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September 1, 2008
FORUM RELEASES FIRST SURVEY
News Release: Contact
Jerry Maygarden
Better Pensacola Forum, Inc.
PO Box 12561
Pensacola, Fl. 32591-2561
The Better Pensacola Forum released its first annual community attitude survey this week. According to the Forum’s Executive Director, Jerry Maygarden, “There is nothing new here, but the numbers are worrisome. We have been experiencing these attitudes in public meetings, letters to the editor and political stump speeches for months. Some people may be surprised, however, by the depth and breadth of citizen disappointment in local leadership, the economy and the prospects for a better future. It borders on despair.”
The survey was commissioned by the Forum this spring and polling was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., of Washington, D.C. Mason-Dixon interviewed 800 registered Escambia County voters during the week of July 22-27, 2008. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means there is a 95 percent probability that the “true” figure would fall within that range if the entire population were sampled.
According to Maygarden, a former mayor and state legislator from Pensacola, “The Quality of Life survey documents the fact that our citizens are anxious and disappointed with the direction in which the community is moving.”
There are other disturbing trends that surfaced during the interviews some of which may be attributed to hard economic times:
The Better Pensacola Forum, Inc., a nonprofit community-based organization, was established this spring by a small group of local citizens who have invested a substantial portion of their lives and livelihoods in the greater Pensacola area. “Simply put,” Maygarden said, “our mission is to improve the quality of life for all Escambia County residents. Local leaders, opinion leaders and decision-makers are often forced to place entirely too much faith in hearsay, rumor and innuendo. We want to stimulate and inform community debate by sponsoring quality research, community outreach and information sharing with the public-at-large, the business community and public policy makers. We honestly believe better results will come from a better understanding of the facts.”
Essential to the Forum’s mission, and the objective of this inaugural survey, is a baseline understanding of the voting public’s awareness of and attitudes toward the most pressing and complex challenges facing the community.
In addition to Maygarden, other members of the board are retired banker and community activist, Carol Carlan; financial advisor and young professional, John Hosman; and, healthcare consultant and Pelicans owner, Quint Studer. “The board plans to conduct this Quality of Life survey every year,” Maygarden said. “We want to help local policy makers to choose wisely. We also want them to know that someone is going to set a new standard for accountability.”
According to Maygarden, all work done by the Forum will be made available to the public free of charge. The Forum has plans to sponsor information sharing meetings and community workshops. According to Maygarden, “We will be developing a website and producing publications for distribution throughout the area.”
The Better Pensacola Forum, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 corporation duly registered with the Florida Secretary of State.
For information regarding survey methodology or Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., contact Larry Harris at 202-548-2680, or 202-441-4189
FORUM RELEASES FIRST SURVEY
News Release: Contact
Jerry Maygarden
Better Pensacola Forum, Inc.
PO Box 12561
Pensacola, Fl. 32591-2561
FORUM RELEASES WORRISOME SURVEY
The Better Pensacola Forum released its first annual community attitude survey this week. According to the Forum’s Executive Director, Jerry Maygarden, “There is nothing new here, but the numbers are worrisome. We have been experiencing these attitudes in public meetings, letters to the editor and political stump speeches for months. Some people may be surprised, however, by the depth and breadth of citizen disappointment in local leadership, the economy and the prospects for a better future. It borders on despair.”
The survey was commissioned by the Forum this spring and polling was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., of Washington, D.C. Mason-Dixon interviewed 800 registered Escambia County voters during the week of July 22-27, 2008. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means there is a 95 percent probability that the “true” figure would fall within that range if the entire population were sampled.
According to Maygarden, a former mayor and state legislator from Pensacola, “The Quality of Life survey documents the fact that our citizens are anxious and disappointed with the direction in which the community is moving.”
There are other disturbing trends that surfaced during the interviews some of which may be attributed to hard economic times:
- Voters are concerned about job security and the county’s general economic health. They don’t see things improving in the near term.
- Respondents gave a number of core quality of life indicators (public schools, public safety, traffic, and public transportation) low marks.
- A substantial majority do not think Escambia is a good place for young people, recent grads looking for work, minorities, immigrants and entrepreneurs to live.
- A disturbing percentage report that they, and—in particular, their young adult family members are likely to leave the area within the next 5 years.
- A large majority of voters support the Waterfront / Maritime Park as a critical step in revitalization of the city and improving the economic future of the community, and
- A majority of voters support a change in governance, or consolidation of government services. This number jumps way up if the respondents believe that consolidating services would somehow reduce taxes.
The Better Pensacola Forum, Inc., a nonprofit community-based organization, was established this spring by a small group of local citizens who have invested a substantial portion of their lives and livelihoods in the greater Pensacola area. “Simply put,” Maygarden said, “our mission is to improve the quality of life for all Escambia County residents. Local leaders, opinion leaders and decision-makers are often forced to place entirely too much faith in hearsay, rumor and innuendo. We want to stimulate and inform community debate by sponsoring quality research, community outreach and information sharing with the public-at-large, the business community and public policy makers. We honestly believe better results will come from a better understanding of the facts.”
Essential to the Forum’s mission, and the objective of this inaugural survey, is a baseline understanding of the voting public’s awareness of and attitudes toward the most pressing and complex challenges facing the community.
In addition to Maygarden, other members of the board are retired banker and community activist, Carol Carlan; financial advisor and young professional, John Hosman; and, healthcare consultant and Pelicans owner, Quint Studer. “The board plans to conduct this Quality of Life survey every year,” Maygarden said. “We want to help local policy makers to choose wisely. We also want them to know that someone is going to set a new standard for accountability.”
According to Maygarden, all work done by the Forum will be made available to the public free of charge. The Forum has plans to sponsor information sharing meetings and community workshops. According to Maygarden, “We will be developing a website and producing publications for distribution throughout the area.”
The Better Pensacola Forum, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 corporation duly registered with the Florida Secretary of State.
For information regarding survey methodology or Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., contact Larry Harris at 202-548-2680, or 202-441-4189
