ORANGE COUNTY ANNUAL SURVEY 1993

Introduction


The twelfth report of the Orange County Annual Survey again focuses on the issue of jobs and the economic 
outlook. We also analyze the emerging issue of crime in Orange County. Lastly, we examine several topics 
that we have been monitoring over time. 

The public's continued emphasis on jobs and the economic outlook is explained by the fact that there have 
been few signs of positive trends in Orange County's economic growth since the current downturn began in 
1990. Certainly, any evidence for a return to the economic boom times of the 1980s is lacking. The 
impacts of residents' attitudes about the Orange County economy and their own personal finances have 
become increasingly relevant. Local economic attitudes today are affecting everything from short-term 
choices in consumer spending to far-reaching decisions such as whether to buy a home in Orange County or 
seek employment in another county or state. 

In this survey, we ask residents about their current and future perceptions of the Orange County economy. 
We ask about residents' personal financial situation, compare the results to previous years, and also 
examine fears of job loss. In addition, we repeat the University of Michigan's five-question "Consumer 
Confidence Index," comparing the answers to previous years and to national statistics. Finally, we ask 
residents about the El Toro Marine Base closing. Specifically, we ask about their confidence in local 
government's ability to come up with a conversion plan that will improve the county's economy, and we 
gauge residents' support for turning the base into a commercial airport. 

The new attention to crime comes at a time when residents are increasingly hearing and reading about 
violent crimes and gang-related problems in many different parts of the county. To what extent has this 
attention led residents to identify crime as a leading public policy problem in Orange County? We revisit 
several questions about fear of crime and crime victimization that we had asked in earlier surveys. We 
also ask residents whether or not they see crime problems on the increase in their neighborhoods. 

The 1993 Orange County Annual Survey also includes "tracking" questions on key issues we have explored in 
recent years. We look at trends in identification of the county's most important public policy issues and 
social problems. We examine residents' ratings of the current quality of life in Orange County, and 
measure their optimism about the county's future. 

On the transportation front, we ask about overall satisfaction with the freeways, as we have since the 
1982 survey. We also include questions on commuting perceptions and habits. 

Growth and development, once a top concern to residents, would seem to be less of an issue as the economy 
has slowed and building has declined. We compare residents' current perceptions of growth in their 
communities and support for local growth controls with those found in earlier surveys.

Next, we examine trends in environmental quality concerns. We are particularly interested in the degree 
to which perceptions of environmental problems, the perceived threat of environmental problems and 
willingness to trade off a clean environment for higher unemployment may have been affected by the 
recession. 

Housing costs remain a major issue in Orange County. Thus, we analyze trends in mortgage payments and 
rental costs both for the county as a whole and for its regions. We also ask renters and homeowners if 
they believe that buying a home in Orange County today is a good investment. 

We continue to monitor charitable giving, analyzing trends in financial donations to charity over time. 
We also analyze giving across demographic groups. 

Finally, we look at the political climate in Orange County, asking about the key ballot measures in the 
1993 special election. We also examine the political profiles of the county as a whole, and of 
Republicans and Democrats in particular, to see if there are any shifts underway.

In analyzing the 1992 survey, we compare this year's results to previous Orange County Annual Surveys. We 
also consider differences between various subgroups, such as age, income and region of residence. 
Whenever possible, we contrast local opinions with those found in state and national surveys.