| What
do you like about Greater Bakersfield? What are its strengths? |
|
|
|
| Housing is more
affordable |
25 |
| Close to beach,
mountains-good location. Central/strategic location |
22 |
| Strong faith
community-good churches & community involvement |
18 |
| Family
community-opportunities for kids, soccer, boy & girl scouts |
16 |
| Diversity -
ethnic, religious and social |
15 |
| Small town
community "feeling" |
14 |
| People are
friendly |
13 |
| Traffic - good
commute time. Low congestion |
13 |
| Parks in the
communities - well located |
12 |
| 4 year
university-junior college: good educational opportunities |
12 |
| Low cost of
living. Affordable
for various econ. Levels |
9 |
| Generosity -
community response - giving |
8 |
| Efforts to
beautify the community |
7 |
| Great weather.
Climate |
7 |
| Pro-growth
environment |
7 |
| After school
tutoring, PAL & community groups for after school |
6 |
| Good water -
supply & volume |
6 |
| Enjoy voice in
community & political process/accessible elected officials |
6 |
| Agriculture
industry |
6 |
| Education system
- opportunities |
6 |
| Public
safety/safe community |
6 |
| Conservative,
moral climate |
6 |
| Not crowded |
6 |
| A lot of social
service agencies networking |
5 |
| Job
opportunities/broad base of employment |
5 |
| Infrastructure
good-sewer, water, lighting in some areas |
5 |
| Lack of
pornography on street/smut |
5 |
| Freeway &
streets are pretty good & wide |
4 |
| Good arts &
cultural opportunities |
4 |
| Location
attractive to business |
4 |
| Planned
communities |
4 |
| River tuns
through it |
4 |
| Redevelopment
programs |
3 |
| Visibility of
police in community |
3 |
| Recreational
opportunities |
3 |
| Enjoy
country/agricultural setting - open spaces |
3 |
| Strong youth
population-talented, potential leaders |
3 |
| Senior citizen
complexes |
3 |
| Open community
(socially/racially/etc) |
3 |
| Strong
volunteerism |
3 |
| Beautiful natural
resources |
3 |
| Gleaners,
homeless center, rescue mission & salvation army |
2 |
| Oil industry |
2 |
| New businesses in
community |
2 |
| Centennial Garden |
2 |
| Lots of
entertainment venues |
2 |
| Low crime rate |
2 |
| Business friendly |
1 |
| Time to spend
with family & community |
1 |
| Good restaurants |
1 |
| Attractive to
sportsmen |
1 |
| Vision 2020 -
type groups |
1 |
| Control of graffiti |
1 |
| Variety of
transportation in and out of city |
1 |
| Dairies |
|
| Room to grow |
|
| Good media
coverage |
|
| Race relations |
|
| City/county have
positive tension |
|
| Lots of movie
theaters |
|
| Self image is
improving-Johnny Carson retired |
|
| Community events |
|
| Skateboard park |
|
| Good golf prices |
|
| High relative per
capita income |
|
|
|
|
|
| What are
Greater Bakersfield's key weaknesses?
What don't you like? |
|
|
|
| Funding
inequities-low priority on funding where revitalization needed |
15 |
| High unemployment |
13 |
| Smog.
Poor air quality |
12 |
| Gang violence |
11 |
| Drugs |
11 |
| No grocery stores
in S.E. |
9 |
| City county
squabbling/lack of unity |
9 |
| Only 1 major
newspaper |
8 |
| Redevelopment is
insensitive to the community (businesses not sensitive) |
8 |
| Incorrect use of
redevelopment money - use $ for area that qualifies |
8 |
| Inadequate
airline services/airport overdue |
7 |
| Lack of economic
diversity |
7 |
| Lack of
vocational schools for young |
7 |
| Inadequate
support for youth on education & career @ Jr. High & H.S. |
6 |
| Lack of
commitment to address gangs & drugs (community & Law
enforcement) |
6 |
| Poor educational
achievement-dropouts & test scores |
6 |
| Sprawl/hopscotch
development |
6 |
| lack of focus on
social issues |
6 |
| Race relations |
5 |
| Need more support
& resources for underclass to become self-sufficient |
5 |
| Single parent
families: Strategy to get fathers into fatherless homes |
5 |
| Institutionalized
neglect of poverty stricken areas |
5 |
| Lack of jobs
beyond living wage |
5 |
| Projects targeted
at expansion vs social needs |
5 |
| Lack of citizen referendums
on major projects |
5 |
| Gross lack of
focused development in SE & Central areas (economic &
social) |
5 |
| Lack of emphasis
on public participation during policy making |
5 |
| Lack of youth
activities and centers |
5 |
| Negative news
about SE - don't publicize the good |
5 |
| Education system
to empower teachers (teachers are horrified at system caught in) |
5 |
| Transportation-roads,
crosstown freeway |
4 |
| Lack of career
preparation |
4 |
| School class
sizes too large |
4 |
| Lack of skilled
labor/lack of training to develop skills |
4 |
| Ethnic tokenism
in leadership positions |
4 |
| Gross lack of
redevelopment of oppressed people of Bakersfield |
4 |
| Unorganized
development |
4 |
| Dumping from
outside community (hazardous waste, sludge) |
4 |
| No effective
tools for parolees - no training |
4 |
| Low interest in
seniors |
4 |
| Need more arts
and cultural diversity |
4 |
| Lack of
labor-intensive employment |
3 |
| Lack of
low-income housing |
3 |
| Maintenance of
older neighborhoods |
3 |
| Need great
entertainment for youth |
3 |
| Need more
childcare facilities |
3 |
| Need business
investment in underdeveloped areas |
3 |
| Union Avenue
blight |
3 |
| Lack of adequate
programs for homeless/mentally ill |
3 |
| Projects targeted
at economic development vs. quality of life |
3 |
| Lack of diversity
in appointed leadership positions |
3 |
| Continuing &
blatant racism in different levels of leadership |
3 |
| Low environmental
priorities water/air |
3 |
| Poor community
self image |
3 |
| Financial
disparity of school districts |
3 |
| Dishonest
annexation policy/forced annexation |
3 |
| Lack of service
stations |
3 |
| Downtown - no
objective/purpose |
2 |
| Inadequate
educational funding |
2 |
| Need community
ownership of business in SE/E Bakersfield |
2 |
| Slow response
time for fire & safety in some areas |
2 |
| Need better
lighting in S.E. Bakersfield |
2 |
| Economic blight |
2 |
| Too much low cost
housing |
2 |
| Not enough
African-American cultural events |
2 |
| Need to charge
more for development to support infrastructure |
2 |
| Lack of inclusion
of Spanish speaking citizens |
2 |
| Lack of support
for drug exposed children |
2 |
| Low priority on
educational issues |
2 |
| Lack of cleaning
community - street sweeping once a quarter |
2 |
| Traffic getting
worse |
2 |
| Need family
assistance programs |
1 |
| Decreasing
housing value |
1 |
| Need to educate
community about littering-unauthorized dumping |
1 |
| Need more drug
rehab programs |
1 |
| Proaction from
community lacking |
1 |
| Lack of priority
for marriage & family |
1 |
| Not enough trees |
1 |
| Not enough
programs to rehabilitate prisoners and drug addicts |
1 |
| Lack of
development of water assets (recreational and scenic) |
1 |
| Inadequate
transportation planning in general |
1 |
| Closing off
streets-increase emergency vehicle travel time |
1 |
| Job training
centers |
|
| Downtown -
everyone's leaving |
|
| Need community
pride |
|
| Politicians
should treat Bakersfield as a whole not in pockets |
|
| Bad rap of
Bakersfield-negative reputation |
|
| Need for street
repairs |
|
| Reinstate Prop 13 |
|
| Water running on
roadways |
|
| Streets that
change names at intersections |
|
