Bonnie Angelo

Bonnie Angelo is the author of First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives and First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents.

In Ms. Angelo’s more than 25 year career with Time Magazine, she has covered the White House and other current events, both, domestically and internationally.

8/24: Impact of MTA Cutbacks

It’s been nearly two months since the MTA’s service cuts took effect.  Are New York City straphangers experiencing a decline in service?  Find out the answer in a Marist Poll conducted for the NY Daily News.  Plus, MTA riders may face sticker shock next year.  Read more about the surprise option in a related Daily News article.

Tables for the the Marist Poll Conducted for the Daily News:

Favor or Oppose Cuts to Customer Service and Token Booth Clerks

Impact of Cuts on Service

Marist Poll Methodology

8/23: Acting Most Popular “Dream Job” Among Americans

If Americans could ignore the daily grind of the work day and do a job relatively few people get to do, which profession would they call their “dream job?”  Nearly one-third of U.S. residents — 32% — say they would like to be an actor or an actress.  Following closely behind are 29% who dream of becoming a professional athlete.  13% report they would like to list 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as their working address and be President of the United States.  An additional 13% say they could see themselves as a rock star.  13% are unsure.

Those in the Northeast and South are among those most likely to want to take to the stage or screen.  Acting is also the most popular dream job among those who earn less than $50,000 annually, Americans 18 to 29, those 45 to 59, and women.

Professional sports top the list for those in the Midwest and West, Americans who make $50,000 or more a year, residents 30 to 44, those 60 and older, and men.

Table: Dream Job

Marist Poll Methodology

8/22: New York City Residents’ Views on Illegal Immigration

Immigration is a hot button topic on today’s political landscape.  What are New York City residents’ views?  Do they think illegal immigration is a major problem in the Big Apple?  Find out the answer in the latest NY Daily News/Marist Poll?  To read the full Daily News article click here.

Tables for The Marist Poll Conducted for the Daily News:

Table: Views on Arizona Immigration Law

Table: Enforcement of Immigration Laws in NYC

Table: Illegal Immigration in NYC

Table: NYC Policy Toward Illegal Immigrants Who Are Crime Victims or Witnesses

Table: Informing Authorities of Illegal Immigrant

Marist Poll Methodology

8/16: NY Daily News/Marist Poll — NYC’s Tiny Pests

Stories of bedbug infestations have graced news headlines recently, but just how big of a problem are bedbugs in New York City?  The problem may be bigger than you think!  Find out the answer in the latest NY Daily News/Marist Poll.  To read the full Daily News article click here.

Tables for The Marist Poll Conducted for the Daily News:

Bedbug Infestation: Personally Affected
Bedbug Infestation: Friend or Relative
Bedbug Infestation: Store or Business
Bedbug Infestation: Work
City’s Response
Average Cost
Cost of Damages
Ways to Identify Bedbug Problem
Clean vs. Dirty Places

Marist Poll Methodology

8/13: More Than Three-Quarters of U.S. Residents “Eco-friendly”

76% of Americans believe they do their part to help the environment.  Included here are 36% who do a fair amount, 23% who do a good amount, and 17% who do a great deal. However, when thinking about how they live and the items they buy, 24% of residents nationally do very little or nothing at all to protect the environment.

Those in the Northeast, Americans who earn $50,000 or more annually, college graduates, residents 45 or older, and women are the most ecologically minded residents.

Table: Amount to Help Environment

Americans Garden to Eat Healthier, Not to Help the Environment

Just 8% of U.S. residents say that if they had a fruit, vegetable, or herb garden, they would grow it to help the environment.  On the contrary, a slim majority — 51% — would plant a garden to eat healthier, 24% would reap the harvest to save money, and 17% would sow seeds to have fun.

Little changes when looking at Americans who say they do, in fact, grow their own fruit, vegetables, or herbs.  Among these U.S. residents, 49% grow produce to eat healthier, 24% do so to save money, and one-fifth view their garden as a hobby.  Just 7% have the environment in mind when it comes to gardening.

Do most Americans pick up a shovel and hoe and, personally, plant their own fruits and vegetables?  No.  52% of U.S. residents do not have their own fruit, vegetable, or herb garden while 48% do.

Midwesterners, residents earning $50,000 or more a year, college graduates, older Americans, women, and parents are more likely than their counterparts to maintain a garden.

Table: Reason for Garden
Table: Americans Who Garden

Marist Poll Methodology

8/13: The Eco-friendly Way

Jim Motavalli has been writing on the environment for more than a decade.  His work has appeared in the Mother Nature Network, E Magazine, and the New York Times.  In this interview with The Marist Poll’s John Sparks, he talks about organic food, what people can do to preserve our environment, and the environmental efforts of the Obama administration.  Listen to or read the interview below.

John Sparks
Jim, the Marist Poll recently conducted a national survey, and we asked the American public to think about how they live, the things they buy, specifically to help the environment.  76% told us that they do a fair amount to help the environment.  Do you think that folks are really conscious and really doing that much to help out with our environment these days?

Listen to Part 1 of the Interview:

Jim Motavalli
No, I think people tend to exaggerate their environment. I think their involvement.  I think people tend to think that putting out their recycling bin is like being a pretty good environmental soldier.

John Sparks
When I read things like the BP oil spill, global warming, threats to wildlife, I confess that I sometimes feel that the battle to preserve our planet is lost. Is it too late to get involved and start trying to be more eco-friendly?

Jim Motavalli
No, I mean it’s — if you were to just look at it: Is it too late to stop global warming? It definitely is.  Global warming’s going to happen whether we continue to burn fossil fuels or not.  If we could stop tomorrow, we’d still have a hundred years of global warming, because carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere.  But, if you’re thinking about leaving any kind of long-term legacy for the planet, the planet certainly is savable.  Anything we do I think is reversible, so I don’t think … I mean a lot of things are probably irreversible, but saving human life on the planet isn’t.

John Sparks
Does living green have to be difficult?  I’m just curious what some of the little things that people could do to help out might be.

Jim Motavalli
I don’t think it has to be — being like eating everything local, for example, that’s pretty difficult.  People have tried to do that, and I think you end up going through so many hoops, it’s not even worth it.  You have to define what is local and all that kind of thing, and having zero environmental footprint is pretty hard. I think, but really reducing your impact, I think people can do little things that have that effect.

John Sparks
What advice might you have for those that would like to be more eco-friendly but just don’t where to begin?

Jim Motavalli
Well, I think you should look up, and there’s a lot of websites that would help you do this.  Understand where your main planetary impacts are.  Like everybody has a carbon footprint, and certain things like the car you drive has a lot to do with how your carbon footprint is, and you can reduce that in a lot of not too difficult ways.

Listen to Part 2:

John Sparks
One of the things that we asked folks had to do with gardening and this business of organic food.  First of all, 48% of our respondents said they personally have a garden where they grow their fruits and vegetables.  Does that number seem inflated to you?

Jim Motavalli
40% say they have a garden?

John Sparks
Yeah.

Jim Motavalli
Well I’m sure that they grow some, they grow some things.  Not… I don’t think 40% grow all their own vegetables. That would seem inflated.  Growing some, yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised.

John Sparks
I wanted to ask you specifically about organic food, and the Department of Agriculture released a study.  It said that last year sales of organic food were up to $21 billion.  Back in 1997 it was just a little over 3.5 billion.  We go to the supermarket, we encounter labels in the produce section which say “organic.”  When you see that label that says “organic,” what exactly does that mean?

Jim Motavalli
The organic standard is a federally recognized or federally enforced standard that you cannot use unless you’re certified organic.  The word “natural” doesn’t mean anything, but the word “organic” does, actually for about ten years now, have an actual legal meaning.  So, it means that it met the federal organic standards, which are pretty good.  So, it does mean quite a lot.

John Sparks
What are some of those standards?

Jim Motavalli
They’re very detailed and very technical, but it has…you’re not allowed to use pesticides, and you’re not allowed to use herbicides, and it has to be for a certain number of years you didn’t use any of those things.

John Sparks
One thing the organic label usually means is higher prices for those products, and I’m just curious why that is.

Jim Motavalli
Well, I think it is more expensive to farm organically. It is more expensive to do organic pest control, for instance, and generally you’re talking about smaller scale operations that don’t have the economies of scale you get with big factory farms.  The cost of production is a lot higher.

John Sparks
And no chances of prices coming down then on organic foods?

Jim Motavalli
Well, prices have come down as organic food has become part of the factory food system because you have many large organic farms now that have swallowed up…I mean you can look at something like on the retail end, you’ve got Whole Foods, which has swallowed up a number of smaller chains, and you have large organic producers swallow up smaller organic producers, so the end result is larger companies which do have more economies of scale. You also have a lot of these companies now selling into supermarkets where they used to just sell into health food stores, and you have these enormous Whole Foods-type natural food supermarkets.  So, there’s a lot – - the market is a lot bigger, and I think all that has resulted – - and there’s more competition, all of which has resulted in lower prices.  So, prices are a lot lower than they used to be, even though it’s still a fair amount higher. You can walk into any supermarket now and buy organic milk, and it’s not that much more than regular milk.

Listen to Part 3:

John Sparks
The Obama administration has been pushing for legislation that would create new clean energy jobs and a more sustainable energy policy.  I’m just curious your take on what passage of that kind of legislation would mean for the everyday American.  We’ve got a pretty tough economy as it is right now.

Jim Motavalli
A lot of it depends on what the legislation is.  It’s been through many different changes.  The current form of it does not include any sort of cap and trade system, and it’s quite a bit weaker than it used to be. I was for the stronger forms of those bills that did include cap and trade, so I think…there’s lots of good things in those bills, like for example, I cover the car industry quite a bit, and there’s provisions that would create something like 15 initial deployment areas for EVs in which you would get fairly major subsidies if you bought them. That’s part of that bill.  There’s lots of good provisions in it, but on the whole, it’s weaker than it could be.

John Sparks
You’ve written quite a lot about the automobile industry, and I know you contribute to the New York Times, and you have a professional relationship with Mother Nature Network.  When did you become interested in environmental issues yourself?

Jim Motavalli
I’m going to have to trace that back to about 1994 when I first started writing for E/The Environmental Magazine.  Before…actually before that, I had been editor of a alternative weekly paper where I did a lot of – - I did some environmental reporting anyway.  As a result of that, I started getting interested in the issues, but then I got quite a bit more interested when I became editor of E Magazine, and that was like 1994.

Listen to Part 4:

John Sparks
I presume that Mother Nature Network, their website, might be a good place for folks to start…

Jim Motavalli
Oh definitely, yeah, it’s very – - there’s a lot of stuff on there.

John Sparks
Any new adventures or projects that you’re involved with you’d like to share with our listeners?

Jim Motavalli
I’ve started a new piece on greenwashing for America Online. I do a regular thing for AOL.  I’m also the blogger for Car Talk at NPR.  You know, Click and Clack, most people are familiar with them, and I have a new professional relationship with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, so I do some things with them.  I’ve been doing as much…in addition to the car writing, I’ve been doing a lot of general interest environmental reporting on a number of different issues. Like for instance, I wrote a story for Knowledge at Wharton recently about carbon fraud. It’s amazing that even though I support the idea of cap and trade, there has been a fair amount of fraud in cap and trade operations in Europe.

John Sparks
Anything else you’d like to add before we call it a day?

Jim Motavalli
Well, I think people are making environmental progress. It’s kind of slow and halting, but I do think we are making a good effort.  I think President Obama is the most environmentally friendly president we’ve had in a very long time.  He has all kinds of obstacles in getting environmental legislation through, but I think he has pointed the EPA and the Department of the Interior in the right direction.  All that has made a big difference.  And, I think he’s enacted some very good initiatives that don’t necessarily require Congressional approval, so I think he’s been a very positive force in environmental action.

8/10: Bloomberg Approval Rating Below 50% for First Time in Five Years

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s approval rating has taken a turn for the worse.  49% of registered New York City voters think Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job in office.  This is the mayor’s lowest approval rating since Marist’s June 2005 survey when the same proportion of the city’s electorate — 49% — gave him high marks.

“Chief executives often find third terms difficult, and the current economic climate is not making it any easier for Bloomberg,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.  “Right now, New York City voters are divided about the job the mayor is doing.”

Click Here for Complete August 10, 2010 NYC Poll Release and Tables

The 49% who currently affirm Bloomberg’s governing include 13% who say he is doing an excellent job, and 36% who think he is doing a good one.  33% rate the mayor as fair, 16% report he is doing poorly, and 2% are unsure.

When Marist last asked this question in April, 56% gave the mayor above average marks, 29% thought he was doing an average job, and 13% reported he was falling short.  2%, at the time, were unsure.

Bloomberg’s support has declined among Democrats and voters not enrolled in any party.  47% of Democrats report Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job as mayor compared with 56% who said the same in April.  A similar drop has occurred among non-enrolled voters.  While 48% of these voters applaud Bloomberg’s job now, 56% thought that way four months ago.  However, support for the mayor among members of the city’s GOP is consistent.  55% approve of the job he is currently doing.  The same proportion held this view in Marist’s April survey.

There has been a drop in the mayor’s approval rating across the five boroughs.  48% of registered voters in Brooklyn now say the mayor is doing an excellent or good job, down from 55% in April.  56% of voters in Manhattan currently approve of Bloomberg’s job performance, a drop of 6 percentage points from four months ago when 62% shared this belief.  In the Bronx, Bloomberg’s approval rating has fallen 5 percentage points.  39% think the mayor is doing an above average job compared with 44% in April.  And, in Queens and Staten Island, 48% say Bloomberg is doing either an excellent or good job as mayor.  In Marist’s April survey, 54% held that view.

Table: Bloomberg Approval Rating
Table: Bloomberg Approval Rating Over Time

Majority of NYC Voters Oppose Mosque Near WTC Site… Half Call It “Offensive”

Mayor Bloomberg’s staunch defense of building an Islamic community center and prayer space near the World Trade Center site has come under scrutiny.  A majority of voters in New York City disagree with the mayor’s position on the issue.  53% oppose constructing the mosque two blocks from Ground Zero while 34% favor its development.  13% are unsure.

Republicans are expressing the most dissatisfaction with the new structure.  74% oppose building a cultural center which includes a place of worship while just 16% of the city’s GOP support the move.  Half of Democrats and 52% of non-enrolled voters think the mosque should not be erected while 38% and 35%, respectively, believe it should.

Voters were also asked whether building the Islamic community and prayer space helps people better understand Islam and the Muslim religion or if it offends the memory of the victims of the September 11th attacks and their families.  Half say it is disrespectful of those who were killed.  About one-third — 34% — believe it will facilitate cultural understanding.

68% of Republicans believe the mosque is offensive to those who died in the terrorist attacks while 20% believe it will foster understanding about Islam.  47% of Democrats think the center insults the victims and their families compared with 37% of those who see the mosque as a move toward tolerance.  The same proportions of non-enrolled voters — 47% and 37%, respectively — share these opinions.

Table: Construction of Mosque Near World Trade Center Site
Table: Views Toward Construction of Mosque Near World Trade Center Site

Voters More Divided About Direction of the City

When thinking about New York City in general, 47% think the city is moving in the wrong direction while 44% say it is on the right path.  9% are unsure.  When Marist last asked this question in its April 27th survey, more voters thought the city was traveling along the wrong road than the right one.  At that time, 48% reported the city was charting the wrong course while 41% thought it was on track.  11% were unsure.

Table: NYC Direction
Table: NYC Direction Over Time

Plurality of Voters View Bloomberg Legacy as Positive

Not quite halfway through his third term, what could all of this mean for the mayor’s legacy?  Despite his slipping approval rating and recent controversy, a plurality of registered voters — 46% — expect Bloomberg to leave behind a positive legacy when he vacates City Hall in 2013.  This includes 12% who think he will be remembered as one of New York City’s best mayors and 34% who believe he will be viewed as an above average mayor.  38% say Bloomberg’s legacy will be average while 11% report he will be remembered as a below average mayor.  Just 5% of registered New York City voters think Bloomberg will be categorized as one of the worst mayors in the city’s history.

Table: Bloomberg’s Legacy

Bloomberg Headed to the White House? Not According to NYC Voters

What should Bloomberg’s next political step be?  City voters know what it should not be.  Nearly seven in ten registered voters — 69% — don’t think the mayor should seek the presidency in 2012.  21%, however, think he should make a run for the Oval Office, and 10% are unsure.

Little has changed since Marist’s April survey.  At that time, 71% of voters said Bloomberg should abandon any presidential aspirations he may have, 20% thought a Bloomberg run was a good idea, and 9% were unsure.

Table: 2012 Bloomberg Presidential Candidacy

Voters Kibosh Spitzer Mayoralty

Mayor Bloomberg’s political future isn’t the only one voters in New York City are weighing in on.  64% say former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer should not run for mayor of New York City in 2013.  27% disagree and think he should.  9% are unsure.

In Marist’s April 14th survey, similar proportions held these views.  66% reported Spitzer should forget about being mayor while 24% wanted to see him campaign.  10% were unsure.

With a favorability rating of 34%, it shouldn’t be a surprise that voters don’t want candidate Spitzer.  In fact, nearly half of voters — 48% — have an unfavorable impression of Spitzer.  18% are unsure.

Table: Spitzer/NYC Mayoralty Bid
Table: Spitzer Favorability

Lee Miringoff discusses who may follow in Bloomberg’s footsteps:

Majority Oppose Taylor Bid…Nearly a Quarter Unsure

Recent media reports have raised an interesting question in New York City’s political circles.  Will Diana Taylor, former New York State Superintendent of Banks and long-time companion to Mayor Bloomberg, run for mayor in her own right?  If Taylor is considering a bid, there’s something she should know.  A majority of New York City voters don’t want her to throw her hat into the ring.  When asked if she should run in 2013, 56% say they do not want her to try to succeed Mayor Bloomberg while 20% want her to become a candidate.  A notable 24%, however, say they are unsure.

Taylor still needs to be introduced to New York City voters.  Looking at Taylor’s favorability rating among the city’s electorate, 76% have either never heard of her or are unsure how to rate her.  Only 13% view Taylor favorably while 11% have a negative impression of her.

Table: Taylor/NYC Mayoralty Bid
Table: Taylor Favorability

Marist Poll Methodology

Lee Miringoff discusses Bloomberg’s latest poll numbers on “Good Day New York”:

8/6: Most Americans Hitched to the Right Wagon, But…

95% of married Americans say they tied the knot to the right person while just 5% report they made a mistake and should have married someone else.

Married residents living in the Midwest, West, and South, those who earn $50,000 or more annually, and married residents 18 to 29 are those most likely to say they tied the knot to the right person.

But, did married Americans commit to their soul mate?  Not necessarily.  Although most believe they married the right person, fewer married residents — 66% — actually believe in the idea of soul mates.  34%, though, do not think two people are destined be together.  There is no difference between the proportion of married and unmarried Americans who believe in the concept of soul mates.

Those who are most likely to agree with the idea of soul mates are Southerners, residents earning less than $50,000 a year, Americans 18 to 29, and women.

Table: Americans Married to Right Person
Table: Americans Who Believe in Soul Mates

Majority of Americans Married

As for the proportion of adult Americans who are married, 55% are while 45% are not.

Midwesterners, residents earning $50,000 or more, and those 30 to 44 are those most likely to be married.

Table: Married Americans

Marist Poll Methodology