75% Back Tax Hikes to Solve L.A. Area Woes, RAND Finds

Nearly 75% of Los Angeles area residents say they are willing to dig into their own pockets and pay higher taxes in order to solve some of the region’s most perplexing problems, such as crime and poor public transportation, according to a RAND Corp. survey released Wednesday.

The survey also showed that blacks, Latinos and younger people were among the groups most willing to shoulder a heavier tax burden to address crime and other troubling issues, while Anglos and Asians, on the whole, would prefer that the money come from other sources.

The Los Angeles area residents polled shared strong agreement about what is good about their communities. Topping the list were the weather, cultural diversity and economic opportunities, the study found. The most negative aspect of Los Angeles life was crime, which was cited by 50% of the sample, followed by poor public transit systems, smog, traffic, drugs, crowding and gangs.

Eighty-two per cent rated their overall quality of life as good. But there was significant disagreement on whether it would improve in the years to come.

Thirty per cent believed that their quality of life was good but will grow worse, while 13% said it was bad now and will stay the same or keep going downhill.

A majority of respondents said they do not think the area’s problems are being handled well, though they were not asked whom they would blame.

The survey was based on random phone interviews with 1,230 residents of Los Angeles County, parts of northern Orange County and eastern Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It was conducted for Los Angeles 2000, a citizens group established by Mayor Tom Bradley two years ago to formulate strategies for Los Angeles in the 21st Century.

Los Angeles 2000 President Jane Pisano said the findings will help the group identify the actual concerns of residents and devise “solutions that people will be willing to endorse” over the next decade.

Pisano and Sandra Berry, the RAND researcher who directed the study, said they were most surprised by the degree of consensus found among Los Angeles area residents about the region’s best and worst aspects and what the priorities for solving its problems should be.

Asked how they would spend $100 to improve the quality of life in Los Angeles, survey respondents said the largest amount should be spent on crime control--an average of $25. They rated public education the second highest need, allotting it an average share of $21, followed by social services, $17; transportation, $15; the environment, $13, and parks and beaches $8. (The figures were rounded off.)

An analysis of the responses by racial and ethnic groups showed some differences in the importance attached to solving certain problems. Blacks, for instance, would spend more than whites on crime control but less on public transportation, the study found. Asians gave education spending slightly more importance than crime control, compared to the average response of all groups.

Of the approximately 75% of all the respondents who said they were willing to pay more in taxes to solve the region’s problems, the majority favored increases of 10% or less, while slightly more than a quarter were opposed to paying increased taxes.

Given a choice of different ways to pay for solutions, most respondents tended to pick the fees and taxes that would affect them less directly. Developer fees were the most popular, followed by taxes on users of airports and harbors, gasoline, businesses and property. Raising sales and general income taxes, or property taxes to benefit schools, were the least favorite.

In general, most respondents said they wanted population, industry and land development growth to slow down or stop. But that sentiment was stronger among Anglos than among blacks, Asians and Latinos, who expressed more desire for steady or faster growth.

Three-quarters of those surveyed believed that air pollution, crime, low-income housing and traffic and transportation issues were being addressed “somewhat or very badly.” In general, Anglos and blacks were more dissatisfied than Latinos and Asians.

“That is a worrying thing,” Berry said. “The fact that people see problems around them and see that they aren’t being handled well indicates certainly some discontent with the way things are going.”

THE BEST AND WORST OF LOS ANGELES

When asked what they liked and disliked about the Los Angeles area, one-third of those surveyed said “great weather” was the best feature and half said crime was the worst feature. GOOD THINGS Great weather all year: 33% Employment opportunities: 17% Access to geographic diversity: 15% Recreational facilities: 10% Cultural diversity: 10% BAD THINGS Crime in general: 50% Lack of public transportation: 14% Smog, poor air quality: 14% Congested highways: 14% Drugs and drug dealers: 13% Overpopulation: 11% Gangs, juvenile delinquents: 10% (Percent of respondents mentioning a characteristic)