Survey finds Wisconsin residents optimistic about future
But poor economy clearly taking toll, Realtors group finds
Source: Nathan Phelps, Green Bay Press-Gazette

GREEN BAY - August 11, 2004 - A majority of Wisconsin residents say they have seen improvement and stability in the quality of life in the state and are optimistic about the future.

Those findings come from an ongoing survey by the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

"Over the past five years nearly half the folks think life in Wisconsin has gotten better," said James Wood, president of Wood Communication Group Inc., which did the polling. "That's worth noticing because of the tough economy we've had here.

"But that tough economy clearly hit people, because one out of five folks say (quality of life) got worse," he said.

The statewide survey of 500 people - known as The People's Agenda - carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

In polling this year, about 27 percent said the quality of life improved, 53 percent said it stayed the same and 18 percent said it has worsened.

"If you ask them about what's going to happen next year, you can see the optimism coming back," Wood said. "Forty percent think it's going to get better, 38 percent the same and only 12 percent think it's going to get worse."

Those findings come even as some age groups - specifically 45- to 54-year-olds - face pressures from possible layoffs and changes at work while those who are 18 to 34 years old are the most optimistic.

In Northeastern Wisconsin, two Realtors said they would like to see local government focus on a way to keep residents - specifically, young people - in the state.

"The kids that are graduating from college do not relocate in Wisconsin, and families are concerned their kids are going to Minnesota or wherever else and we are not able to keep them here," said Pat Kaster, a broker with River City Realtors in Green Bay and president of the Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin.

"The tax issue is a hot button, too, as far as people not wanting Wisconsin to be driving employers out of the state."

Polling in the survey indicated 87 percent of respondents say it's important to keep young workers in the state.

Of those, 66 percent want to see elected officials make this issue a top priority.

That's a view shared by Kitty Jedwabny, an Appleton real estate agent with Coldwell Banker and chairwoman-elect for the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

"It's our local officials that are going to have to turn this around. They can't depend on the federal officials or state officials. It is the people in the Fox Cities that are going to have to come together and turn this around," she said.

But Jedwabny also points out some of that shift may come from young workers themselves. "I think we need to encourage our people to have a little more of an entrepreneur attitude and say, 'We have to go out and develop new things,'" she said. "We can't just sit around and wait."

The Wisconsin Quality Of Life project has been polling the state's residents for the past two years. The Wisconsin Realtors Association recently pulled together the data from five polls into a single document.
A few of the results included in the report are:

• 98 percent of state residents want high-quality service at affordable rates.

• 91 percent say it's important housing remain affordable.

• 83 percent say the state should avoid legislation that makes it more expensive to do business here.

• 80 percent say it's a "high priority" that elected officials make sure the state has a high-quality work force.

Wood Communications also conducted polling last month to see how it related to its compilation of earlier polls.

"The challenge for us is now taking the people's agenda and getting it distributed to people who make decisions," said Will Malkasian, president of the Wisconsin Realtors Association.