Automated polls poor measure of U.S. opinion

I was stunned by the recent report of a poll indicating that Clark had pulled so far ahead of Dean in Arizona ... until I saw who did the poll.

Survey USA is the leading vendor of cheap automated dialer polls to local news outfits. Automated dialer polling is a notoriously inaccurate methodology. I'm very disappointed in the unqualified and uncritical use of such polling by Arizona newspapers.

The Associated Press has a standing policy of refusing to report any such polls because of their notorious inaccuracy. For example, in a recent case in Australia, such polling indicated an apparent cumulative 40-point swing between the two major parties in a matter of just days. Such a high degree of unreliability and such a large variance from prior polls in the presidential preference election here in Arizona should put local news outlets, and voters, on notice that something is amiss. Concern about these polls is a matter of record and is easily researched by anyone concerned - and news agencies should be concerned, and better informed.

I urge your editorial staff to be careful of using such polls in the future and to consider adopting a policy like the AP's of simply rejecting polls using this faulty methodology out of hand, no matter whom they may favor. Inaccurate measures of public sentiment simply aren't news; they're propaganda.

Michael Bryan
third-year law student

Child porn penalties inconsistent, arbitrary

Once again, I fail to see justice prevail in our court system. A Phoenix teacher was convicted on 20 counts of child pornography for still photographs on his hard drive in August 2002 and received a minimum of 200 years of prison time with no chance of parole. Donilo Phillip Colich received 10 years of probation for one count of sexual exploitation and 11 counts of child pornography for what were apparently over 20 videos and still photographs. How can one sex offender receive so much less time than the other? Even if the teacher would have taken his plea bargain as did Colich, he still faced 17 years in prison - which also makes me question how it's possible that he receive more time than the average actual child molester does. (The Arizona Department of Corrections reported an average 5.9-year sentence for child molestation in 1998.) I admit that perhaps some details of the two cases may be different, and even so with the child molestation cases, but 200 years' worth? Something must change so that child molesters receive a harsher punishment compared to child pornography downloaders.

Mark Tyson
biology sophomore

Proposed hike a poor idea for administrators

Thanks to Andrea Kelly for covering President Likins' proposed $500 tuition hike for next year. News of this proposed tuition hike leaked out over the holiday season.

With in-state, resident tuition at roughly $200 per credit this semester, I took my business as an alumnus elsewhere; at $600 a course, I'm priced out of the market! Please, UA administration, remind me how higher tuition prices make the UA "more competitive."

Stu H. Williams
UA alumnus

Alumni 'obstacle' not enough for disruption

Until recently, we were in favor of new construction around campus. But now, we are not too sure. The start of the new construction of the Alumni Plaza right in the heart of the campus is definitely an inconvenience for students or anyone who is using that route.

When the plans for this were drawn, and people finally decided to go through with the project, nobody knew how much this was going to disturb each student's routine. When the building of this plaza is finished, we along with everyone else will enjoy the beauty of it, but right now, where it was placed is an invidious obstacle that we have to navigate through.

Come on! We did not even enjoy the union completely, and yet another construction? Hmm ... happy new fences.

Prashant Raj
engineering management junior

Meghan Meissner
journalism sophomore

Better parenting the cure to drinking epidemic

I think the Tucson Police Department and the UA have it all wrong. Perhaps the underage drinking epidemic on campus isn't the fault of the students partaking. After all, if a parent condones and/or enables a child's illegal behavior, society cannot expect that child to behave in a respectful manner and accept responsibility for his or her actions. This would explain the constant whining and complaining from some students such as "The police are out to get us" and "I feel that they re always watching us."

The simple fact is this: Students who consume alcohol under the age of 21 are breaking the law, period. If minors drink and get caught, they have no one to blame but themselves. It's just too bad that some parents can't be locked up for the night along with their children.

Melissa Sotomayor
sociology sophomore