UCI

Introduction

This fourteenth report of the Orange County Annual Survey, UCI, spotlights several top concerns of Orange County residents.

This year, we focus on the Orange County financial crisis that began last December when the county government declared bankruptcy. We seek to determine how the financial crisis has affected attitudes about the local economy and quality of life.

Since this is a mid-decade survey, we also assess the changes that have taken place so far in the 1990s. Our tracking questions measure trends in issues such as the economy, crime, quality of life, transportation, housing, charity and politics.

Here are the questions we seek to answer in the 1995 survey:

1. How much of a problem do local residents perceive the Orange County financial crisis to be? How many say they have been directly affected by the bankruptcy or fear its future impacts?
   


2. Has the bankruptcy influenced attitudes toward local government? What do residents think of the various proposals to restructure county government that are now being discussed?
   


3. How has the financial crisis affected attitudes about the Orange County economy and local consumer confidence?
   


4. Have there been any recent changes in housing costs, or attitudes towards owning an Orange County home as an investment?
   


5. Do crime and fear of victimization continue to be major concerns in Orange County? How much confidence do residents have in the police and courts system?
   


6. Have there been any changes in residents' views about the current local quality of life or optimism about the future of Orange County?
   


7. Are traffic perceptions or driving habits showing any signs of changing? How many are noticing Measure M projects, and how satisfied are they with the way tax funds are being spent?
   


8. Have there been any increases in donating money or volunteering time since the county's financial crisis began?
   


9. Is the county's political climate changing, either in party registration, political orientation or voting in elections?
   

In analyzing the 1995 survey, we compare this year's results to previous surveys, and consider differences between demographic subgroups. Whenever possible, we also contrast Orange County attitudes with those found in state and national surveys.