Results of the Third Administration of the UWF/Listener Group Panel

During the last two weeks of June, 2004, the third wave of the UWF/Listener Group Panel was administered. The Panel consists of a representative sample of residents of the Pensacola MSA which consists of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida. Questions were selected based upon current topics of interest at both the local and national level. Due to the nature of the questions, some questions were asked only of residents of one county or the other. Each question and the results of the survey are presented below.

Response Rate: 43.8% of the panel members responded to this survey. There are 1,000 panel members.

Margin of Error: Margin of error varies with each question and is a function of the variance of response and the sample size. This survey has a margin of error of around + or – 5% though individual questions may have higher or lower margins of error.

Data Collection: Data are collected from panel members either through email provided by the Haas Center at UWF or through telephone interviews provided by the Listener Group in Gulf Breeze, FL.

Information on the Panel »

The Presidential Election

The following presents questions asked of all panel members as well as tables showing the results.

1. Choice for President: If the U. S. Presidential election were held today, which candidate would you vote for?

2. Attitudes toward Choices for Vice-President: In your opinion, which Vice-Presidential running mate should John Kerry select in order to win the most votes?

3. In your opinion, if George Bush were to pick a Vice-Presidential running mate other than current VP Dick Cheney, which one of the following do you think would win the most votes?

Ratings of Government Entities

4. Panel members were asked to rate various government entities on a scale from 1 to 10,where 1 is the poorest rating and 10 is the best rating. The following entities were rated:

A. the federal government
B. the state government
C. your county government
D. your city government (for those living within a city)
E. your county’s sheriff department
F. your city police department (for those living within a city)
G. the State of Florida Legislature

Results for the MSA (total Panel)

NOTE: The higher the mean, the more favorable the performance rating. The lower the standard deviation, the more agreement on the mean rating.

Results for Escambia County Panel Members

NOTE: The higher the mean, the more favorable the performance rating. The lower the standard deviation, the more agreement on the mean rating.

Results for Santa Rose County Panel Members

NOTE: The higher the mean, the more favorable the performance rating. The lower the standard deviation, the more agreement on the mean rating.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge

Panel members were asked their opinions about the future of the Pensacola Bay Bridge linking Pensacola to Gulf Breeze. All panel members were given the following information:

Some believe the bridge will be inadequate in the future. There may be additional options but we wish for you to consider three options and each has both positives and negatives. These three options are:

Option 1. Replacing the existing bridge with a bridge with more lanes such as six.
A positive is that this is simplest plan and it would use existing routes for entry and exits.
A negative is that this option will require major demolition of existing homes/churches/businesses in Gulf Breeze in order to provide additional traffic lanes through the city to handle the additional lanes of bridge traffic.

Option 2. Build a new bridge from a more central Pensacola location across Escambia Bay connecting to Garcon Point Bridge.
A positive is that this option will offer an alternative route for those not wishing to drive through Gulf Breeze to reach growth areas east of Gulf Breeze.
A negative is that this option will result in a more complex project.

Option 3. Do nothing; leave the bridge as it is.
A positive is there will be no additional construction costs.
A negative is that there will be longer delays due to traffic jams as population growth continues to put additional pressure on the existing bridge.

5. Given the options, which one do you most favor?

The Environment

As in the past, the UWF/Listener Group Panel provides data regarding MSA residents’ perceptions of the environment. For comparative data, interested parties should see the website for results of previous panel administrations.

6. Tap Water: Thinking of the environment, how would you rate the QUALITY OF THE TAP WATER for your home in your county? Do you think the quality of the tap water is:

Excellent (5)
Good (4)
Fair (3)
Poor (2)
Bad (1)

Total MSA: The mean on this question for the total MSA is 3.32; slightly better than a “fair” rating.

Escambia County: The mean on this question for Escambia County residents is 3.28; slightly better than a “fair” rating.

Santa Rosa County: The mean on this question for Santa Rosa County residents is 3.39; slightly better than a “fair” rating.

7. Source of Home Drinking Water: For drinking water in your home which one of the following best describes your behavior?

A. You drink water out of the tap
B. You filter the tap water before you drink it
C. You drink bottled water
D. You drink little or no water

Basic Interpretation: Results are only slightly different between the two counties on the source of home drinking water. About 5% more Santa Rosa residents drink filtered tap water than Escambia County residents.

Education

All panel members were asked questions concerning education in the State.

8. The Governor’s A-Plus Education Plan: Governor Jeb Bush’s A-Plus Education plan is based upon two principles: 1. Each student should gain a year’s worth of knowledge in a year’s time in a Florida public school and 2. No student will be left behind. In your opinion, how would you rate Bush’s A-Plus Education plan thus far?

Please rate the A-Plus Education plan from 1 to 10 with 1 being the poorest rating and 10 being the best rating.

Basic Interpretation: The mean score is 5.95 out of 10.

9. Opinion of FCAT Improving Instruction: Do you think the FCAT, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, has improved instruction in public schools?

10. Fair to Base Passing/Failing on the FCAT?: In your opinion, do you think it is fair to require students pass the FCAT test in order to be promoted to the next grade?

Questions Asked Only of Escambia County Panel Members

Grand Jury Report on the Escambia County Utilities Authority

Residents of Escambia County panel members were asked the following questions regarding the May, 2004 report by the grand jury regarding the performance of the ECUA and other government entities concerning water quality.

11. Knowledge of the Grand Jury Report: During the first week of May, a Grand Jury report was released which made recommendations about the performance of the Escambia County Utilities Authority as well as state and federal agencies responsible for water quality. Which of the following best describes your knowledge of the Grand Jury report?

A. I am not aware of the report at all
B. I have some awareness of the report but I do not know what the report says
C. I am aware of the report and I recall at least some of the report’s recommendations or findings
D. I am aware of the report and I am very familiar with the recommendations or findings of the report

12. Opinions of the ECUA:

It was anticipated that many respondents would not be aware of the Grand Jury report. The following question was worded to present both the basic finding of the grand jury as well as a statement made by the ECUA.

The Grand Jury report stated that the Escambia County Utilities Authority as well as state and federal regulators failed to protect the public, prior to 2001, from contaminated drinking water in Escambia County for an undetermined number of years. The Assistant State Attorney and legal advisor to the Grand Jury stated that the current ECUA Board will use the findings as a learning experience and he felt that the ECUA would not operate the way they did prior to 2001. The ECUA has closed some wells and states that there are no problems with the drinking water today.

Please select one of the options below which best represents your opinion:

A. The ECUA should be abolished and water supply management should be turned over to some other agency
B. The ECUA should not be abolished
C. The ECUA should not be abolished but new, stringent reporting rules to “keep the public informed” should be adopted carrying criminal penalties for failure to follow the rules
D. I have no opinion or I am undecided on this issue

13. Ratings of the ECUA Board and Staff: On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the poorest rating and 10 is the best rating, please rate the overall job performance of the present ECUA Board and Staff.

The Main Street Sewer Plant

Escambia County panel members were given the following information and then were asked several questions regarding the Main Street Sewer Plant. Questions and results follow.

There is interest in removing the Main Street Sewer Plant from downtown Pensacola and building a new treatment facility, using the latest technology, in a new location. Those in favor of the new plant believe that the treated wastewater discharged into Pensacola Bay is harmful to the quality of the bay waters; the plant casts a foul odor over the area; and that the plant is blocking new development in the West section of downtown Pensacola. Proponents of removing the plant and building a new one also argue that the existing downtown plant is nearing capacity and a new plant will be needed anyway. Those not in favor of a new plant do not believe the treated wastewater harms the bay and consider the cost of removing the plant, estimated to be at least $150 million dollars, to be too expensive and that it will raise their ECUA water and sewage bill. The Florida Legislature has just appropriated $4.9 million to study the engineering and feasibility of moving the plant.

For each of the following statements, please tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement, using a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means you strongly disagree, and 5 means you strongly agree.

14. Do Not Remove the Plant: The existing downtown plant should NOT be removed and NO new replacement plant should be constructed.

15. Move the Plant and Pay the Price: The plant should be removed and residents of the county must pay the price either in higher taxes or higher water & sewage bills for removing the plant and building a new plant.

16. Move and Replace with State & Federal Help: The plant should be removed and a new plant constructed only if officials can get at least 50% of the cost paid for by state and federal funds.

17. Know the Cost First: We should remove the downtown plant and build a new one in a new location but we should wait until the feasibility studies are completed and the public is given an accurate figure as to how much it will actually cost each resident.

Question Asked Only of Santa Rosa County Panel Members

Wet v. Dry?

Only Santa Rosa County panel members were asked the following question.

18. If you could vote in the election today, would you vote for Santa Rosa County to:

A. Allow the distribution and sale of all alcoholic beverages including liquor
B. Allow the distribution and sale of beer and wine only
C. To be totally DRY; no alcoholic beverages of any kind should be allowed
D. Don’t Know/Undecided

Questions dealing with the Index of Consumer Sentiment, a measure of opinions of the local economy will be released shortly.