordinance is not nearly as complicated as certain councilpersons are making it,” he added. “A fair, broad survey was conducted and the results are clear, for those who want to decide based on the will of the electorate. If one feels the very concept is a governmental overreach, then the decision is easy for you, too. For me, I believe that masks are protective, and the burden of wearing one is low, so as a legislator, I feel we should err on the side of protecting the public, especially our seniors and most vulnerable.”
Councilman Phil Cohen said, “When I polled my constituents whether they support our ordinance authorizing the city to issue summons to people not wearing masks, by a margin of two to one they said ‘yes.’ So, it does not surprise me that the city’s larger survey results echo my survey.”
He emphasized that 70 percent of residents most at risk from COVID-19 believe the ordinance before the council will make them feel safer.
“The time is now to give our city’s COVID-19 Task Force the necessary tools to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Cohen said. “I hope my Council colleagues join me tonight and vote yes,putting more teeth behind our effort to educate and warn folks to wear face covers when social distancing is not possible.”
The council will vote on the ordinance on second and final reading Aug. 19 during its 7 p.m. virtual meeting.
To see the agenda and learn how to join the meeting go to http://hobokennj.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=14&ID=1508&Inline=True
For full results of the city’s face mask survey, click here.
