THE TIMES POLL : ‘Moral Leadership’ Needed in Inner Cities, Voters Say

California voters think the best way to prevent riots is to develop “more moral leadership” in the inner cities, increase jobs and improve education, according to the Los Angeles Times Poll.

In the first statewide survey of opinion on the Los Angeles riots, voters also blamed the nation’s worst urban violence of the century on thugs, “a breakdown of moral values” and “lack of economic opportunities.”

The poll suggested that the California electorate has more complex attitudes about the riots than do some politicians, who tend to focus on single-dimension themes--”lack of family values” or “need for an urban policy”--when affixing blame and prescribing remedies. Voters tend to think that a wide range of solutions are needed, and there is blame all around for the killings, looting and arson.

Three-fourths of the California electorate “sympathized” with the anger in black communities ignited by the verdicts in the beating of Rodney G. King. Also, three-fourths disagreed with the Ventura County jury, which cleared four Los Angeles police officers on most of the charges in the case.

But the state electorate had mixed views about whether stronger laws are needed to protect citizens from police brutality, with 47% believing present laws are adequate and 41% saying they should be strengthened.

A narrow majority also opposed raising the sales tax to help finance Los Angeles’ rebuilding efforts.

The Times Poll, directed by John Brennan, interviewed 1,469 registered California voters by telephone for four days ending Tuesday night. The margin of error was three percentage points in either direction.

Interviewers asked voters in a couple of ways which action they thought would be “the most important to prevent violence like the Los Angeles riots from occurring again.”

First, people were asked the question “open-ended,” with their answers strictly volunteered. Leading the list of responses was an improved economy with more jobs (19%), followed by better education (13%), more cooperation and understanding among various groups (13%) and tougher law enforcement (9%).

Next, voters were asked to choose between some specific suggested actions. The one selected the most by far (51%) was “more moral leadership from the people of the inner cities.” There was much less support for “more help from private business” (15%), “more government spending on the inner cities” (11%), “stronger law enforcement” (8%) and “more civil rights for minorities” (6%).

By ethnic group, “more moral leadership” was favored by roughly half the African-Americans and Anglos and one-third of Latinos.

In the same manner, voters were asked “who or what” they thought was “most responsible for the violence” in Los Angeles.

The volunteered responses were headed (32%) by an answer that Brennan summarized as “thugs,” including gang members, criminal opportunists and basic hoodlums. Nothing else came close. Next was lack of jobs and a sense of hopelessness (9%), rage and frustration with the verdict (8%) and slow police response (6%).

When voters were read a list of suggested culprits, the leading answers were “a breakdown of moral values in the inner city” (35%) and “lack of economic opportunities” (33%). Then came “racism” (12%), “inadequate law enforcement” (7%) and “lack of strong political leadership” (6%).

Latinos and African-Americans--especially--blamed racism far more than did Anglos, and were much less critical of moral values than were Anglos.

Voters who particularly advocated stronger laws to protect citizens against police brutality included African-Americans and Latinos, the young, city residents and the poor. But those high on the socioeconomic scale, suburbanites, and people ages 50 to 64 thought present protections are adequate.

Legislation designed to strengthen laws against police brutality has been introduced in Sacramento, but the bills have stalled largely because of opposition from law enforcement.

Interviewers also asked voters their opinions about government’s “attention to blacks and other minority groups”--whether it was paying too much, about the right amount or too little. A plurality, 45%, answered “too little attention,” with 24% saying “the right amount” and 23% “too much.”

Nearly 9 in 10 African-Americans replied that minorities are not getting enough government attention. About half the Latinos and 4 in 10 Anglos felt that way.

The idea of raising the sales tax to help Los Angeles pay for rebuilding received mixed reviews from Californians, who have seen the sales tax climb steadily in recent years.

Asked about this, 53% of those surveyed opposed a tax hike and 44% endorsed it. Central Valley residents especially objected. The only area inclined to favor it was Los Angeles County, and then narrowly.

A proposal by State Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to temporarily raise the sales tax to generate money for rebuilding has received a cool reception from Gov. Pete Wilson and most legislators.

Wilson, who called out the National Guard and spent several days in Los Angeles meeting with officials and community leaders during and after the riots, received marginally favorable marks from voters for his performance during the ordeal. Forty-nine percent approved of how he handled the situation and 40% disapproved.

But the governor’s overall job rating slipped slightly since a Times survey in late April. In this poll, 43% approved and 52% disapproved of “the way Pete Wilson is handling his job as governor.”

In the latest survey, only 53% of Republicans approved of Wilson’s job performance, with 43% disapproving. Among Democrats, just 34% approved and 61% disapproved.

Wilson apparently still is suffering politically from the tax increases he signed last summer to balance the state budget.

People were asked: “What is the greatest danger for California right now: that state spending has been cut to the point where essential government programs and services are threatened, or that taxes have been raised to the point where people can’t afford the burden?” Fifty-one percent said taxes are the greatest danger, compared to 38% who felt program cuts are.

Voters weren’t sure who was “doing a better job finding a solution to the state’s budget problems”--the Republican governor or the Democrats who control the Legislature. The answers: Wilson, 29%; Democrats, 25%; neither, 25%; both, 2% and don’t know, 19%.

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Poll interviewed 1,469 California registered voters May 16-19. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the state. Random-digit dialing techniques were used to ensure that both listed and unlisted numbers could be contacted. Interviewing was conducted in either English or Spanish. Results were weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and household size. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For certain subgroups, the error margin is somewhat higher. Poll results can also be influenced by other factors such as question wording and the order of question presentation.

THE TIMES POLL Statewide Views of Riot

A survey of California voters reveals a complex view of the Los Angeles riots. Most voters believe that an important way to prevent future riots is to develop “more moral leadership” in the inner cities. Three-fourths of the electorate sympathizes with the anger in black communities generated by the not guilty verdicts in the Rodney King beating trial. WILSON JOB RATING Do you approve or disapprove of the way Pete Wilson is handling his job as governor?

NOW APRIL DEC 1991 Approve 43% 44% 38% Disapprove 52% 48% 55% Don’t know 5% 8% 7%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Pete Wilson handled the response to the recent riots in Los Angeles? Approve: 49% Disapprove: 40% Don’t know: 11% REACTION TO RIOTS Are you very sympathetic, somewhat sympathetic, not too sympathetic or not sympathetic at all to the feelings of anger in black communities that were ignited as a result of the Rodney King beating trial verdict? Very sympathetic: 34% Somewhat sympathetic: 40% Not too sympathetic: 8% Not at all sympathetic: 15% Don’t know: 3% Which of these things do you think is most responsible for the recent outbreak of violence in Los Angeles? Moral breakdown in inner city: 35% No economic opportunities: 33% Racism: 12% Inadequate law enforcement: 7% No political leadership: 6% Other: 1% None: 1% Don’t know: 5% Which of these things do you think is the most important action that can be taken to prevent violence like the Los Angeles riots? Would it be: More moral leadership: 51% Help from private business: 15% More government spending on inner cities: 11% Stronger law enforcement: 8% More civil rights for minorities: 6% Other: 2% None: 1% Don’t know: 6% SALES TAX FOR RIOT RECOVERY Would you be willing or not willing to accept some increase in the state sales tax to assist L.A. in its efforts to rebuild? Willing: 44% Not willing: 53% Don’t know: 3% SOURCE: The Los Angeles Times Poll conducted May 16-19 of 1,469 registered voters statewide. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.