Baton Rouge Post-Hurricane Katrina Survey: March-April, 2007*
(Entries are percentages)
�
How long have you lived in Baton Rouge?
�	�
	1 year or less	3
	2-10 years	16
	11-20 years	15
	21 years or more	31
	All my life	35
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	0
		100
How likely is it that you will move away from Baton Rouge within the next two years or so?
�	�
	Very likely	14
	Somewhat likely	10
	Somewhat unlikely	5
	Very unlikely	70
	Don't Know	2
	No answer	0
		100
How long have you lived in your neighborhood?
�	�
	1 year or less	15
	2-10 years	45
	11-20 years	19
	21 years or more	16
	All my life	5
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	0
		100
Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people?
�	�
	Most people can be trusted	34
	Can't be too careful	57
	Other, depends (Volunteered)	8
	Don't Know	1
	No answer	0
		100
Next, we'd like to know how much you trust different groups of people.� First, think about (GROUP).� Generally speaking, would you say that you can trust them a lot, some, only a little, or not at all?�
		Trust them a lot	Trust them some	Trust them only a little	Trust them not at all	(vol) Does not apply	Don't Know	Refused
	People in your neighborhood	40	35	17	6	0	1	1	100
	People you work with	37	26	13	5	18	1	1	100
	People at your church or place of worship	58	25	7	2	8	0	1	100
	People who work in the stores where you shop	19	45	22	10	1	3	1	100
	The police in your local community	44	33	12	9	1	1	0	100
	White people	25	49	14	3	5	1	3	100
	African Americans or Blacks	18	50	18	3	5	2	4	100
	Asian people	18	47	16	4	7	5	3	100
	Hispanics or Latinos	16	46	17	7	7	4	3	100
	City government	13	44	25	15	1	2	1	100
	State government	9	39	33	18	0	2	0	100
	Federal government	10	40	28	19	0	2	0	100
	Journalists	7	41	31	18	1	3	0	100
	Clergy	38	41	13	4	1	2	1	100
How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right - just about always, most of the time or only some of the time?
�	�
	None of the Time	10
	Some of the Time	69
	Most of the Time	18
	Just About Always	3
	Don't Know, Depends	1
	No answer	0
		100
The relief effort for Hurrican Katrina may cost well over 100 billion dollars. How do you think the federal government should pay for this -- by cutting spending on other programs, increasing the federal budget deficit, raising taxes, or what?
�	�
	Cutting other spending	28
	Increasing federal deficit	12
	Raising taxes	6
	Something else	35
	Pull out of Iraq (vol.)	13
	Don't Know	6
	No answer	1
		100
Would you be willing or not willing to pay more in taxes to help with the recovery from Hurricane Katrina?
�	�
	Willing	47
	Not Willing	50
	Don't Know	3
	No answer	1
		100
Do you think that State and Local Government will have to make more budget cuts to help with the recovery from the Hurricanes?
�	�
	Yes	68
	No	28
	Don't know	5
	Refused	0
		100
�
Do you think that any budget cuts at the state and local level will affect you personally?
�	�
	Yes	54
	Yes, Just a little	13
	No	29
	Don't know	4
	Refused	0
		100
About how often have you ... [Insert Activity]? [If Necessary Probe with Categories]
		Every week (or more often)	Almost every week	Once or twice a month	A few times per year	Less often than that	Never	Don't know, Refused
	Had friends to home	32	13	29	17	5	3	2	100
	Visited relatives	43	12	23	16	4	2	2	100
	Socialized with co-workers	18	5	21	14	8	30	5	100
	Played cards or board games	13	6	18	11	7	43	2	100
	Attended a club meeting	6	4	23	10	7	49	1	100
	Hung out with friends	18	10	25	12	8	25	1	100
	Attended public meeting	4	3	15	20	11	47	1	100
Now I'd like to ask whether you have taken part in activities with different groups and organizations.� I'm going to read a list; just answer YES if you have been involved in the past 12 months with this kind of group.�
		Yes	No	Don't know	Refused
	Sports club	27	73	0	0	100
	Youth organization	29	71	0	0	100
	Parents' association like PTA	29	71	0	0	100
	Activities at church	60	39	1	0	100
	Neighborhood association	31	69	0	0	100
	Charity organization	45	55	0	0	100
	Professional association	36	64	0	0	100
	Hobby, investment, or garden societies	32	67	1	0	100
	Other clubs or organizations	24	76	0	0	100
	�
In the past twelve months, have you served as an officer or served on a committee of any local club or organization?
�	�
	Yes	25
	No	75
	Don't know	0
	Refused	0
		100
Now I am going to read you a series of statements that will help us understand how you feel about a number of things.� For each statement, please tell me if you completely agree with it, mostly agree with it, mostly disagree with it or completely disagree with it.� The first one is...
	�	Completely Agree	Mostly Agree	Mostly Disagree	Completely Disagree	Don't Know	No answer
	No Say About What the Government Does	14	29	37	19	1	0	100
	Elected Officials Care What People Like Me Think	8	39	36	17	1	0	100
	Voting Gives People a Say About Government	32	46	13	7	1	0	100
	Elected Officials in Washington Lose Touch	37	38	17	6	2	0	100
City-Parish government has limited resources and has to set priorities.� All of the following issues are important, but if the city can't do everything, which issues do you think should have the highest priority?� Take economic development: should it have the highest priority; high priority; medium priority; or lower priority?
		Highest Priority	High Priority	Medium Priority	Lower Priority	Don't Know	No answer
	Economic Development	14	56	26	2	2	0	100
	Education	56	40	2	1	0	0	100
	Reducing Traffic Congestion	19	43	33	4	1	0	100
	Fighting Crime	40	54	5	1	0	0	100
	Cleaning Up Litter	11	34	42	12	0	0	100
	Aftermath of Katrina	23	46	23	7	1	0	100
	�
Is there any area right around here - that is, within a mile - where you would be afraid to walk alone at night?
�	�
	Yes	51
	No	49
	Don't Know	1
	No answer	0
		100
How likely do you think it is that you may be the victim of a� crime� in the next 12 months? Would you say it is�
�	�
	Very likely	9
	Somewhat likely	24
	Somewhat unlikely	32
	Very unlikely	33
	Don't Know	3
	No answer	1
		100
How often would you say purse snatching, robbery, or other street crimes occur around your neighborhood?� Would you say these things happen:
�	�
	Very often	9
	Somewhat often	8
	Somewhat seldom	27
	Very seldom	52
	Don't Know	3
	No answer	0
		100
How often do you see drug dealers or users on the streets around your neighborhood?� Do you see them:
�	�
	Very often	12
	Somewhat often	5
	Somewhat seldom	10
	Very seldom	67
	Don't Know	5
	No answer	1
		100
We�d also like to know how you feel about safety and crime in your neighborhood, and in Baton Rouge in general.
As far as crime is concerned, how safe do you feel in Baton Rouge, outside your neighborhood?� Would you say you feel very safe, fairly safe, not very safe, or not safe at all?
�	�
	Very safe	9
	Fairly safe	59
	Not very safe	21
	Not safe at all	10
	Don't Know	1
	No answer	0
		100
How about your neighborhood?� How safe do you feel it is?� Would you say you feel very safe, fairly safe, not very safe, or not safe at all?
�	�
	Very safe	53
	Fairly safe	37
	Not very safe	5
	Not safe at all	5
	Don't Know	0
		100
Have you been a victim of crime in the last year?
�	�
	No	85
	Yes	15
	Don't Know	0
		100
Have any of your close friends in Baton Rouge been a victim of crime in the last year?
�	�
	No	65
	Yes	34
	Don't Know	1
	No answer	0
		100
Now I�d like to ask you some questions about Hurricane Katrina.
Do you think [see below] has/have done a great, good, neither good nor bad, bad, or terrible job in responding to Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding?� How about ... [go down list]
		Great	Good	Neither Good Nor Bad	Bad	Terrible	Don't Know	No answer
	State government	2	19	25	26	26	1	0	100
	Local government	5	37	27	16	15	2	0	100
	U.S. government	2	20	22	25	29	1	0	100
	President Bush	5	16	22	16	39	1	1	100
	Faith-Based	41	44	8	2	1	3	0	100
	Nonprofit	33	47	12	3	1	5	0	100
	Business	13	44	26	6	3	8	0	100
Have you yourself had any of the following feelings because of what's happened as a result of Hurricane Katrina?�
		Yes	Yes, just a little	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Depressed	22	8	69	0	0	100
	Angry	36	11	52	0	0	100
	Hopeful	56	10	33	1	1	100
	Fearful, Anxious	29	12	59	1	0	100
When you think of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina who are staying in Baton Rouge, do you have any of the following feelings?�
		Yes	Yes, just a little	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Fellow-feeling, Solidarity	33	16	45	5	1	100
	Pity or Compassion	70	16	13	1	0	100
	Irritation, bother	25	16	57	2	0	100
	Fear or concern	39	18	42	1	1	100
	Happiness	24	12	61	3	1	100
Do any of the following apply to you in the last few months � as compared to before Hurricane Katrina?
		Yes	Yes, just a little	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Trouble sleeping	6	6	88	0	0	100
	Sleeping too much	4	2	94	0	0	100
	Loss of appetite, losing weight	4	3	93	0	0	100
	Eating too much, gaining weight	4	7	88	0	0	100
	Trouble concentrating	4	10	85	0	0	100
	Tired all the time; loss of energy	7	11	81	0	0	100
	Nervous, excitable; trouble settling down	4	13	83	1	0	100
	Loss of sexual desire	3	4	91	1	1	100
	Don't want to see people, staying at home	6	10	84	1	0	100
	Don't want to be alone	4	6	90	1	0	100
	Worrying about everyday things	9	15	76	1	0	100
	Afraid that something terrible could happen	11	16	72	1	0	100
Have you done unpaid volunteer work to help Hurricane evacuees since the new year, I mean since January 1, 2006?� [If yes] More than once since January 1?
	No, haven't done volunteer work since January 1	54
	Once	10
	More than once	36
	Don't Know, No answer	0
		100
[If once] How about more than once at any time since the Hurricanes?�
	Just Once	6
	More than Once	4
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	0
	System	90
		100
[If no] Did you do unpaid volunteer work to help Hurricane evacuees at any time since the Hurricanes?� [If yes] More than once?
	No, haven't done volunteer work	35
	Once	6
	More than once	14
	Don't know	0
	Refused	0
	System	46
		100
[If yes to any of 3 previous] Did you do this volunteer work with a religious organization, like a church?
	Yes	32
	No	34
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	0
	System	35
		100
Do you NOW have people staying in your house or your own apartment who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina?�
[If no to previous Q] Did you EARLIER have people staying in your house or your own apartment who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina?� [questions combined:]
�	�
	No One	55
	Stayed Earlier	38
	Staying Now	6
	No Answer	1
		100
[If yes to either of 2 previous questions] Are [were] these people relatives of yours, are they friends, or what? [Check any that apply]
	Relatives	27
	Friends	18
	Colleagues, co-workers, etc	1
	Co-religionists or members of an association you belong to	0
	People you had no previous connection to	6
	Relief workers	0
	No Answer	0
If there is another disaster and people have to evacuate to Baton Rouge, would you favor letting your church or place of worship be used as a temporary shelter for any of the following groups of people?
		Yes	Yes, maybe; depends	No	Don't Know	No answer/Not Applicable
	Evacuees of your faith	90	2	3	1	5	100
	Community professionals of your faith	90	2	3	1	5	100
	Medical relief workers	91	1	3	1	5	100
	Other relief workers	90	2	3	1	5	100
	Friends or family of church members	90	2	2	1	5	100
	Evacuees from general community	85	4	6	1	5	100
How much of a problem has [Name First Item] been for you and your family lately [Read Answers]?
		Very serious problem	Somewhat serious problem	Minor problem	Not a problem at all	Don't Know	No answer
	Traffic congestion	31	29	24	15	0	0	100
	Difficulties in shopping for groceries and household items	13	18	17	51	1	0	100
	Crowding in house	2	3	9	86	1	0	100
	Crowding in neighborhood	7	9	8	76	1	0	100
	Crowding in schools	15	18	8	46	14	1	100
	Difficulties w telephone	2	6	5	87	0	0	100
	People rude or unfriendly	13	20	14	52	0	1	100
	Price of housing or rent	38	17	7	35	3	0	100
	Price of home or renter insurance	38	17	9	31	5	0	100
Have� rumors about crime and social unrest in Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina made you feel more concerned about your own safety?�
�	�
	Yes	61
	No	39
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	0
		100
[If yes] Did you hear these rumors from people you know, from the news media, or somewhere else?
�	�
	People I know	11
	News media	42
	Somewhere else	7
	Don't Know	0
	No answer	1
	System	39
		100
[If yes] Did you change your usual daily routines because of concern for your safety, like avoiding certain parts of town or staying at home?
�	�
	Yes	28
	No	34
	Don't Know	0
	System	39
		100
	[Answers combined]
�	�
	Didn't Hear Rumors	39
	Heard Rumors	34
	Changed due to Rumors	28
	No Answer	0
		100
Do you think the economy in Baton Rouge will get better or worse in the next 12 months, or will it stay the same?
�	�
	Get better	53
	Get worse	16
	Stay the same	27
	Don't Know	4
	No answer	0
		100
And do you think that Baton Rouge will get better or worse as a place to live in the next 12 months, or will it stay the same?
�	�
	Get better	47
	Get worse	19
	Stay the same	32
	Don't Know	2
	No answer	0
		100
Do you think that most Hurricane evacuees now in Baton Rouge will eventually go back to where they�re from, or do you think a lot of them will stay here?� Would you say...
�	�
	Most will go back	11
	Some will stay	12
	Lots of them will stay	73
	Don't Know	3
	No answer	0
		100
What do you think about neighborhoods in the Greater New Orleans area?
		Strongly believe is True	Believe is True	Unsure	Believe is Not True	Strongly believe is Not True	Don't Know	No answer
	With good engineering and adequate funding, most neighborhoods in Greater New Orleans can be protected against major flooding	14	23	27	18	14	4	1	100
	Most neighborhoods can recover from the hurricane and flooding damage	12	35	22	15	13	3	1	100
And when do you think these things will happen?
		Now or for the coming hurricane season	In the next 12 months	Within the next five years	Someday	Never	Don't Know	No answer
	Most neighborhoods will be protected against major flooding	3	4	33	35	19	6	1	100
	Most neighborhoods will recover from the hurricane and flooding damage	3	5	38	35	13	6	1	100
In your view, did this disaster show that racial inequality remains a major problem in this country, or don�t you think this was a particularly important lesson of the disaster?
�	�
	Showed It Remains a Problem	65
	Not an Important Lesson	31
	Don't Know	3
	No answer	1
		100
Now I�d like to ask you some questions about the Trailer Parks that have been set up for Hurricane evacuees.
How close do you live to the nearest trailer park?� Please stop me when I get to the best answer:
�	�
	Next door	1
	Within a few blocks	3
	Within about a half mile	5
	Within about a mile	7
	More than a mile	80
	Don't Know	4
	No answer	0
		100
�
Do you know the name of the nearest trailer park?� What is it?
�	�
	Yes	18
	No, don't know the name	80
	Don't Know	2
	No answer	0
		100
�
[If within a half mile] How do you feel about the trailer park being placed near your neighborhood.� Do you:��
[If further than a half mile, or dk/na] How would you feel if it was announced that a trailer park was going to be placed near your neighborhood - say within a half mile.� Would you:
�	�
	Not mind at all	26
	Mind a little it	26
	Mind a lot	45
	Don't Know	2
	No answer	1
		100
[If within a half mile] Since the trailer park was placed near your neighborhood, have you done any of the following because of the trailer park?
[If further than a half mile, or dk/na] If a trailer park was placed near your neighborhood, would you do any of the following because of the trailer park?
	�	Yes	Would think about doing it	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Change Driving Routes	23	8	65	3	1	100
	Not Walk Alone	49	4	44	3	1	100
	Install Locks, Alarms or Lights	50	5	43	2	1	100
	Put Off Home Improvements	17	3	78	2	1	100
	Move or Sell	20	11	67	2	0	100
	Obtain Weapon	25	6	68	1	1	100
[If within a half mile] Since the trailer park was placed near your neighborhood, do you think any of the following has become a problem for your neighborhood?
[If further than a half mile, or dk/na] If a trailer park was placed near your neighborhood, do you think any of the following would be a problem for your neighborhood?
		Yes	Yes, Just a little	No	Don't Know	No answer
	Traffic Increase	71	8	19	1	1	100
	Stores Crowded	70	11	17	2	1	100
	Trash And Litter	53	12	30	5	1	100
	Noise	47	10	37	5	1	100
	Crime	53	17	23	7	1	100
	Property Values Down	55	15	25	4	1	100
Do you see people from the trailer parks in your neighborhood, say on the street or in stores?� About how often?
�	�
	Yes, Almost every day or more	9
	Yes, Sometimes	14
	Yes, but not often	4
	No, not as far as I know	66
	Don't Know	7
	No answer	1
		100
�
[If Yes (1-3)] Which of the following best describes what�s happened when you�ve seen them?
�	�
	I've gotten to know some of them	5
	I've talked a little, but haven't really gotten to know them	9
	I haven't had any contct with them	9
	I've had negative feelings like fear or conflict	3
	Don't Know	1
	No answer	0
	System	73
		100
If we had a disaster like Hurricane Katrina in Baton Rouge, and your home was destroyed, do you think you might end up living in a place like the trailer parks?
�	�
	Yes	34
	No	63
	Don't Know	4
	No answer	0
		100
Next I'd like to ask you a couple questions about television and newspapers.� How many days in the past week did you read a daily newspaper?
�	�
	0	23
	1	9
	2	12
	3	11
	4	5
	5	4
	6	1
	7	35
	Don't know	0
	Refused	0
		100
�
How many hours per day do you spend watching TV (television) on an average weekday, that is Monday through Friday? [IF RESPONSE IS 12 OR GREATER, ENTER 12]
�	�
	0	4
	1	20
	2	22
	3	18
	4	15
	5	9
	6	4
	7	1
	8	2
	9	1
	10	1
	11	0
	12	5
	Don't know	0
	Refused	0
		100
Now I just have a few questions about your household and your background.
First, may I ask, In what year were you born? [recoded as Age]
�	�
	18-30	27
	31-45	29
	46-60	25
	61 and Over	18
	Missing	2
		100
[IF UNSURE ASK]: Are you male or female?
�	�
	Male	47
	Female	53
		100
�
Do you consider yourself to be: [READ RESPONSE OPTIONS] White, Black, Asian, American Indian, Other.� Are you Hispanic or Latino?� [Combined answers]
�	�
	White (non-Hisp)	55
	Black (non-Hisp)	38
	Asian	2
	Hispanic	2
	Missing or Other	5
		100
Are your currently married, living with a partner, separated, divorced, widowed, or have you never been married?
�	�
	Married	46
	Living with partner	8
	Separated	3
	Divorced	9
	Widowed	6
	Single, never married	26
	Don't Know	0
	NA	1
		100
Do you have children?� How many?
�	�
	None	31
	One	15
	Two	24
	Three	14
	Four or more	15
	Other answer	1
	NA	1
		100
What is the highest grade of schooling that you have completed?
�	�
	8th Grade or less	1
	Some high school	6
	High School Diploma	20
	Vocational/Technical school	3
	Some College	27
	College degree	25
	Some graduate school	3
	Graduate degree	15
	NA	0
		100
What is your religious preference?� Is it Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?
�	�
	Protestant	58
	Catholic	28
	Other	7
	None	6
	Don't Know	1
	NA	0
		100
Religious Fundamentalism [Previous question followed up by question about specific denomination.� Denominations categorized according to General Social Survey definitions]
�	�
	Liberal	17
	Moderate	36
	Fundamentalist	39
	Missing	8
		100
Are you a member of a local church, synagogue, or other religious or spiritual community?
�	�
	Yes	75
	No	25
	Don't Know	0
	Refused	0
		100
Not including weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?
�	�
	Every week (or more often)	48
	Almost every week	8
	Once or twice a month	17
	A few times per year	14
	Less often than that	11
	Don't Know	1
	Refused	1
		100
Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or what?� [If Republican or Democrat] Would you call yourself a strong (Republican/Democrat) or not a very strong (Republican/Democrat)?� [If Independent, No Preference, Or Other] Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican or Democratic Party?� [answers combined]
�	�
	Strong Democrat	22
	Democrat	15
	Lean Democratic	8
	Independent	7
	Lean Republican	6
	Republican	15
	Strong Republican	18
	Other	1
	None	9
		100
Who did you vote for in the 2004 Presidential election?
�	�
	George W. Bush	43
	John Kerry	31
	Someone else [Volunteered]	4
	Didn't vote	18
	Don't Know	1
	NA	4
		100
Who did you vote for in the 2006 Mid-Term election?
�	�
	Republican Candidate	30
	Democratic Candidate	29
	Someone else [Volunteered]	2
	Didn't vote	26
	Don't Know	10
	NA	3
		100
And who did you vote for in the 2004 Mayoral runoff election?
�	�
	Bobby Simpson	12
	Melvin L. 'Kip' Holden	55
	Someone else [Volunteered]	1
	Didn't vote	24
	Don't Know	5
	NA	3
		100
We hear a lot of talk these days about liberals and conservatives.� Would you call yourself [Read Answer Categories]:
�	�
	Extremely Liberal	3
	Liberal	12
	Slightly Liberal	7
	Moderate, middle of the road	26
	Slightly Conservative	13
	Conservative	24
	Extremely Conservative	8
	Don't Know	5
	NA	2
		100
�
Just one more question: I�m going to read you a series of income categories.� Please stop me when I get to the category that includes the total income that you and all other members of your household earned before taxes during 2005, from all sources.
�	�
	Under $15,000	9
	Under $25,000	7
	Under $35,000	7
	Under $50,000	14
	Under $75,000	16
	Under $100,000	13
	More than $100,000	14
	Don't Know	5
	No Response	15
		100
This concludes the interview.� Thank you for participating in this survey and giving so generously of your time.
*Note.� Survey conducted by Frederick Weil, Edward Shihadeh, and Matthew Lee of the Sociology Department at Louisiana State University.� Interviews were done March through April, 2007.� Data are based on a random-digit-dialed telephone sample, representative of the general population age 18 and over in East Baton Rouge Parish, LA.� Survey includes 603 completed interviews.� The results are weighted to reflect the combined age-gender-race/hispanic distributions, according to U.S. Census estimates for 2004.� Data collection was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.