Oregon voters rate environmental issues, especially clean air and clean
water, as a top priority for elected leaders, and environmental actions
figure strongly in voting decisions, says a poll released today.
The LGD Insight poll of five hundred likely November 2000 voters indicates a
strong commitment to environmental protection by voters in all parts of the
state and across party lines. The poll was taken from September 30 through
October 3, 1999, with a + or - 4.4% margin of error. The research was
conducted on behalf of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
"It is clear that environmental issues matter to Oregonians when they are
making a voting decision," said Teresa Purcell, Northwest Regional Director,
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. "Oregon voters are deeply
concerned about clean water and clean air, and they believe that we do not
have to choose between a clean environment and a healthy economy. These
issues cross age, gender, and party lines," Purcell continued.
"The fact that nearly nine out of ten voters consider the environment an
important issue when making a voting decision is critical for elected
officials to understand as they make decisions that impact environmental
issues," said Jonathan Poisner, Executive Director, Oregon League of
Conservation Voters Education Fund.
Some of the results of the poll:
Environment and Voting
• 40% of voters say environmental issues are a primary concern
• 47% of voters say it is one of several issues they weigh at the ballot
box.
• Combined, an overwhelming majority of voters (88%) across all subgroups,
Democrats (96%), Independents (89%) and Republicans (78%), said
environmental and conservation issues were somewhat important when making a
voting choice.
Environment and Economy
• 70% of Oregon voters believe that we can have a clean environment and a
healthy economy at the same time, without having to choose one over the
other. This is true with 68% of Republicans, 71% of Democrats and 73% of
Independents.
Environment Versus Other Issues
• Education: 8.18
• Crime: 8.07
• Clean air and water: 7.75
• Medicare and Social Security: 7.45
• Taxes: 7.17
• Woman's Right to Choose: 6.63
• Sprawl and over development: 6.49
Importance of Clean Air and Water by Party/Gender/Age
• Democrats: 8.0
• Independents: 8.1
• Republicans: 7.3
• Women: 7.9
• Men: 7.6
• Under 50: 7.8
• Over 50: 7.7
Open-Ended Question: What is Your Top Environmental Concern?
• Water Quality: 26%
• Excessive Logging: 15%
• Air Quality: 10%
• Sprawl and uncontrolled growth: 8%
• Traffic Congestion: 6%
• Other: 35%
Across age, gender, and party lines, water quality was the top environmental
concern, although it was slightly higher for Democrats (30%) and women (29%)
than for Republicans (22%) or men (23%).
Pro-Environment Versus Fewer Regulations Candidate
• A majority of voters, 58% to 25%, choose a candidate who will fight to
safeguard the environment over a candidate who supports fewer environmental
regulations.
• When the "fewer regulations" candidate has also taken campaign
contributions from big developers and corporations, voters choose the
pro-environment candidate by a 64% to 17% margin.
• The pro-environment candidate in this situation is preferred by:
• 79% of Democrats
• 64% of Independents
• 50% of Republicans
• 68% of Women
• 59% of Men
Holding Polluters Accountable
• Voters favor by 91% to 6% stiffening penalties for companies that repeatedly break environmental laws.
• 88% said "Holding polluters accountable" was "one of the most important"
or "very important" things for an elected official to be working on.
• "Enforcing the environmental laws we already have" and "holding polluters
accountable" are two areas where voters are adamant that elected officials
focus their attention. Indeed, only 13% believe elected officials are "doing
a lot" to "hold polluters accountable." Only 15% believe elected officials
are "enforcing existing environmental laws."
The Willamette River
• Dumping toxics into the Willamette River is unacceptable to a vast
majority of voters statewide, particularly in light of its consideration as
a drinking water source.
• 87% support a ban on the discharge of toxic chemicals into the Willamette
River. Support for banning toxics in the Willamette River is consistent
statewide. In other words, this is not just an issue on the minds of
Portland Area residents.
Measure 66: Parks and Salmon
• Oregonians overwhelmingly feel their will was not followed when they voted
for Measure 66. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of voters in Oregon feel the
Legislature ignored their will by diverting $25 million dollars that was
earmarked to fund parks and salmon.
• 1998's Measure 66 stipulated that 15% of lottery money should go directly
to fund Oregon's parks and salmon, yet the money was openly diverted to fund
other state functions such as education and public safety.
• Two-thirds of women (67%), men (66%), and those over 50 (66%) feel their
will at the ballot box was ignored. Just one-quarter or less of these
subgroups believe that the state was right to divert the money to fund other
"more pressing" needs.
• People of all political persuasions felt equally thwarted including Republicans (64%), Independents (64%), and Democrats (63%).
