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News Releases
Survey Shows Dramatic Turnaround in Residents' View of Once-Bankrupt County A dramatic mood change has taken place in Orange County, where residents were faced with a bankruptcy of historic proportions just two years ago. Satisfaction with the quality of life and optimism about the future have rebounded to heights unmatched since the 1980s, according to UC Irvine's 1996 Orange County Annual Survey. This finding contrasts sharply with last year's results, which showed that the bankruptcy had considerably reduced confidence in the county. "The fear brought about by the bankruptcy two years ago has receded," said UCI professor Mark Baldassare, who conducted the survey along with research associate Cheryl Katz. "This, combined with a striking increase in positive feelings about the local economy, has resulted in a return of optimism in Orange County." "This dramatic mood change is reflected in many parts of the survey, including the way people feel about the economy, the quality of life, the housing market, the county's transportation system and public services," Katz added. The random-sample survey, conducted by telephone Aug. 30-Sept. 8, questioned 1,000 adult residents. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed feel positive about the quality of life in Orange County, a sharp increase from 68 percent in 1995. This is the survey's best quality-of-life rating since 1988. Thirty-six percent expect Orange County to be a better place to live in the future. Optimism regarding the future is the highest it's been since 1985, and this year marks only the fourth time since 1983 that residents have expressed more optimism than pessimism about the county's future. Residents' ratings of the Orange County economy have improved dramatically in the past year. Nearly half (44 percent) believe the economy is in excellent or good shape today, up from 19 percent in 1995. Baldassare, chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the UCI School of Social Ecology, said the lingering effects of the bankruptcy are seen only in the ratings of county government. "Few residents feel confident about county government's ability to solve problems, and many still think the county wastes tax money," he said. Baldassare has been conducting the annual survey for the past 15 years, and he makes a distinction between the optimism reflected in this year's survey and the upbeat mood of the '80s: "In the '80s, there was a lot of optimism based on the economy, the job market and income growth. The optimism we're seeing now isn't fueled by an economic boom, but by the sense that we've recovered from the worst of times." Following is a summary of the 1996 survey's key findings: Ratings of the local economy are similar across age groups. However, central county residents feel less positive about the economy than those living in north, west and south county. Also, non-Hispanic whites are more likely than Hispanics and Asians to say the local economy is in excellent or good shape. The 82 percent positive quality-of-life rating is much improved over 1995 (68 percent), 1994 (71 percent), 1993 and 1992 (60 percent each), 1991 (66 percent) and 1990 (75 percent). In fact, only in 1987 (87 percent) and 1988 (85 percent) did greater numbers of residents say things were going well in Orange County. Residents are more confident in their city government than in county government when it comes to solving problems (42 percent to 24 percent) and paying attention to residents' concerns (67 percent to 59 percent). Only 7 percent give county government high marks for responsiveness. About half say they have just enough money to pay their bills, while one in six say they do not have enough to make ends meet. A third say they are able to save and buy extras, which is higher than the nationwide figure of 24 percent reported in a 1996 New York Times Poll. Crime is rated the most pressing problem by 27 percent of residents, followed by immigration (15 percent) and schools (13 percent). The economy (including jobs), growth and traffic are each mentioned by 11 percent, while only 7 percent name the county bankruptcy and 5 percent mention housing. Crime is considered the top problem by all age and income groups, and central county residents expressed the highest level of concern. Hispanics are more likely to mention crime as a leading problem than are non-Hispanic whites and others. In the realm of social issues, drug abuse continues to be seen as the top concern (38 percent), followed by health care (18 percent), the homeless (15 percent), race relations (13 percent), child care (10 percent) and AIDS (4 percent). Concern about drug abuse, up 10 points since last year, is at the highest level since 1990. Baldassare noted that the broad range of public policy problems and social issues identified in the survey reflects the urbanization and growing diversity of the county. He explained: "We've gone from being a suburban area that experienced rapid growth and problems in a few very visible domains such as transportation and housing to a county that has become more like an urban area with a variety of different problems facing different groups." Sixty percent of homeowners say buying a home here is an excellent or good investment, compared to 50 percent a year ago. Forty-five percent of renters agree. This number has risen 4 points since last year, while the number of renters considering home ownership a poor investment is down 8 points. Mortgage payments in Orange County are showing an upward trend, but rents have slightly declined this decade. The median monthly mortgage payment is $960 this year, and the median rent is $713. South county residents continue to have by far the highest housing payments, mirroring their higher household incomes. Satisfaction with the county's transportation system has increased significantly since 1989, when only 7 percent were satisfied and 51 percent wanted to build new freeways. "Most residents feel the money we're spending on transportation projects in the county is being put to good use," Baldassare said. "Three in four say they are happy with the way Measure M funds are being spent. Satisfaction is up 25 points since 1992." The Orange County Annual Survey, which is the most comprehensive poll of Orange County residents, is designed to track social, political and economic trends from a non- advocacy position. It assists decision-makers in the public and private sectors by providing valid and current information about the opinions of county residents. This year's survey was supported by donations from 35 Orange County corporations, public agencies and foundations.
Survey Also Shows Many Hispanics and Asians Have Not Been Voting Orange County, known across the nation as a bastion of conservatism and home of some of the most outspoken leaders of the political right, is quietly shifting to the center. UC Irvine's 1996 Orange County Annual Survey shows that residents are more likely to describe themselves as "middle- of-the-road" in their political ideology today than in 1990 (33 percent to 26 percent). Sixty-five percent of residents consider themselves moderate to somewhat conservative, up from 59 percent in 1990. Mark Baldassare, who conducted the survey along with research associate Cheryl Katz, pointed out that people on both ends of the political spectrum are moving away from the extremes. For example, those saying they are "very conservative" dropped from 13 percent in 1990 to 9 percent in 1996, and those saying they are "very liberal" went from 9 percent to 6 percent. "Both parties are moving toward the middle," said Baldassare, who is professor and chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the UCI School of Social Ecology. "Middle-of-the-road Democrats have increased from 31 percent in 1990 to 36 percent in 1996, and moderate Republicans have increased from 19 percent to 28 percent." Baldassare, a leading authority on American suburbs, said this shift toward the center could be a "hopeful sign" for Orange County. "It may make it easier for people to reach consensus on a lot of difficult political questions that will come up as the federal government does less in areas such as social services, and local governments are asked to do more." The random-sample survey, conducted by telephone Aug. 30-Sept. 8, questioned 1,000 adult residents. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. The political section of the survey also revealed that a significant number of the county's Asian and Hispanic residents have not been voting. Forty-nine percent of Hispanics and 33 percent of Asians say they did not vote in the past four years, according to the survey. Fifty-two percent of non-Hispanic whites voted four or more times in the past four years, compared to 15 percent of Hispanics and 16 percent of Asians. "The increase in Hispanic voter turnout seen in this past election may indicate the beginning of a long-term change, but the turnout among Hispanics was still lower than that of other groups," Baldassare said. He stressed the importance of increasing the political involvement of Hispanics and Asians. "If we're going to have a community in which everyone involved is working to make Orange County a better place to live, we're going to have to see rates of political participation improve among Hispanics and Asians," he said. "If they are left out of the process and feel alienated by decisions made by others, we're not going to be able to achieve the kind of greatness that we could." The 1996 Orange County Annual Survey is the 15th conducted by Baldassare, who currently is a visiting scholar at the Public Policy Institute of California, where he is writing a book about the Orange County bankruptcy.
Many of Those Who Give Nothing to Charity Are Never Asked, Survey Shows Orange County residents might be more generous with their money if they had more confidence in local charities, according to UC Irvine's 1996 Orange County Annual Survey. This year's survey included some new questions on charity to help explain why residents give less than might be expected in such an affluent county. Only one in five residents has a great deal of confidence that local charities spend the money they receive wisely or can produce results. And fewer than half of residents in all income groups say they are very often asked to give to local charities. Yet, those who have more confidence and those who recall being asked are more likely to give, the survey shows. The random-sample telephone survey of 1,000 adult residents was conducted by Mark Baldassare, professor and chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the UCI School of Social Ecology, and research associate Cheryl Katz. The survey period was Aug. 30-Sept. 8, and the margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. Katz said this year's survey gives charities information that could help them develop more effective strategies for attracting donors. "The fact that fewer than half of the households with incomes over $80,000 a year are asked for donations very often indicates that charities could do a much better job of reaching the population of Orange County," she said. The survey shows that residents are likely to respond to appeals for support. Three in four residents who were very often or sometimes asked to give donated at least $100, compared to only about half of those who were seldom or never asked. Thirty-six percent of residents who say they are never asked for donations gave nothing. The survey also shows that residents' skepticism about Orange County charities may be keeping donations down. Only 18 percent have a great deal of confidence that local charities spend money wisely, and only 19 percent are highly confident that local charities can produce results. Those who do have confidence in local charities are more likely to make donations. Of those who have a great deal of confidence, 37 percent gave more than $500, and of those with some confidence, 32 percent made large donations. Among residents with little or no confidence in the way local charities spend money, only 24 percent gave more than $500. "We have a confidence gap, and until people feel more trust than they do today, they're not going to feel comfortable enough to write checks to local charities," Baldassare said. Some types of charities have more work to do than others. Hospitals and medical causes, and programs to help the needy, experienced a 10-point drop in the number expressing "very favorable" support since this question was last asked in 1987. Nonetheless, of the four types of charities mentioned in the survey, programs to help the needy remained the most popular, with 37 percent saying they were "very favorable" toward giving to this type of cause. Churches and religious groups were next with 32 percent, followed by hospitals and medical causes (25 percent) and museums and performing arts groups (18 percent). Overall, giving increased in Orange County during the past year. The median contribution to charity was $253, up from $177 last year but within the range seen in the last decade. "There's been little change over the past 10 years in the amount people give, yet we know the need for charity has increased," Baldassare said. "Poverty in the county has increased sharply since the 1980 census, and welfare reform is going to make it necessary for local areas to step up their efforts to help people in need. "Until charities in Orange County do a better job of distinguishing themselves as organizations that can and do make a difference, we're going to have a problem." The 1996 Orange County Annual Survey is the 15th conducted by Baldassare, who currently is a visiting scholar at the Public Policy Institute of California, where he is writing a book about the Orange County bankruptcy.
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Orange County Economy