Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 25, 1993                   TAG: 9304270347
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHO SAYS WE DON'T HAVE VISION?

O

21% of the people surveyed said "little community vision" is obe of the four top things they dislike about the valley.

More than half of the local elected officials surveyed, mostly in Roanoke and Roanoke County, also said "little community vision" is one of the four top things they dislike about the valley.

Who are the people who say the valley has little vision?

They tend to be well-educated. Those with a high school education or less hardly ever mention lack of vision as a problem. But almost half of those with a college degree rank lack of vision as one of their biggest complaints.

They tend to be affluent. Hardly anyone making less than $30,000 cites lack of vision as one of their biggest gripes about the valley. But almost half of those who make more than $40,000 say it's a problem.

They tend to be from outside the valley, or valley natives who moved away and then came back. They're almost twice as likely to complain about lack of vision as natives who have lived here all their lives.

They tend to live in Roanoke County. Citizens in Roanoke County are twice as likely to complain about lack of vision as those in Roanoke or Salem.

They tend to be over age 30. They're twice as likely to be concerned about lack of vision as those between age 18 and 29. But over age 30, age doesn't seem to make a difference. After that, all age groups tend to cite vision equally.

How big a deal is the vision thing?

That depends on how much education you have and how much money you make. Overall, vision ranked sixth on the Top 10 list of complaints about the valley.

It ranks as the No. 1 complaint, tied with drugs, among elected officials.

It ranks No. 2 behind, lack of job opportunities among those with a college degree.

It ranks No. 2 behind lack of job opportunities among those who make more than $40,000 a year.

Why aren't others as concerned about vision?

"In any locality, few blue-collar workers have the time or energy for public involvement," wrote urban consultant Peter Szanton, who has prepared vision plans for cities as big as Baltimore and as small as Lorain, Ohio. "Nor do they believe their participation would have much effect."

About the poll - The Roanoke Valley Poll was conducted by Roanoke College's Center for Community Research. The poll surveyed 400 people in Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.