Fallonious Assault

The NC Realtors recent lobbying report showed expenditures of $43,740 going to Fallon Research & Communications of Columbus, Ohio, for Voter Opinion Survey services. That company name popped up late September when selective results from a phone survey conducted among Raleigh and Cary voters July 22-24 by Fallon Research & Communications were released. At the time the results were released, Public Policy Polling was not familiar with the organization, though referenced the following article from The Texas Observer, an independent investigative publication. The fast growing town of Frisco, Texas was considering ordinances to control shoddy building practices two years ago.

To drive home this alarming message, the opposition quickly cobbled together an Astroturf political action committee named Citizens United for Frisco’s Future or CUFF.
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CUFF has also spent $3,500 with Ohio-based Fallon Research and Communications, a Republican polling firm with ties to the housing industry, and $13,000 with Cornerstone RSCS for the production of the aforementioned TV ad. Both these companies have been hired by builder-financed PACs in recent years to help defeat citizen initiatives around the country.

From a 5/27/2004 article, an auto-bio of owner Paul Fallon:

Paul Fallon is a public opinion researcher, political pollster and advisor for corporations, trade groups, levy committees, interest groups, political candidates and public organizations. He has worked on numerous projects, campaigns and ballot issues throughout the country. He also conducts customer, member, contributor and citizen satisfaction studies for government agencies, industry and labor groups, public agencies and private companies. He recently completed a 3-year stint as the director of public opinion research for the National Association of Home Builders. Paul was responsible for opinion research, as well as political polling for a highly successful ballot issue management program that resulted in numerous successes in campaigns at the state, county and local level. During that time he earned a reputation for helping candidates navigate complex growth issues affecting their campaigns. He previously served as director of public opinion research for the Ohio Republican Party.

The Frisco measures were subsequently defeated:

Perhaps it’s because the homebuilding industry, the state’s leading real estate association, the local chamber of commerce, and the city government teamed up to spend at least $100,000 in a smear campaign. Efforts to defeat the proposals and vilify their main champions, the Becka family, included television and newspaper ads, signage posted all over the city, and borderline propaganda on the city’s website. “The vote demonstrates how easy it is to sway an election if you have enough money,” wrote Dr. David Becka