New NPG Florida Opinion Poll Shows Dramatic Surge In Concern About Overpopulation And Sprawl
Washington, DC (October 12, 1999) ö A new survey of Florida's likely voters in the 2000 election finds a surge in the level of public concern about the rate of population growth, sprawl and over-development in the state, and to curtail that growth, over half of Florida's likely voters would be more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who support immigration reductions as part of a campaign platform.
The survey was conducted for Negative Population Growth by the polling companyú
September 23 ö 27, 1999, and included a survey of 500 likely voters from across the state.
Despite a strong economy in the state, nearly 75 percent of voters believe Florida is no more comfortable a place to live than it was five years ago, and among the 40 percent who said the state is "less comfortable a place to live" overpopulation/population growth was cited as the leading cause.
Sharon McCloe Stein, executive director of NPG, a Washington-based organization with a strong membership in Florida, says these results underscore how quickly public concern about sprawl, congestion and overpopulation are moving up the national agenda: "These results are a stark change from even a few years ago. The public is really feeling the pinch of U.S. overpopulation, and it doesn't think much of the congested future our political leadership plans for the next 20 years, either."
According to NPG, when voters hear the population growth plans for the state, they turn sour. Nearly 60 percent of Florida voters believe that adding another five million people to Florida's population is either a extremely serious problem or a very serious problem. Over seventy percent believe Florida's overcrowding and overpopulation is a major problem. And sixty-eight percent agree that "Florida would be better-off in the long term with a smaller population to maintain a sound economy and a healthy environment." They also oppose costly international migration policies.
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For more information, contact Christopher Conner at 202-667-8950.
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