Poll Highlights Oregonians' Priorities
The Oregonian has released a new poll identifying the top issues that Oregonians are concerned about. Foremost among them is health care:
Health care has joined education at the top of the list of issues that Oregonians want the governor and state Legislature to address, according to a new survey conducted for The Oregonian and KGW (8).Illegal immigration also has become a more pressing issue in the state. But a strong majority of Oregonians say they don't feel an urgency to address the state's overburdened transportation network, which Gov. Ted Kulongoski labels as one of his top priorities.
Overall, Oregonians are more optimistic about the state's direction than they are about the course the nation is on. And they have a more upbeat view of the state's economy than Americans have about the country as a whole.
Still, Oregonians have clear worries about a range of issues -- both economic and not. And health care is the new addition to the crowd, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
After health care, education, taxes, and illegal immigration round out the top 4 issues in the poll:
The poll shows that women are more concerned about the issue than men, and that Democrats and independents see health care as a higher priority than Republicans.Education, a perennial issue in Oregon because of long-running disputes over how it should be funded, remains at the top of Oregonians' lists. About one-quarter of all adults say it should be the No. 1 issue on the Legislature's to-do list, with almost half of those saying they want more money for education.
Thirteen percent of Oregonians cite another perennial worry -- taxes, spending and government waste -- as a key issue.
But the No. 4 issue is relatively new: illegal immigration, an issue once more confined to border states.
As undocumented workers, mostly from Mexico, spread throughout the United States, feelings about immigration have become heated, although with strong partisan undertones. Among Republicans, 17 percent said illegal immigration is the top issue the state faces while only 5 percent of Democrats said that is the case.
Oregonians are also optimistic about the state's economy:
The survey results come in the context of a relatively upbeat -- although still mixed -- economic outlook by Oregonians. More than two-thirds of respondents, 68 percent, said the state's economy is pretty good and another 2 percent said it is excellent. In contrast, a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that two-thirds of Americans said they thought the economy is either not good or poor, almost a reversal of the Oregon finding.
Read the rest. What are your most important issues?
Discuss.
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Dec. 07, 2007
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connect with blueoregon
Dec 7, '07
Health care has joined education at the top of the list of issues that Oregonians want the governor and state Legislature to address, according to a new survey conducted for The Oregonian and KGW (8).
Hope I'm not going off topic here, but if this poll is true, then David Wu needs have a change of heart on the issue. At his most recent town hall meeting in Tigard (I was there and filmed it), he was very, very dismissive of universal health care. "Well, the problem is that for those who already have health insurance really really like it," he told us. WHAT? Talk about being out of touch. No, we are thankful we have it but don't generally "like" it. He assured us he is a great guy on this issue, a leader in trying to get universal healthcare for children. "What about me, though?" asked the woman sitting next to me. Some blonde staffer (his wife?) was on the other side of the woman and tried to shush her. He had no solution for her at all. Let her eat cake.
Compare his weak wishy washy stance to John Frohnmayer, who believes the Constitution calls for universal healthcare for all. Or with Merkley or Novick.
Does anybody know who is running against Wu in the Democratic primary? We can do much, much better than this in the first district. He also doesn't feel bush has done anything impeachable (sorry if that is off topic as it was not listed in the poll above).
Dec 7, '07
It is interesting that the Iraq war only polled 4 per cent even though it is draining enormous amounts of money from the Treasury. A small fraction of these funds diverted from Iraq would go a long way towards resolving concerns about the top items - health and education. Perhaps only 4 percent of Oregonians have some family members or friends in Iraq and the rest don't care that much about them or give a damn about the miseries inflicted on the Iraqis - or the lowering of respect for the United States that has been a consequence of this illegal war.
Dec 7, '07
It looks like illegal immigration is right up there, statistically tied for second. Liberals will ignore this issue at their own peril.
8:30 p.m.
Dec 7, '07
I wonder if when folks responded to this poll they were looking at what they think of as Oregon-specific issues, or at least issues that our legislature can actively affect. There is no way that only 4% of Oregonians see Iraq as a pressing issue, but I'd be inclined to think that responders were looking inward at issues that they feel could actually be addressed at the state level.
*Note-I understand that the states can impact the Iraq debate and the drain it is on our resources. I'm simply postulating that folks might not have been thinking(or even aware) in those terms.
10:54 p.m.
Dec 7, '07
I'm shocked that 68% think the state's economy is pretty good and that there's a generally upbeat view of the economy. Because that's just not in the cards.
The whole reason health care and education are issues is because money is tight, companies have cut back the amount of insurance coverage they provide, and costs of running educational institutions have outstripped the tax base.
Dec 8, '07
This week, i got a notice from Regence BlueCross that my family's health coverage would be increased by almost $300 more per month. And that for a policy with a $2,0000 deductible.
I guess any candidate in Oregon that isn't making universal health care a priority will understand that I'll be paying medical premiums and working longer hours instead of making any donations of time or money to them this year.
Dec 8, '07
Immigration on the domestic side.
The vast majority of Republicans are demagoging (sp?) the issue and few Dems have shown the moral courage of Mike Huckabee who recently claimed "we are a better nation than that".
As the clamor builds I would love a courageous D to take this issue head-on.
Randy2
Dec 8, '07
It would be nice to have some information on who the demographic is that they are surveying. While this data may be accurate for those surveyed, Most people have gotten away from listed land-line phones, making telephone surveys invalid. My guess is that this is a survey of mostly older and rural Oregonians. Certainly few if any younger people or unemployed people who cannot afford phone service are included in this survey.
Dec 8, '07
I wish the Dems would take illegal immigration on. They either need to form a solution that is appealing to the majority or run the risk of losing to someone who does.
Dec 8, '07
I wish the Dems would take illegal immigration on. They either need to form a solution that is appealing to the majority or run the risk of losing to someone who does.
Dec 8, '07
”17 percent said illegal immigration is the top issue the state faces while only 5 percent of Democrats said that is the case.”
Be curious to know where independents ranked this issue.
Amazing how far behind the public most politicians have been on illegal immigration and are only now beginning to catch up. Rudy and Hillary on the national level have changed their positions, Guv K on the state level reversing himself on driver’s licenses for illegals.
In Portland Mayor Potter should come to his senses and deep-six the proposed “day labor” center for facilitating the hiring of illegals. This issue will become even more prominent during campaigns next year from Dem, Repub, and indy voters.
Dec 8, '07
Yes, politicians should come to their senses. Immigrants with drivers licenses means they will be learning our laws, taking drivers' tests, and becoming insured motorists. Only legal residents should be doing all of that before they get behind the wheel.
Dec 8, '07
Buckman:
"In Portland Mayor Potter should come to his senses and deep-six the proposed “day labor” center for facilitating the hiring of illegals. This issue will become even more prominent during campaigns next year from Dem, Repub, and indy voters."
*** His performance on the Chavez name-change issue has stripped him of any moral leadership to make something like that happen now.
***Understanding the complexities of the issue takes time and effort and some one who can counter the Republican fear-based talking-points; ironic that the only person who has uttered a "sound-bite" that stops that attitude came from a Republican.
Randy2
Dec 8, '07
Oregonians don't think much of their lawmakers or their governor, a new poll shows, despite a recent legislative session that earned wide praise.
One out of three people surveyed rated their feelings for the Oregon Legislature and Gov. Ted Kulongoski as "unfavorable" or "very unfavorable," according to a poll for The Oregonian and KGW (8) released Friday.
<h2>Kulongoski attracted the strongest negative feelings, with 17 percent giving him a rating of "very unfavorable."</h2>Ouch.
This means that Kulo is going to face dark times as a lame duck.
Maybe the Dems can change things with the Feb short session. Hopefully Oregon Dems don't go the way of the Pelosi Congress, with unfavorables worse the even the bottom of the barrel Bush.
Dec 9, '07
Seeing as the Governor, the entire Legislature, and our entire Congressional delegation have chosen to do nothing meaningful about ANY of these issues it is no wonder these oh so effective "leaders" (in both parties) are getting such high marks from the citizenry.
By the way, please do not tell me the slight education funding increase from the Legislature was dealing significantly with the problem; our low income/rural public schools and our higher education system are still in shambles and will continue to be that way until serious, drastic action is taken to invest in education.
<h2>It seems no politician in this state has the courage of a Norris of Nebraska, no mind for new ideas to solve today's problems, and no heart to help the forgotten American who simply cannot afford the luxury of donating to their campaign.</h2>