A poll commissioned by the Ella Baker Center found that California voters strongly support economic stimulus spending that creates new jobs in fields that are good for the environment. While only 44 percent of those polled were previously familiar with the term 'green-collar jobs,' 80% said that it was either extremely or moderately important "to invest in creating green-collar jobs" after they were defined as "blue-collar jobs in industries that improve the environment."
Some key findings from the poll:
- Voters overwhelmingly believe it is important to invest in green-collar jobs. 80% of voters said that it was extremely or moderately important to begin investing in green jobs immediately.
- There is strong support for green jobs training, green
vocational programs. Nearly 80% of voters say they'd
support providing green-collar job training for veterans and workers
who have recently lost their jobs. More than 70% of respondents support building green-collar training facilities and curriculum in middle schools, high schools, and community colleges.
- Voters value investment in clean-energy companies. Almost three in four say
they’d support fast-tracked investment in alternative energy projects that create jobs and tax-breaks for small
businesses that create green-collar jobs.
- Voters are willing to pay for investment in green-collar jobs. Investing in green-collar jobs is so important to voters that they are
willing to pass tax increases in order to fund it. An overwhelming 72%
support a small increase on the income tax of millionaires; more than
two-thirds support taxing oil company profits; and a strong majority of
voters support taxing the polluting industries that cause global
warming.
"There are interlocking moral imperatives to create work, fight poverty and save our planet," said Ian Kim, director of the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, the Oakland-based advocacy organization that commissioned the poll. "California voters are ready to put ideals into action," said Kim. "The legislature and the governor have strong public support for green economic stimulus. The time to act is now."
Officials from David Binder Research who conducted the survey believe the numbers signify a cultural shift as Californians begin to think about ways to revive our economy and save our planet simultaneously. "Survey results show that the current challenges facing the economy and the environment create a perfect storm of support for immediate investment in green-collar jobs, "said analyst Seiji Carpenter.
Phone interviews with 602 people who voted in the recent 2008 election (with a high likelihood of voting in 2010) were conducted on January 12, 13 and 14. The margin of error is plus/minus 3 percentage points.
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is an anchor organization for the Oakland Apollo Alliance, a coalition that helped create the Oakland Green Jobs Corps project. Part social enterprise, part think-tank, and part grassroots advocate, the Ella Baker Center's Green-Collar Jobs Campaign advocates for a green economy in California that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Our program is based on "Green Collar Jobs" research provided by Professor of Urban Studies at San Francisco State University, Raquel Pinderhughes. Her innovative research in this field can be accessed online through her personal webiste.
