Second Thoughts?
Some Community
Leaders Turning Against Proposed Cardinals Stadium
A majority of community leaders in the Valley would now
vote against partial public funding of a stadium hosting the Arizona Cardinals,
according to a recent O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll of
business and community leaders across the Valley. If the stadium were once
again put before voters, 59% of community leaders would vote “No,” and 40%
would vote “Yes.” A small majority (54%) think Maricopa County should, in fact,
put the stadium back on the ballot. (These percentages do not include those
with no opinion).
According to the director of the
poll, Dr. Michael O’Neil, “This is a remarkable shift considering our poll
found that community leaders were far more favorable of the stadium in the
original vote than voters generally.” Whereas the referendum in 2000 was passed
by only 51% to 49%, community leaders voted in favor of the stadium by an
almost two-to-one margin (66% “Yes” and 34% “No”).
East Valley community leaders
were more enthusiastic about the stadium from the outset. While members of all
four organizations participating in the survey voted in favor of the stadium,
support among East Valley Partnership [EVP] members (89%) was greater than
among members of the other three organizations (Greater Phoenix Leadership
[GPL] 81%, Valley Leadership [VL] 60%, Westmarc 67%).
East vs. West?
Members of the four participating organizations differ
considerably also as regards their vote in a possible future vote. Whereas an
overwhelming majority (79%) of members of the EVP would vote “Yes,” an equally
great majority (76%) of Westmarc (based in the West Valley) would vote “No.”
Said Dr. O’Neil, “With the East Valley still contending for the stadium and the
West Valley apparently out of the running, it is evident that East Valley
community leaders are more pleased than West Valley leaders with the outcome of
the site selection process so far.” In contrast, members of the two Valley-wide
organizations, GPL and VL, are more divided, though a majority of members in
both organizations would vote “No” today.
Vote Again?
Accordingly, fully 85% of EVP’s
members do not think the county should have a second vote, while an almost
two-thirds majority (63%) of Westmarc members are in favor of asking the voters
to decide anew. GPL and VL members are almost equally divided on that question.
Wait for Mesa Vote?
As regards the preferred action of the Tourism and Sports
Authority, community leaders are strongly divided. Thirty-nine percent (38%)
would like the TSA to wait for the outcome of Mesa’s potential vote before
making a final decision, while another 38% wants the TSA to begin looking for
additional sites as soon as possible. One-fourth (24%) think a decision should
be made between the Gila River and Fort McDowell sites, regardless of Mesa’s
course of action.
Again, however, members of the
four organizations are not in complete agreement. Whereas fully 57% of EVP members
want to wait for Mesa’s decision, pluralities in the other three organizations
think the TSA should look for additional sites (GPL 46%, VL 38%, Westmarc 49%).
About the Poll.
The O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll is a web-based survey
that was sent to all members of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Valley Leadership,
East Valley Partnership, and Westmarc. As such, this survey does not purport to
be a random or representative sampling of the general population
of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It would be difficult, however, to conceive
of a more comprehensive representation from which to draw inferences about the
opinions and sensibilities of business and community leaders than
the combined membership of these organizations, although, inevitably, any
definition of influentials is somewhat subjective. The persons surveyed are
likely to exert disproportionate influence on and be an early indicator of
community opinion by virtue of their position, community involvement, and
political participation.
The O’Neil
Associates Valley Influentials Poll was not sponsored or paid for by any outside
organization. Four hundred participants completed the survey between
June 13 and June 21, 2002, yielding a margin of error of ±4.5%. O’Neil
Associates, Inc. is a Tempe-based public opinion research firm specializing in
client-focused attitude and awareness studies for a wide variety of industries
and organizations.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday,
June 21, 2002 (VIP001-2002-01)
FURTHER INFORMATION: Michael O'Neil, Ph.D., 480-967-4441
These results may be reported freely provided that they are identified as
the “O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll” including identification on
any graphic material.