Poll of 500 Backs Move by Raiders

The city of Irwindale on Wednesday released a poll taken of 500 registered voters throughout Los Angeles County showing that those surveyed favored the proposed move of the Los Angeles Raiders from the Coliseum to Irwindale by a margin of about 4 to 3.

The Feb. 2-5 telephone survey by pollster Arnold Steinberg was commissioned by Irwindale at an announced cost of about $15,000.

City spokesman Xavier Hermosillo contended that the results demonstrate that there is far less opposition to the Raider move than critics say there is, and he pointed to the results of one question in which only 28% of those surveyed said they thought the efforts to stop the move were “worthwhile,” while 72% thought they were “sour grapes.”

On the central question, whether they favored or opposed the move, 22% of those surveyed said they strongly favored it, 15% favored it and 4% leaned toward favoring it, for a total favorable of 41%, according to Steinberg’s report. By contrast, 15% strongly opposed the move, 14% opposed it and 1% leaned against it, for a total negative opinion of 30%. The other 29% said they were unsure.

By 83% to 17%, those surveyed said they felt that the Raiders should be kept in the Los Angeles area rather than be allowed to leave.

And by 76% to 24%, those surveyed said Los Angeles County authorities should lease land to Irwindale for stadium parking.

Although the major figures involved on both sides in the Raiders controversy received favorable ratings from most of those surveyed who knew who they are, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, as a group, received a negative rating.

Only 2% of those contacted had a very good impression of the commission, while 27% had a good impression, 41% had a poor impression and 30% had a very poor impression.

The Raiders have expressed hopes that construction of an Irwindale stadium can begin by the end of the year.