Subject: [NEXTEL-1] The Luntz "Interoperability" poll/paper was commissioned by Nextel.]

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 13:38:51 -0500

-------- Original Message --------
From: Jack Daniel <[email-masked]>
Subject:  The Luntz "Interoperability" poll/paper was commissioned by
Nextel.

Again, Nextel is behind what superficially looks like independent
support of their agenda. 

You have to wonder WHY Nextal has to be devious if their cause is right,
like not openly saying they are behind the www.consensusplan.org
website. 

How many other consensus plan supporters have they bought? 
Wonder what an investigation of the money trail would uncover? 

Thanks to John Linko for posting the Hound Dog's comment about Nextel
sponsoring the Luntz report and Interoperability brochure used at the
recent U.S. Conference of Mayors.

It is shameful that Nextel's payment for a favorable report wasn't
disclosed in the Luntz brochure.

But that's the way business gets done.

For those who want a more complete picture, I have attached at the
bottom of this posting the news release from the Mayors Conference that
states this connection. (Found in Google archives by searching "Frank
Luntz Nextel"

A Google search of "Frank Luntz" alone will give you a mixed bag of
comments about the veracity and accuracy of Mr. Luntz' "poll".  It seems
Luntz was also a pollster for Guilliano, who is now a paid Nextel
"consultant". 

I'm glad the U.S. Conference of Mayors revealed Nextel's sponsorship of
Luntz, but I'm disappointed they didn't tar and feather the scoundrels
for trying to intimidate them with questionable voter sentiment
statistics.

Nextel has used Mr. Luntz before to support the ridiculous position that
Nextel is an interoperability solution for first responders; (From
Google Archives) 

On September 16, 2003, Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) will
host a conference at the Georgia Tech Conference Center, devoted to
improving interoperable communications, overall public safety and
homeland security in Georgia. The event will focus on the day-to-day and
emergency communications needs facing police, fire, emergency
management, and other public safety and health officials. More than 150
officials from throughout the State of Georgia are expected to attend.

Presenters: 
Frank Luntz, President, Watts-Luntz Communications
Morgan O'Brien, Vice Chairman, Nextel Communications
--------------------------------

For Immediate Release October 13, 2003
Contacts: 
Rhonda Spears (202) 861-6766 
U.S. Conference of Mayors 
Michael Maslansky (703) 358-0080

Luntz Research Companies National Pollster, Frank Luntz, Addresses
Mayors on First Responder Interoperability at U.S. Conference of Mayors
Leadership Meeting in Miami 
Releases New Luntz Research Poll: Americans Believe Emergency Responders
Must 
Have TOTAL Interoperability During a Crisis 

MIAMI 
According to a new Luntz poll released Saturday, October 11, at the U.S.
Conference 
of Mayors Leadership Meeting in Miami Beach, Americans expect and demand
that their 
emergency first responders have all the resources, technology, and
funding necessary to be completely interoperable. 

The new poll, conducted by the Luntz Research Companies (LRC), found
that 88% of the 
American people believe that it is either absolutely necessary or very
important to keep 
interoperability functioning at 100% during a crisis. Furthermore, if
those systems are found lacking and emergency response suffers as a
result, poll respondents indicated that they would hold their leaders
accountable. 

The findings of the Luntz poll also found: 
73% of the country agrees that, “The primary role of government is to
protect the people from harm. If our leaders cannot guarantee that
emergency response teams have the 
technology to meet disaster situations, they have not been doing their
jobs. (39% 
strongly agree). Two in three Americans (67%) agree that, If the
technology exists to help first responders communicate more effectively
with each other, the government should invest in the technology
regardless of the cost. 69% of Americans are totally or mostly convinced
that, greater interoperability between police, fire, and emergency
services first responders would actually save lives.

Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner, President of the U.S. Conference
of Mayors said, "We continue to work with Secretary Ridge and the
Department of Homeland Security, the 
Department of Justice, and others to make sure that we build
interoperable systems across our nation." 

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Co-Chair of the U.S. Conference of
Mayors Homeland 
Security Taskforce said, "As last year's Rudman report noted, there
already exist off-the-shelf technologies that can be deployed quickly
and effectively to ensure interoperability. We need the resources to
ensure that our first responders can do their job in a crisis."
 
Dr. Luntz discussed the findings at a mid-day session of the Conference
of Mayors Leadership meeting. "The American people are sending a clear
message to their elected officials," said Luntz. "Federal, state and
local governments need to create interoperable communications regardless
of the cost. If they don't, these officials will be held accountable in
the event of another catastrophe."

The poll was commissioned by Nextel Communications, Inc. as a way to
measure public opinion on the adequacy of improvements to public safety
communications in the aftermath of September 11. The poll was designed
to gauge public perceptions and opinions on the issue of emergency
response capabilities, resources, and priorities. A total of 800
Americans were interviewed by telephone using traditional random digit
dialing methodology for this poll. The margin of error for this survey
was +3.5%. The sample was a cross-section of the American public. 

To get the complete poll results, contact Michael Maslansky of Luntz
Research Companies at (703) 358-0080 or visit the U.S. Conference of
Mayors website at usmayors.org. 

About the U.S. Conference of Mayors: The U.S. Conference of Mayors is
the official nonpartisan organization of the nation's 1183 cities with
populations of 30,000 or more. Each city is represented in the
Conference by its chief elected official - the mayor. 

About The Luntz Research Companies: 
The Luntz Research Companies is a nationally renowned survey research
and corporate 
consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia. More than a dozen Fortune
500 companies and 
several media outlets currently use Luntz Research services. 
###

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/