Originally posted by Katie Mayer at inMaricopa.com
November 19, 2013
Arizonans are passionate about their state, but disconnected with their political system and community. That’s one of the findings uncovered by the Arizona State University Center for the Future of Arizona’s Gallup Arizona Poll administered in 2009 to capture a snapshot of the ways in which Arizonans think about their state. For the first time, Maricopa residents will have the opportunity to participate as a group in the Gallup Arizona Poll and the Arizona Civic Health Index to better understand their local community’s unique perspective as compared to the rest of the state. The two surveys are available online and will generate custom reports, which InMaricopa will track and share with readers. The reports will offer insight into civic health and what Maricopa residents want for the future, said Robert Luster director of Web communications at the Center for the Future of Arizona. “It would be interesting to see how Maricopa fits with the values of the state and how they see Maricopa going forward,” Luster said. Luster has worked for the center for six years and also is a Maricopa resident since cityhood. He moved to Maricopa from California in 2003. “I love the community so much that I would like to know the consensus of what Maricopa is all about,” Luster said. Since the release of the survey in 2009, more than 10,000 Arizonans have participated in the online poll and index. Only 30 people who live in Maricopa have taken the online survey, but Luster hopes to see more of the city’s nearly 45,000 residents get involved. His goal is to help the community understand itself better so residents can help shape the future of Maricopa and Arizona. “As citizens of this great state, who have chosen to live in Maricopa, how do we stand against the rest of Arizona’s opinions and the nation’s?” Luster said. Luster, an accomplished bass player who performs with the Chandler Symphony, said when he first moved to the city there was no grocery store. Also, Smith-Enke Road was unpaved and Cobblestone Farms was a working farm. He also recalls the devastation to his neighborhoods when the housing market crashed and some neighbors had to move away. Still, despite the changing landscape of the city and the daily commute to downtown Phoenix, Luster said he and his wife Kristiana, daughter Angela, 10, and son Michael, 5, are more attached to their neighbors in Maricopa than in any place they’ve lived. Chairman and CEO for the Center for the Future of Arizona and former Arizona State University President Lattie Coor said Arizonans’ love for the state came through strongly in the statewide poll, but residents are not as active as they want to be. “We are near the bottom among states in registering and voting and staying current on issues in terms of government,” Coor said. The Center for the Future of Arizona is aiming to change that. The nonprofit organization, funded through individual, foundation, corporate and community contributions, calls itself a “do-tank” because it has taken scientific research and used the information to create and implement a measurable action plan to help Arizonans shape their state into what they want, Coor said. The plan, called The Arizona We Want 2.0, focuses on affecting change in the areas of education, job creation, environment and water, infrastructure, health care, young talent, civic engagement and community involvement. “We are focusing on the 2014 election and asking citizens to talk to your elected officials and ask where they stand on these eight goals, and thereby really get citizens actively involved in the decision-making process,” Coor said. The results of Maricopa’s feedback in the Gallup Arizona Poll and Arizona Civic Health Index will offer residents a snapshot of their views, which they can compare with the state and nation. To participate in the surveys, go to ~1@BODYURL[id=114jbcurl880]@ and take the Gallup Arizona Poll and the Arizona Civic Health Index. Use participant code “inmaricopa” when creating your account.