public opinion and issues in anne arundel county: leadership anne arundel presentation – nla
Post on 31-Dec-2015
54 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
1
Public Opinion and Issues in Anne Arundel County: Leadership Anne Arundel Presentation – NLA
Feb. 28, 2009
Dan Nataf, PhDDirector, Center for the Study of Local IssuesAnne Arundel Community College101 College ParkwayArnold, MD 21012(410) 777-2733(410) 777-4733 fax ddnataf@aacc.edu
www.aacc.edu/csli
2
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009The Center for the Study of Local Issues: Overview
• CSLI – Part of Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service
• 1978-79 – 30th Anniversary
• Mission: Provide students opportunities for engaged learning, community outreach
• Main activity: Public interest and client surveys/research each semester
3
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 The Center for the Study of Local Issues: Overview
Surveys: Respondents randomly chosen from universe of listed telephone numbers combined with computer generated numbers
• Typical sample size: 400-900 respondents; students used as interviewers
• Topics: Each survey includes demographic and attitude/behavior questions, including such themes as:
– Economic conditions – Growth/Development– Transportation– Economic conditions– Education– Tax and spending preferences– Policy preferences
• Visit CSLI’s web site for previous surveys (www.aacc.edu/csli)
4
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009
Main Issues for Today
– County - Right/Wrong direction– Economic conditions– Confidence in government– Housing– Growth– Crime– Education– Immigration– Tax and spending preferences
5
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009
County – Right/Wrong Direction
County Trend - Right or Wrong Direction
57 5458 55
6266
60 61 6258 58
5357 55
51 52 51 50 52
2327 25 24 23
15
2621
2531
2429 27 26 29 27
33 32 31
20 19 17 2015
1914
1813 12
19 18 16 18 20 2116 17 17
Right 51
Wrong 34
Unsure 15
05
10152025303540455055606570
Sp
99
Fa 9
9
Sp
00
Fa 0
0
Sp
01
Fa 0
1
Sp
02
Fa 0
2
Sp
03
Fa 0
3
Sp
04
Fa '0
4
Sp
'05
Fa '0
5
Sp
'06
Fa '0
6
Sp
'07
Fa '0
7
Sp
'08
Fa '0
8
Right Wrong Unsure
7
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Perceptions of the Local and National Economies 2002-2008
National
County
“Thinking about our county's economy, how would you rate economic conditions in Anne Arundel County today -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?” (Total percentage saying excellent and good)
8
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Perceptions of the
Local Economy Fall 2008 by Income Groups
“Thinking about our county's economy, how would you rate economic conditions in Anne Arundel County today -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?”
9
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Applicability of Specific Conditions
Spring/Fall 2008
10
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Applicability of Specific Conditions Fall 2008
by Income Groupings and Gap (Poor-Rich)
Condition Overall 0-$50,000 $50-100,000 Over $100,000Significant losses in stocks or retirement accounts 71 57 72 81Hard to afford cost of utilities such as electricity or gas 50 75 54 36Wages or salaries are not rising as fast as the cost of living 59 66 64 51Hard to afford cost of taxes 58 62 59 57Hard to afford cost of transportation 32 43 36 22Health care insurance is unavailable, too expensive or inadequate 30 39 26 24Unable to find affordable housing 11 21 11 7Facing the possibility of unemployment 15 24 15 10Facing the possibility of house foreclosure or loss 4 11 3 2
11
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Applicability of Specific Conditions Fall 2008
by Age Group
12
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: Applicability of Specific Conditions Fall 2008
by Race and Gender
Better
About the same
Worse
Fall 2004 Better-Worse
Fall 2008
The overall quality of life in the County 33 43 20 13 22
Spiritual or religious life 27 47 15 12 16 Economic conditions 33 40 23 10 13
Family life 27 45 20 7 17 General responsiveness of County
government to citizens’ needs 23 47 20 3 12
Ethics in local government 20 44 26 -6 -1 Public schools 28 28 36 -8 0
Health care 24 32 36 -12 1 Growth and development 30 20 46 -16 0
Crime 11 42 42 -31 -33 Water and air quality 17 32 49 -32 -30
Local taxes 5 26 64 -59 -68 Traffic congestion 3 5 92 -89 -82
13
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economic Concerns: What will the Future bring - 2004 looking to 2010
and 2008 looking at 2018
14
Preparedness/
Confidence
Econ crisis/ Feds Fall 2008
Econ. Environ. Terror Disaster
Very 5 8 7 11 11
Somewhat 40 45 38 42 49
Not very 53 41 50 44 36
No answer 2 7 6 3 4
15
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 How Prepared are Local Authorities in Event of Terrorist Strike – 2001-
2006
30
22 2427
44
33
121513 15
11Very prepared
4854
4847Somewhat prepared
Not very prepared
37
611
58
Unsure 0
10
20
30
40
50
60Katrina
16
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009
Housing - What is “Affordable Housing?” (asked Fall 2002)
Attribute cited %
Purchase priceMedian: $150-175,000
39%
A type that is lacking in AA County 20%
Housing type – apartments, townhouses, section 8 19%
User type – low income, poor 9%
Other 12%
Total 100%
Is the lack of affordable housing in Anne Arundel County a problem?
Yes 54% No 34% Don’t know 12%
17
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009
Main Economic Challenge for the Next Decade (Fall 2005)Transition to Managing Growth
Challenge % Citing
Managing growth/development 31
Providing affordable housing 19Providing proper skills/education for workers
19
Infrastructure, roads 10 Providing enough jobs 9Govt. budget problems/services 3Gas prices 2Taxes 2Other 5
18
How effective have County policies been regarding growth and planning?
6
4038
16
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40 Very effective
Somewhat effective
Not very effective
Don't know
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economy and Growth: Effectiveness of
County Growth Policies (Fall 2004)
19
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 Economy and Growth: County Growth Choices – New Roads
or Mass Transit (Spring 2001)
To solve the transportation congestion issues that affect you the most, is it more important to fund new mass transit projects or build new roads and improve existing ones?
Approach to growth and transportation Yes No
Build or upgrade highly congested roads and intersections in the county
77 13
Create a local jitney bus service 71 21
Increase bus availability to major cities (Balt/DC) 69 22
Make it easier to get o MARC trains 67 20
Make it easier to find other people with whom to carpool 63 26
Severely limit new residential development – higher impact fees 54 33
Put moratorium on new residential development in your area 53 35
Reduce fares on public transportation 52 28
Allow more intense development of areas well served by public transportation
43 45
20
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009
Approaches for Managing Growth/Transportation (Fall 1998)
Issue
Gotten better
Stayed about the
same
Gotten worse
Better-Worse
Improving the local economy 43 46 10 33
Improving the overall quality of life in our County
34 52 14 20
Controlling crime 30 54 16 14
Improving the environment 35 39 26 9
Reducing poverty and homelessness 18 58 24 -6
Improving ethics in government 20 50 30 -10
Improving the efficiency of local government
18 54 28 -10
Keeping taxes low 15 59 26 -11
Improving the academic performance of our children
27 34 39 -12
Planning growth and development 25 30 45 -20
Reducing traffic congestion 15 16 70 -55
21
I am going to read you a list of problems facing
the County. Please tell me how well you
think the County has dealt with
these problems over the
last year. Has the problem gotten better, stayed
about the same, or gotten worse?
LAA Presentation – Feb. 28, 2009 How well has County Performed? (Fall 1999)
Transition to Crime
22
Crime Problem: % saying Major, Moderate, Minor
23
11 12 16
64
17
56 6066
18
1626
010203040506070
1999 2002 2005 2008
Major
Moderate
Minor
23
19 18
3022
29
5563
7771 69
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1997 1999 2002 2005 2008
% S
ayin
g "
Ver
y S
afe"
County
Neighborhood
Service More
% Same
% Less %
Don’t% know
Public schools 71 23 5 1
Police 60 35 4 1
Fire 53 43 2 2
Community college 46 44 7 3
Seniors’ services 44 45 7 4
Roads 43 49 6 3
Average percentage 41 46 11 3
Environmental programs
39 44 15 2
Social services 34 43 17 5
Health department 32 54 9 5
Libraries 26 67 6 1
Parks and recreation 26 57 16 2
Planning and zoning 13 42 39 7
27
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009
Education – Perceived Value to Taxpayers? Spend More, Same or Less on Public Services? (Spring 2004)
Help Hurt No effect
Help Hurt No effect
Add Teaching Aides in Classrooms
91 1 7 Increase Local Community Control over Schools
69 11 20
Reduce Class Size 89 2 9 Provide More Elective Courses in Higher Grades
66 13 21
Give Teachers More Power when Dealing with Disruptive Students
86 8 7 Allow more variety in the curriculum
60 15 24
Emphasize a "Return to Basics" Approach to Education
86 5 9 Change the School Board selection process
60 8 33
Provide More Assistance to Special Education
85 4 10 Provide More Financial Assistance to Schools doing Poorly on Standardized Tests
55 13 31
Encourage Flexibility in Teaching Methods
83 9 8 Add some Specialized Programs 52 15 33
Increase Teacher Salaries 82 3 15 Introduce School Prayers 52 17 31
Start some Countywide "Magnet" Schools
79 7 14 Place Some Schools on a Year Round Schedule
49 24 27
Create a Special High School for Disruptive Students
76 13 12 Redistrict schools more frequently
26 39 36
28
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009 Would Proposals Help, Hurt or have no Effect on the Quality of Public Schools
(Spring 1996)
31
Do you think that you personally have benefited from the services of illegal immigrants for example in landscaping, construction, restaurants or janitorial services?
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009 Personally Benefitting from Illegal Immigrants(Spring 2008)
32
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009 Personally Benefitting from Illegal Immigrants(Spring 2008)
By Political Party
33
Support
Oppose Unsure Noanswe
r
Total
Environmental measures meant to restrict development in critical areas?
84 11 3 1 99
Efforts by police to identify illegal immigrants and refer them to federal immigration services?
70 25 4 1 100
Increasing impact fees on new construction in our county?
63 31 5 1 100
Creating or increasing fees to sports leagues that use public parks to cover the maintenance of those parks?
50 45 4 1 100
Increasing the tax on hotel stays from 7 percent to 10 percent
33 59 6 1 99
Decreasing the drinking age to 18
29 68 2 1 100
A $500 ambulance fee to help pay for county services?
26 67 6 1 100
Proposal Spring 2003 Fall 2003 Spring 2007
Cut programs 40 34 31
Increase taxes 36 34 --
Other -- 18 8
(Combo – cut spending/ raise taxes) -- -- 54
Don’t know 24 14 7
Total 100 100 100
34
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009 Funding Government – cut programs or cut spending?
(Spring 2003, Fall 2003, Spring 2007)
Approach (N=85) Favor Cases
Reduce government salaries 15 13
Reduce politicians salaries 12 10
Reduce government perks 7 6
Cut waste, administration 11 9
Cut back on specific programs 39 33
Other miscellaneous 16 14
Total 100 85
38
LAA Presentation: Feb. 28, 2009 Expenditure reduction – Identify ways to cut govt. spending (open-ended)
(Spring 2003)
top related