Copyright© 2005 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 18                   For Publication Date: December 2, 2005             No. 24

By the Way . . .

Californians Rank the Economy as the Number One Problem Facing the State. A recent statewide survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that the state’s economy remains the top issue. Californians continue to rank the economy (19%) and education (14%) as the most important problems facing the state, followed by immigration (9%). As further evidence of economic concerns, 56% of residents say that the state will have bad economic times in the coming year. They are also twice as likely to say that the state is headed in the wrong direction rather than the right direction (60% to 30%).  

The economy and education were also the top two issues in May, August, and September. At the beginning of the year, the State Budget ranked as one of the top two issues, along with education, while the economy was ranked lower than it is today. Today, the economy is one of the top two concerns in all major regions of the state.