When initial reactions were so strong over the arrival of Island Discount on Main Street, we took a poll to find out where all that was coming from. The results reflect a clearly American response. And not just in the voting.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
An American Response To A Roosevelt Island Poll
Our poll results surprised us, not because we expected a lopsided result but because the votes were so evenly divided.
We’ll give you the breakdown in a second, but first, there was more than just votes. There was also the thoroughly American crankiness. While most comments reflected firm points of view, others were simply ugly.
One Facebook post: “Haters gonna hate.” The guy resented anyone else having opinions differing from his, calling them “haters.” That’s the American way for some, these days.
Another reflected a flavor of the month. Posting a poll at all was “bullying.”
So maybe we’re more mainstream on Roosevelt Island than we thought.
The Results
The poll broke down in three ways: 1) Great or Good; 2) Wait and See; and 3) Awful or Bad.
A friend of mine used to say, “I have strong feelings both ways,” reflecting indecisiveness. That pretty much is where Roosevelt Islanders stand on Island Discount.
The American Response:
- Wait and See – 37%
- Great – 30%
- Disgusting – 30%
- No Opinion – 3%
An even split.
While this is far from what any storeowner would want, it shows a strong opportunity to win over a large undecided group of Wait and See voters.
For the best benefit of Roosevelt Island, we hope sentiments shift positive, but the owner has a long way to go after a mediocre start.
Maybe we’ll check back with another poll later on.
Ten Years, or Another Temporary Fix?
Roosevelt Island was built through public investment, then expected to support itself through development. The ten-year lease extension gives RIOC a rare chance to replace short-term deals with a financial system designed to outlast the people approving them.
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