Lodi scores low on race acceptance

Lodi residents feel the city is not open toward people of a diverse background, according to a citywide survey that asked participants to rank diversity acceptance among other city characteristics such as job opportunities, air quality and the city's overall image.

Lodi gave diversity acceptance a score of 36 on a scale where 100 is excellent. The city's image received a 57.

Other findings included strong support for a greenbelt between Lodi and Stockton and a feeling that the city was growing too fast.

The results were part of the National Citizen Survey, which was conducted in May. Questionnaires were mailed out to 1,200 Lodi households and nearly 340 responded, giving the survey a statistical margin of error of 3 to 5 percent.

Cities can compare results to 500 other jurisdictions in the Colorado-based National Research Center's data base, company President Tom Miller told the City Council during its shirtsleeve session on Tuesday.

Independently, the results can be used as a report card of how the residents view their city.

Not all of the 500 cities in the database used the question on race and diversity, but of the 120 cities that did, Lodi ranked last.

Vice Mayor JoAnne Mounce said she thought Lodi had a good sense of community. She said the city's low ranking in acceptance of diversity reflects the separation of the east and west sides.

"The Eastside is culturally diverse," she said. "We need to enhance it instead of segregating it."

Sample survey results

The survey asked participants to rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Lodi.
How do you rate Lodi as a place to live? 65 out of 100
How do you rate Lodi as a place to work? 48 out of 100
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds. 36 out of 100
Job opportunities. 30 out of 100
Access to affordable housing. 25 out of 100
Ease of bus travel in Lodi. 55 out of 100
Safety in your neighborhood during the day. 82 out of 100
Safety in Lodi's parks during the day. 77 out of 100
Safety in Lodi's parks after dark. 38 out of 100
Services to low income people. 35 out of 100
Source: The National Citizen Survey.

Results on the Web
To read the full results of Lodi's citizen survey, see our Web site:

• Report of Results (PDF, 632KB)
• Report of Norms (PDF, 235KB)

A local group known as the Breakthrough Project has been working on improving race relations in Lodi for nearly a decade.

Group member Art Raab said he thought the ongoing debate on illegal immigration was probably behind such a low ranking on diversity.

He added that while residents giving Lodi such a low score is disheartening, it also shows that people are aware it's a problem.

"There's two sides of that coin," he said. "There's recognition that there's much more to be done."

Raab said it's more disturbing when people won't admit that racial intolerance exists.

Councilman Larry Hansen said the city's lack of acceptance of diversity could partly be explained by the recent FBI investigation of a suspected terrorist cell in the Pakistani community.

But he said surveys like this are useful.

"Clearly there is more work to be done," he said. "If you're not willing to hear the answers, don't ask the questions. We're clearly willing to hear the answers."

Citizens also said Lodi is growing too fast. Residents overwhelmingly support an agricultural greenbelt between the city and Stockton to retain Lodi's small town appeal.

Other findings included that residents feel unsafe in Lodi's parks after dark, and that jobs, affordable housing and recreational opportunities are not abundant. Drugs are also considered a major problem by half of the population.

Lodi is, however, easy to get around by car, bus and bike.

Almost 70 percent of residents said population growth was too fast. Another 85 percent said they either strongly support or somewhat support a greenbelt between Lodi and Stockton.

Councilwoman Susan Hitchcock sought to seize on what the survey showed was public support for a greenbelt.

"It clearly says there is support for a community separator," she said. "We have to have the backbone to implement policy to make that happen."

Only 28 percent of respondents said they feel safe in Lodi's parks after dark, which ranks Lodi 109th out of 136 cities that answered this question. A full 86 percent of residents feel safe during the day in their own neighborhoods and Downtown, which is about average compared with other cities.

On the same 100-point scale, job opportunities received a 30 and recreational opportunities a 41. Access to affordable housing scored 25, access to affordable child care 31 and access to affordable health care 37.

Mayor Bob Johnson was perplexed that residents wanted slower growth but more economic stimulation, two contradictory values in his mind.

"Creating jobs in Lodi equates to growth," he said. "Which is it? You can't have it both ways, folks."

The one area Lodi scored well in was mobility. Residents rated ease of travel by car, bike, foot and bus above other cities, although only 24 percent of residents have ridden a bus in the last year.

Citizens' top priorities are stimulating economic development, creating jobs and creating affordable housing. Low on residents' wish lists are building an aquatic center and an indoor sports center. Residents slightly support a quarter-cent sales tax increase to fund police and fire services.

Council members said the survey, which cost $10,000, is a useful tool in helping shape policy decisions.

"It opens the discussion on a number of things," Councilman Phil Katzakian said. "That's a really good thing."

Katzakian said he was surprised to learn of the staggering support for a greenbelt, and he wanted to know why people feel unsafe in parks at night.

City Manager Blair King said he would like the city to repeat the survey every two years to measure progress. He said there was room for improvement.

"We want to look at our core services and try to improve those," he said.

Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

Lodian wrote on Aug 10, 2007 11:18 AM:

" continued...Politics, spending, city salaries and real-estate deals are hurting the Lodi that once was such a nice place to live. The lack of concern and respect for the youth in Lodi is also ruining the family atmosphere here. Lodi was once a family community. Where has that gone? What do the city fathers want Lodi to become? Do they care? Most are going to be retirees soon. Is that their focus? Come on Lodi, care about the future of this town. You retirees may be headed off to Florida soon, but what legacy are you leaving Lodians? "

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