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May
18, 2006
The "State" of California:
An Opinion on Opinion Polls
By Marna
Smeltzer
President/CEO
 At this year’s California Chamber of Commerce
Business Legislative Summit, the Charlton Research
Company presented an update of their on-going
evaluation of what the public is thinking about
state and national issues. All of the information
that was presented cannot be covered, but there were
some key points that deserve to be reported.
Two-thirds of Californians have not changed their
positive opinion of their state. The mindset was the
same in 1998 as it is eight years later in 2006.
Generally the natural attributes of the state and
the rich lifestyle keeps us positive. However, they
think that the government, including the governor,
the state finances, and the education/school system
are on the wrong track. This dissatisfaction is
balanced with the government/business leaders and
corporations having a strong and recovering economy,
growing/diverse population and job availability that
are all going in the right direction.
According to the poll, the most important issues
facing the state are social issues not business or
government related issues. Illegal immigration and
education are top in terms of mentions either first
or in total. Regarding economic issues, the economy
in general cost of living and jobs/unemployment get
top mention, but still half as intense as the social
issues of immigration and education.
Regarding illegal immigration in the period from
1982 to present, the unfavorable to favorable has
moved from highly unfavorable to an equal
favorable/unfavorable rating. Contributing to this
meeting of the feelings is the significant change
that shows the public has changed its mind about
illegal immigrants taking away jobs. There is now a
3:1 ratio favoring the perception that they are
doing jobs that others don’t what.
The feelings regarding how the problem can be solved
are very mixed and not conclusive. This would
indicate that there is no clear public consensus for
a solution. The only clear strong support is in the
area of penalizing business that hires undocumented
workers. Over 60% of those asked favored
penalization with 73% favoring criminal charges.
The mood of the public is clear about where to place
the blame. The public understands that we are in a
state of revolution. At the same time they are
holding government accountable for fixing the
problem using good governance, not politics as
usual. The public still wants a higher level of
reform and much higher performance by government.
Resolution will not happen until partisan politics
are dropped in favor of collaborative solutions or
positive consequences. Legislation has to reduce the
imbedded self-interest that is so obvious to the
public.
The public is much more aware of what the state
needs and where the leaders have to concentrate
their efforts than the legislators demonstrate. Also
they are being held accountable to show leadership
and honesty in a critical time in the state’s
history. The public wants solutions not talk, they
want honesty not partisanship, and most of all they
want closure on the poor state of affairs involving
illegal immigration and public schools.
March 10, 2006
United States Chamber
Announces California Issue Advocacy Program
Major TV Buy Will
Highlight Economic Strides, Unfinished Business
Click here to log
on:
www.uschamber.com/ca
The United States Chamber of
Commerce today began an independent issue advocacy program to
inform Californians of recent improvements in the state's
business climate and the steps that must follow to create a more
competitive economy.
“California is the
world’s eighth largest economy and home to one in every eight
American consumers,” said Chamber President and CEO Thomas
Donohue. “Our nation cannot sustain its prosperity without a
strong, job-producing California economy.”
The campaign’s
centerpiece is a substantial, multi-week television advertising
program on broadcast and cable outlets across California. The
messages will be supported by a Web site (www.uschamber.com/ca)
and a state-of-the-art e-mail program that will communicate with
hundreds of thousands of businesses, organizations, and
individuals.
“The Golden State has
come a long way since the days of record deficits and power
blackouts. Since then, workers’ compensation has been reformed,
trade has been expanded, and Governor Schwarzenegger has held
the line on taxes. Californians are reaping the benefits with
the creation of more than 400,000 new jobs and stronger economic
growth, which now permit the state to embark on a major effort
to rebuild and expand its infrastructure,” Donohue continued.
Chamber members
across the country as well as in-state companies continue to
express concerns about California’s economy and policies that
threaten to hurt it. “Good, bad, or otherwise, what happens in
California often spreads eastward to the rest of America. That’s
why the U.S. Chamber is encouraging support for policies and
forward-looking programs that will restore this trendsetting
state to its full economic potential,” Donohue said.
The U.S. Chamber of
Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing
more than 3 million businesses and organizations, including tens
of thousands of California companies. Ninety-six percent of
Chamber members are small businesses with 100 or fewer
employees.
Click here
to contact the Redondo Beach Chamber
for more
information
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