The People's Pulse, Winter, 2015

PDF: People's Pulse, Winter, 2015 (includes graphs)

ECONOMY, HOUSING REMAIN AT FOREFRONT

Though Hawaii’s economy remains the No. 1 issue, housing – including home affordability and homelessness – has moved to the forefront in 2015, above education, government and infrastructure as residents continue to struggle with higher housing costs. Since 2011, concerns over jobs, budget deficits, and the business climate have fallen while issues over housing have risen.

Housing / homelessness is now the new hot button concern, increasing from 6% to 17% over the past year, overtaking Education as well as infrastructure, covering roads and mass transit, as statewide priorities.

With the economy in a steady growth mode going into 2015, The Hawai‘i Resident Confidence Index® – a barometer of residents’ overall outlook – has remained virtually flat at 115, signaling almost no change in residents’ confidence level since 2013 and clearly mirroring a positive but cautious outlook.

VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION

Residents continue to believe in the value of a college education. In December, 85% believe that a 2- or 4-year college degree is either “an absolute necessity” or “helpful but not a necessity.” Only 13% recently said that a college degree is “not necessary.”

RESIDENTS SUPPORT STATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE

Knowing the cost, 72% of residents across the state remain supportive of the State Technology Transformation Initiative. Begun in 2011, the initiative’s goal is to reinvent state government by modernizing information systems and streamlining business practices. Support is especially strong among residents who use government services heavily (at least once every two months) - 83% of them support the initiative.

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The Winter 2015 issue of The People’s Pulse is based on landline and cell phone interviews among a statewide random sample of 700 adult residents from December 2 to 15, 2014. Results are weighted to key population parameters. At a 95% confidence level the sampling error overall is +/- 3.7%. For more information contact OmniTrak Group at 808-528-4050.

Related:

Feb 1, 2015: Rail: Bogus Ward Poll Deployed to Pressure Legislators to Raise GE Tax