Overall Mood

Orange County residents today exhibit a bleak outlook overall, tempered by cautious optimism with regard to the local economy. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed say that the nation is headed in the wrong direction (34% right direction), and 48% disapprove of the way the president is handling his job. A staggering 83% believe that California is headed in the wrong direction (10% right direction), which is not surprising, given the state’s $20 billion deficit, political gridlock in Sacramento and 12% unemployment.

Fifty-four percent believe that they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, and the majority (53%) believe that during the next 12 months, the country as a whole will experience bad times financially. About half (53%) say bad economic times will continue for the next five years. Eighty-three percent rate Orange County’s economy as fair or poor. Only 14% rate it as good or excellent. Almost half (47%) think it is a good time to purchase major household items, perhaps signaling a perception that prices for major purchases have bottomed out and are unlikely to drop further. Despite the bad economy, most Orange Countians (64%) are pleased with life in our community, reporting that things are going “Very well” (8%) or “Somewhat well (56%). However, this is down substantially from the 91% in 2000 who indicated that things were going “Very well” (38%) or “Somewhat well (53%).