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University Microfilms International 300 North Zatb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 40106 USA St. John's Road, Tylar's Oraan High Wycomba. Bucks. England HP10 8HR I I 77-25,283 SAUER, Frederick ( F r it z ) Charles, 1942INSIGHTS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF USERS* OPINIONS ON THE ADEQUACY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES IN MICHIGAN'S "THUMB AREA". Michigan State U n iversity* Ph.D ., 1977 P o litic a l Science, public adm inistration Xerox University M icrofilm s, AnnArbor, Michiganwoe INSIGHTS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF USERS' OPINIONS ON THE ADEQUACY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES IN MICHIGAN'S "THUMB AREA" By Frederick ( F r it z ) Charles Sauer A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State U niversity 1n p a rtia l fu lfillm e n t o f the requirements fo r the degree o f DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department o f Resource Development 1977 ABSTRACT INSIGHTS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF USERS'OPINIONS ON THE ADEQUACY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES IN MICHIGAN'S "THUMB AREA" By Frederick ( F r it z ) Charles Sauer Compared to services In m etropolitan areas 1n the United S tates, many rural services are generally considered In fe r io r fo r meeting the needs o f rural people. Many rural people, fo r example, often have trouble finding proper medical, educational, or public protection services. Pro­ viding an adequate level o f services, however, 1s Important fo r rural development. An adequate level o f services, fo r example, helps a ttr a c t new and desired types o f business th a t provide employment. Local o f f ic ia ls , 1n th e ir decisions to Improve the adequacy o f com­ munity services 1n rural areas, gain insights Into service adequacy from understanding the opinions o f those who use services. Local o f f ic ia ls , however, are often lim ite d to Insights o f service adequacy from ju s t a few special In tere s ts and do not receive information from a broad crosssection o f service users. Since a representative sampling o f users opin­ ions on service adequacy 1s not fe a s ib le 1n a ll ru ral areas o f the country, I t was the In te n t o f th is research to provide some general Insights on the adequacy o f services 1n rural areas o f the United States fo r aiding rural development e ffo rts by surveying the opinions o f a broad cross-section o f service users In a predominantly rural area o f Michigan. In reviewing the background lit e r a t u r e , 1t was c le a r th a t l i t t l e 1s understood about peoples' opinions on service adequacy as a basis fo r understanding service Improvement opportunities. Therefore, th is Frederick ( F r it z ) Charles Sauer study mbs exploratory In nature. No hypotheses were formulated. Given the lack o f p rio r research, the following four objectives were establish­ ed to guide th is research e ffo r t: 1. To determine consumer and local public o f f ic ia ls ' s atisfactio n with selected community services. 2. To Id e n tify reasons consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls were d is ­ s a tis fie d with selected community services. 3. To Id e n tify socio-economic ch aracteristics most closely associated with consumers' d issatisfactio n of selected services. 4. To determine the differences between consumers and local public o f­ f ic i a ls ' d issatisfactio n with selected community services. Based upon the research fin din gs, 1t was concluded 1n th is study that (1) service users were least s a tis fie d with local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services; (2) a general lack o f course selection 1s a b a rrie r to adequate educational opportunities 1n rural areas; (3) the opinions of service consumers concerning the ade­ quacy o f services are generally an accurate re fle c tio n o f actual service conditions 1n rural areas; (4) people liv in g 1n more sparsely settled areas are less s a tis fie d with a greater number o f services than people liv in g 1n more urban areas ( I . e . , c it ie s , towns, v illa g e s ); (5) females were less s a tis fie d with a greater number o f services than are males In rural areas; and (6) local public o f f ic ia ls ' opinions may serve as a general Indicator o f consumers' opinions o f service adequacy 1n rural areas. Implications o f these conclusions are th a t (1) local public o f­ f ic ia ls should consider a broad range o f service Improvement opportunities (2) th a t o ff ic ia ls should Id e n tify necessary curricula fo r b etter meeting the educational needs o f rural people; (3) consumers' opinions are useful Indicators o f actual service conditions In rural areas; (4 ) that national Frederick ( F r it z ) Charles Sauer and state policy makers make greater e ffo rts towards Improving services to rural residents; (5) that women may have s e n s itiv itie s and Insights that would benefit decision making fo r Improving community services; and (6) th a t a general understanding o f service conditions In rural areas could be acquired by contacting local public o f f ic ia ls . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This w rite r 1s Indebted to a number o f people who made the w ritin g of th is d issertatio n possible. F ir s t, to a group o f people a t Michigan State University In the Department o f Resource Development: William J. Kimball, Professor and Community Development S p e c ia lis t, dissertation and academic advisor. This w rite r 1s deeply Indebted fo r his continued guidance, encouragement, and support. His commitment to th is w rite r's education and human development 1s g reatly appreciated. Raymond D. V lasln, Department Chairman and Project Coordinator for the Thumb Area Research P roject. His positive guidance and frie n d ­ ship has helped th is w rite r b etter understand "problems" as "opportunities Alan K1rk, a fellow graduate student, frie n d , and co-worker who g reatly assisted throughout the Thumb Area Research Project. Manfred Thullen and Milton Stelnm ueller, guidance committee members who made Important contributions throughout th is research e ffo r t. P a tric ia Friday, department secretary, fo r her competent work 1n typing th is d issertatio n . A second set o f acknowledgments goes to the following people at Michigan State University outside the Department of Resource Development: Lawrence Libby, Associate Professor, Department o f A gricultural Economics; and Russell K le ls, Professor, Department o f Education/Contin­ uing Education fo r th e ir positive contributions as members o f this w rite r's guidance committee. Edmond A lehin, S p ecialist with the Comnunlty Development In s titu te fo r his valuable contributions. Third, th is w rite r 1s Indebted to the following people In the "Thumb Area" o f Michigan: S ally Atchlnson, D ire cto r, Thumb Area Human Development Comn1ss1on 1n Caro, Michigan; and the s ta ff and governing board of the Commission for the funding that made th is research possible. W illiam B o rte l, Anthony Rapes, Leland Warschefsky, and Rex Sletlng, Cooperative Extension personnel In the Thumb Area counties fo r th e ir much appreciated cooperation throughout th is research e ff o r t. The rural people In Michigan's "Thumb Area" fo r th e ir excellent cooperation. F in a lly , th is w rite r would lik e to express a personal debt o f gratitude to the following Individuals: Robert B a rre tt, fo r his encouragement 1n getting me started. Eleanor Jones, Rural Development Program S p e c ia lis t, University of Wlsconsln-Extenslon, Eau C la ire , fo r her valuable ed itin g assistance. My parents, Fred and Jeannette Sauer, fo r th e ir long-standing support and encouragement. My wife and best frie n d , Jana Lynn Sauer whose love, endurance, and patience has made l i f e worth liv in g ; and more la te ly , to our new daughter, Susannah Lynn (M uffin) Sauer, who has given th is w rite r untold Joy. The Lord Jesus C h rist, a constant companion on th is pilgrimage. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................................... v11 LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................... xl CHAPTER I . INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement...................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM...................................................................... 6 The Role o f Community Services In Rural Development................. The Role o f Public Opinion 1n Rural Development......................... Findings on Socio-economic C h aracteristics Most Closely Associated With D issatisfactio n o f Services and D if­ ferences Between Local O ffic ia ls and Public's D issatisfactio n o f Services............................................................. Summary and Im plications o f the L ite ra tu re fo r Further R esearch.................................................................................................. 6 15 31 RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION................................................. 33 Research Design.......................................................................................... Introduction .......................................................................................... Research O bjectives.............................................................................. D e fin itio n o f Terms.............................................................................. Location and Dates o f the Study..................................................... Design o f the Survey Instrument..................................................... Pretest o f the Survey Instrument ................................................. Data C o lle c tio n .......................................................................................... Sampling M ethods.................................................................................. C ollection Procedures.......................................................................... Data Analysis.......................................................................................... 33 33 33 34 36 37 40 40 40 41 42 THE STUDY AREA: SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ..................................... 46 Socio-economic C haracteristics o f the Study Area ..................... Community Service Background Information ..................................... Per Capita County Expenditures ..................................................... Library Services .................................................................................. General Care Hospital B e d s ............................................................. Doctor, Nursing and D entist Services ......................................... F ire Protection Services ................................................................. 47 52 52 54 56 58 60 II. III. IV . 1v 23 V. V I. Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ilitie s ......................................................... 61 RESEARCH FINDINGS...................................................................................... 65 Introduction .............................................................................................. Section I , Survey Completion Rates ................................................. Section I I , Respondent C haracteristics ......................................... County Residence .................................................................................. Age.............................................................................................................. Length o f Residence.............................................................................. O ccupation.............................................................................................. Living Area L o c a tio n .......................................................................... Sec.............................................................................................................. M arital Status ...................................................................................... Fam ilial Status...................................................................................... Incom e...................................................................................................... Education.................................................................................................. Summary o f Respondent C haracteristics andSample Bias. . . . Summary o f Service Consumer C h a ra c te ris tic s ............................. Summary o f Local Public O ffic ia l C haracteristics ................. Sunmary o f Sample B i a s ...................................................................... Representativeness o f the Sample ..................................................... Section I I I , Analysis o f Survey Results......................................... Part I , Overview o f Service Consumers' Opinions fo r the Study Area as a Whole...................................................................... Overview o f Service Consumers' Opinions fo r Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties..................................................... Part I I , Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions Among Counties and Living Area Location............................................. Part I I I , Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions Among Selected Socio-economic Groups ................................................. Part IV , Overview o f Local Public O ffic ia l Opinions. . . . Part V, Comparison o f Opinions Between Consumers and Local Public O ffic ia ls ................................................................. Part V I, Suggestions fo r Community Service Improvements ...................................................................................... Section IV , Corroboration o f Survey Findings ............................. Public Library F a c ilit ie s ................................................................. General Hospital Services................................................................. Doctor Services. ..................................................................... .... . Nursing Services .................................................................................. Dental Services...................................................................................... F ire Services.......................................................................................... Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ilitie s ......................................................... Summary...................................................................................................... 65 66 66 67 67 70 70 73 75 76 77 77 78 82 82 82 82 84 87 142 146 147 147 148 149 149 149 151 152 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS. IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ............................................. 153 Introduction .............................................................................................. Summary o f Findings.................................................................................. 153 155 v 89 96 114 122 131 140 Part I .................................................................................................... Part I I .................................................................................................... Conclusions................................................................................................ Implications o f the Study fo r the Development o f Rural Communities............................................... Direct Im plications o f the Findings fo r the Development o f the Thumb Area o f Michigan........................................................ Policy Recommendations fo r Thumb Area J ) f f i d a l s .................... Lim itations o f the S tu d y .................................................................... One Area a t One Point in Time........................................................ Bias o f the Sam ple............................................................................ R e lia b ility o f Local Public O ffic ia ls Response .................... Limited Responses................................................................................ Limited Corroboration o f Survey Findings ................................ Recomnendatlons fo r Further Research ............................................ 155 165 169 174 177 180 182 182 182 183 183 184 184 APPENDIX A. SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE AND MAIL-OUT MATERIALS ................ 188 APPENDIX B. CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR CONSUMERS AND LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS* RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY QUESTIONS . 199 DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZES ............................................. 205 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 207 APPENDIX C. LIST OF TABLES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Urban-Rural Population D is trib u tio n ; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1970................................................ B irth s , Deaths, and Net Migration; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1960-1970 .................................... Population D istrib u tio n by Sex and Age; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1970................................................ Selected Family C haracteristics fo r Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1969................................................ Total Earnings by Major Sources; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1969................................................ County Area Per Capita Government Expenditures, by Function; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1971-1972..................................................................................................... Medical Personnel: D istrib u tio n of Physicians, Nurses, and Dentists; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1976 ......................................................................................... Medical Personnel: Ratio o f Physicians, Nurses, and Dentists Per Person; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1976 ......................................................................................... Recommended Response Distances fo r F1re Protection, 1965 . . . Household Population D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups by County Compared to Census o f Population for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties,1974 ................................... Age D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974......................................................................... Length o f Residence D is trib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Com­ bined, 1974................................................................................................. Occupational D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974................ Occupational D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974........................................................ Living Area Location D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Com­ bined, 1974................................................................................................. Sex D istribu tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974......................................................................... M arital Status D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. . . vii 48 48 50 50 51 55 58 59 60 68 69 71 72 74 75 76 77 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. Fam ilial Status D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola CountiesCombined, 1974 . . Income D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Educational D istrib u tio n of Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola CountiesCombined,1974 . . . . Educational D istrib u tio n of Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................ Comparison Between Opinions o f Respondents and Non­ respondents on Selected Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................ D istribu tio n of Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Education Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ..................................................... D istribution o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Health Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................... D istribu tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Recreation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................... D istribu tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Ade­ quacy o f Public Safety Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................... D istribu tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Transportation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................ D istribu tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy of Public Works Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... D istribu tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Special Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Education Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Health Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Recreation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Public Safety Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974............................................................................................................. Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Transportation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Public Works Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Service Consumers' Opinions on Special Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974 . . Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Sw1nvn1ng F a c ilitie s fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974....................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Court Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974............................... v 111 78 79 80 81 86 90 91 93 93 95 95 97 99 102 104 106 109 Ill 113 116 117 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Local Road Conditions fo r Huron, Sanilac, and TuscolaCounties, 1974........................... Comparison of Consumers' Opinions on Local Road Conditions Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974...... ................................................ Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions fo r Huron, Sanilac, and TuscolaCounties, 1974.......................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974....................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................ Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on High School Services Between Males and Females fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on High School Services Among Levels o f Education fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Mental Health Services Between Males and Females fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Swimming F a c ilitie s Between Fam ilial Status Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and ............................................... Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Local Road Conditions Between Males and Females fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Among Occupational Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Between Family Status Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ........................................ . . . Comparison o f Consumers* Opinions on Water Q uality Among Family Status Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s Among Length o f Residence Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974............................ D istribution o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Education Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... D istribution o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Health Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974........................................................................................ D istribution o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Recreation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... D istributio n o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Public Safety Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974........................................................................................ fx 118 119 119 120 121 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 133 134 135 136 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. D istrib u tio n o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Transportation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................................... D istribution o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Public Works Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974........................................................................................ D istribution o f Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Special Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974............................................................................................................ Comparison Between Consumers and Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on County Road Conditions fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 .................................................... Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Fire Protection Services Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974 ............................................ Ranking o f Selected Services 1n the Thumb Area of Michigan According to Consumer Respondent D is sa tisfac tio n .................... Ranking o f Selected Services 1n Huron County According to Consumer Respondent D issatisfaction ............................................ Ranking o f Selected Services 1n Sanilac County According to Consumer Respondent D is sa tisfac tio n ........................................ Ranking o f Selected Services 1n Tuscola County According to Consumer Respondent D is sa tisfac tio n ........................................ Calculated Confidence In tervals fo r Local Public O ffic ia l Responses to Survey Questions on Community Services . . . . Calculated Confidence In tervals fo r Consumer Responses to Survey Questions on Community Services. . . ............................. x 137 138 139 141 150 160 162 164 166 201 203 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Nap o f Michigan Showing the Study Area x1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Problem Statement The adequacy o f services in ru ral or nonmetropolitan areas^ o f the United States is generally considered In fe r io r to th a t in urban areas. Many rural people, fo r example, have trouble fin din g proper medical a t ­ tention due to the shortage o f doctors, nurses, and medical f a c i l i t i e s . In a d d itio n , rural people must often trav e l long distances to acquire medical help. Ambulance service, emergency hospital service, and spec­ ia liz e d health care are 1n short supply In ru ral areas. Poor f i r e pro­ tection Is another example o f service Inadequacies 1n many ru ral areas. More often than not, rural f i r e services are manned by volunteer person­ n e l. The response time to fir e s 1s often r e la tiv e ly slow, re su ltin g In a greater chance o f personal In ju ry or death to ru ral residents. The q u a lity o f ru ral education 1s also poorer, 1n many cases, when compared to urban education. Many o f the primary and secondary rural schools cannot affo rd the costs associated with Implementing new c u rric ­ ula or the costs o f new resource m a te ria ls . In a d d itio n , many rural school systems cannot affo rd the expense o f h irin g specialized teachers fo r helping children with learning d is a b ilit ie s . H he terms "ru ra l" o f "nonmetropol1tan" w i l l , fo r the purposes o f th is study, re fe r to areas th a t are outside Standard Metropolitan Sta­ t is t ic a l Areas (SMSA) and th a t have a population concentration o f less than 50,000 persons. 1 These are but a few examples that characterize the low level o f services 1n rural areas. A task force report sponsored by the U.S. Department o f A griculture and land grant colleges sums up the problems of services In rural areas by s tatin g : Reduced revenues, Increased demands, and high per capita costs, especially 1n sparsely s ettled areas, have contributed to a r e l ­ a tiv e ly low level o f In s titu tio n a l services— the overall picture o f rural community f a c ilit ie s 1s one o f Inadequacy and poor q u a lity . Water supply, waste disposal, and f ir e protection are often lacking 1n rural areas. Health and medical services are r e la tiv e ly In fe r io r and frequently quite inaccessible.2 The following chapter documents these and other problems associated with providing adequate services to rural residents. Improving community services Is an Important prerequisite to rural development. Providing an adequate level o f services 1n rural communities helps to a ttra c t new and desired types o f business or In ­ dustry th a t provide employment. An adequate school system, f i r e and police protection, public sewer and water systems, a ll help to encourage the location o f new businesses to an area or the expansion of existing businesses. The provision o f adequate services 1n rural areas also helps to a ttra c t professionals such as doctors or educators who are Important contributors to the economic and social development o f a rural community. Good schools, h ospitals, roads, and recreational f a c ilit ie s a ll help to make a community a desirable place to liv e . F in a lly , providing adequate services such as vocational or adult education helps rural people upgrade job s k ills and acquire new knowledge 2 A Joint Task Force o f the U.S. Department o f A griculture and the State U niversities and Land Grant Colleges, Rural Development and Family Living (Washington, D .C .: U.S. Government P rinting O ffic e , 1968), p. 15. necessary fo r gaining employment or responding to changing employment opportunities. Local public o ff ic ia ls are an Important decision making group that help provide services to rural residents. They are entrusted by the public to help Improve the adequacy o f services through appropriating and allo catin g public tax money. Schools, police and f i r e protection, roads, water and sewer f a c ilit ie s are a ll examples o f services that local o ffic ia ls are concerned about. Local o ff ic ia ls also pass ordinances or help enforce state or federal laws that help ensure the attainment of service standards. The enforcement o f zoning requirements, building codes, and health codes are examples. In making decisions to Improve the adequacy o f community services, local o ff ic ia ls are Influenced by a number o f factors. One source lis t s six factors that Influence local decision making: 1. ... t h e specific a ttitu d e s that c itizen s hold about public programs. . . ; demands, resources, and p o litic a l support from Individual c itiz e n s , p o litic a l p a rtie s , and In te re s t groups; demands, resources, and p o litic a l support from the le g is la ­ t iv e , executive, and ju d ic ia l branches o f government; demands, resources, and p o litic a l support from Individuals and In s titu tio n s In other governments through "v e rtic a l" or "horizontal" Intergovernmental re la tio n s ; the social backgrounds, s k ills , and values o f adm inistrators themselves; and the structures, procedures, and precedents o f adm inistrative u n its .3 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Among these six fac to rs , Ira Sharkansky Indicates the f i r s t fac to r—a ttitu d es Influence decision making— Is c r it ic a l. In the Ameri­ can representative system o f government, a recognition o f public a t t i ­ tudes or opinions by local o ff ic ia ls 1s considered Important fo r several •a Ira Sharkansky, Public Administration: Policy Making In Govern­ ment Agencies (Chicago: Rand McNally Publishing, 1£?5), p. 5 l. reasons. F ir s t, the people feel a part of the decisions a ffe c tin g th e ir lives and thus feel a commitment fo r the public p o licies that are decid­ ed upon. Second, when people feel a commitment towards the decision affectin g th e ir liv e s , there is a greater likelih o o d o f th e ir p a rtic ip a ­ tion and Involvement. Thus, new knowledge and resources are provided in carrying out the public policy. F in a lly , an input of opinions from a number o f d iffe re n t people 1n the decision making process brings about a recognition of d iffe rin g points o f view and d iffe rin g needs. An understanding o f public opinion, therefo re, can benefit o f f i ­ c ia ls 1n th e ir decision making fo r Improving the adequacy o f services to rural residents. Local o f f ic ia ls , however, are often lim ited to an Input o f opinions from special Interests and do not receive Information or opinions from a broad cross-section o f the population. A representa­ tiv e sampling o f opinions could provide o ff ic ia ls with Insights Into service improvement opportunities from a broad array o f Individuals rather than a select few. Since a representative sampling o f opinions on service adequacy 1s not necessarily feasible in a ll rural areas of the country. I t Is the In ten t of th is research to provide some general Insights on the adequacy of community services 1n rural areas of the United States by surveying the opinions o f a broad cross-section o f peo­ ple In a predominantly rural area o f Michigan. Hopefully, these Insights w ill Id e n tify possible service Improvement opportunities fo r rural com­ munities generally and thus assist In rural community development. The following chapter provides additional background Information on topics concerning: 1. the ro le that service Improvement plays In the development o f nonmetropolltan communities. This Information provides a clearer understanding o f the assertion made 1n th is study that Improving com­ munity services 1s Important In the development o f nonmetropolitan areas; 5 2. the ro le that public opinion plays 1n decision making; since I t 1s an assumption th a t consumers1 opinions are an Imporcant facto r to be considered by local o ff ic ia ls 1n making service Improvements, 1t Is Important to explore the v a lid ity o f th is assumption through a review of the lite r a tu r e ; 3. findings from related studies concerned with how consumers with d l f ferln g backgrounds perceive the adequacy o f various community ser­ vices; a b etter understanding o f these relationships suggest policy Implications concerning the development of rural community services to specific groups o f people; and 4. findings from related studies comparing c itize n s and o f f ic ia ls ' views o f service adequacy; reviewing Information on th is topic w ill also provide a b etter understanding o f whether, in fa c t, local o f­ f ic ia ls re fle c t c itiz e n views 1n th e ir decision making. Chapter I I I focuses on research design and data c o lle c tio n . Chapter IV provides Information on the study area and services w ithin the study area. The findings o f the research are presented In Chapter V; conclusions, Im plications, lim ita tio n s , and recommendations fo r fu r ­ ther research are presented 1n Chapter V I. CHAPTER I I BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM The Role o f Community Services 1n Rural Development The Introductory chapter Indicated th a t the services in ru ral or nonmetropolitan areas are In fe r io r to those 1n m etropolitan areas. A recent report o f the National Academy o f Sciences stated , “The massive discrepancy between urban and rural services, p a r tic u la rly medical and educational, has been well documented..."^ Indeed, there 1s evidence that discrepancies between the q u a lity o f rural and urban services e x is t, not only 1n health and education but 1n other services as w e ll. In the F irs t Annual Report o f the Secretary o f A g ricultu re to the Congress, some comparisons o f service levels were made between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas. (In cases where s ta tis t ic a l comparisons were made, 1970 census data were used unless otherwise in d ic a te d .) In assessing health services, a U.S. Department o f A griculture report re la te s th a t "metropol1tan-nonmetropol1tan s ta tis tic a l comparisons Indicate th a t nonmetro areas continue to be lacking 1n health services 2 ..." There 1s, fo r example, an acute doctor shortage 1n rural areas. The report Indicates th a t the number o f doctors per 100,000 population ^Committee on A g ricultu re and the Environment, National Acadenjy of Sciences, Productive A griculture and a Q uality Environment, (Washington, D.C.: National Academy o f Sciences, 1974), p. 101. 2 F irs t Annual Report o f the Secretary o f A g ricultu re to the Con­ gress, Rural Development Goals. (Washington, D .C .: U.S. Government P r in t­ ing O ffic e , 1974), p. B-16. 6 7 In nonmetropol1tan areas 1s 69 compared to 145 1n metropolitan areas. The report also Indicates that nonmetropol1tan areas have fewer health personnel of a ll kinds per 100,000 population, a lack of emergency health service, fewer specialized medical services ( e .g ., p sychiatric, tubercu­ l a r ) , and an absence o f comprehensive health care compared to metropolitan areas. The report does In d ic ate, however, that nonmetropol1tan areas have more hospital beds per 100,000 population than do metropolitan areas. The general q u a lity of educational services Is , according to some Indicators, poorer In rural areas than In metropolitan areas. A U.S. Department o f Agriculture report Indicates that a fewer proportion o f teachers 1n nonmetropol1tan areas hold a masters or bachelor's degree than In metropolitan areas. I t was also reported th a t the per pupil ex­ penditures In nonmetropol1tan areas are fo u r-fifth s o f what they are In metropolitan areas. F ire services In non-metropolitan areas are also reported to be In fe rio r to those 1n metropolitan areas. "In s u ffic ie n t water supplies, lack o f adequate building codes or too few Inspectors to enforce them, and In s u ffic ie n t funds to pay f1re-f1g hters or replace antiquated equlp5 ment," are some o f the reasons fo r f i r e prevention or control problems In rural areas. Also, rural f ir e personnel must travel re la tiv e ly long distances to get to the f i r e . The severity o f rural f ir e control prob­ lems Is reflected 1n that fa c t that about twice the proportion o f rural residents die from fire s than do urban residents.^ Other services 1n rural areas such as water and sewer f a c ilit ie s are conceded to be of a lower q u a lity than those 1n metropolitan areas. 3Ib1d. 4 Ib 1 d ., B-20. 5Ib1d. 6Ib1d. 8 The follow ing observation on the adequacy o f ru ral water and sewer f a c i l ­ it ie s 1s made: In 1970, ...w a te r supply and sewage disposal f a c i l i t i e s were Id e n tifie d 1n 67.7 m illio n year-round housing u n its . Of th is t o t a l , 46.1 m illio n units were located 1n m etropolitan areas. But ru ral areas, with s lig h tly less than one-third o f the u n its , had roughly fo u r -fifth s o f a ll those without modern water and sewer f a c i l i t i e s — public systems, Individual w e lls , septic tanks, and cesspools.7 There are several reasons fo r the Inadequacy o f these and other rural services. the past decades. A major reason Is the decline 1n rural population over In 1910, fo r example, over 54% o f the U.S. population lived 1n rural areas. areas. Q In 1970, however, a l i t t l e over 25% liv e d 1n rural This population loss has meant fewer numbers o f ru ral people to support the Increasing costs associated with providing q u a lity services. As Kenneth Rainey comnents, Not only are the d o lla r costs fo r rendering some kinds o f ser­ vices high per capita In these small communities because the c a p ita l and operating costs must be spread over fewer people, resources o f these communities are sm aller. The small communities In ru ral re ­ gions tend to have lower per capita Incomes than s im ila r communities 1n urbanized areas. Thus, the twofold p ro b lem ...9 Given the r e la tiv e Inadequacy o f services 1n ru ral areas and the conditions th a t contribute to these service Inadequacies, a central ques­ tio n then becomes, why is 1t Important to Improve rural community serv­ ices? As Raymond Vlasln In d ic ates , Public services do not stand as an end 1n themselves; they con­ s titu te means toward other goals or ends. We might Improve services and f a c i l i t i e s to enhance the w ell-being o f p a rtic u la r persons... (o r) enhance the community fo r economic and In d u s tria l expansion.'0 7Ib 1 d ., p. B-15. ® Ib 1d ., p. A-2. g Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services 1n Rural Areas," Proceedings o f a Conference 1n Manpower Services 1n Rural Areas, (East Lansing: Michigan State U n iv e rs lty , 1973), p. 16 . ^Raymond 0. V la s ln , "Linking Research With Planning: Some Im plica­ tions and Approaches," North Central Regional Center fo r Rural Development, Thus, according to V la s ln , enhancing the adequacy o f services 1s crucial to the social and economic Improvement o f ru ral areas. Another w rite r also sees the Improvement o f conmunlty services clo sely tie d to rural development. Samuel Leadley w rites th a t "rural development 1s seen as a set o f processes one o f which 1s the Improvement o f community ser­ v ic e s ."11 Another source emphasizes the Improvement o f community services as a p rereq u isite to economic development 1n ru ral areas: The q u a lity o f community f a c i l i t i e s and services go hand-in-hand with economic development in making ru ral America a b e tte r place to liv e and work. E le c tric power and adequate water and waste disposal systems, transportation systems, and communication f a c i l i t i e s are essential to development a c t iv itie s ...adequate health and educational services, and to a lesser degree, recreational opportunity, are often prerequisites to substantial external Investment In a smaller com­ munity. 12 In addition to emphasizing the general importance o f Improving services fo r ru ral development, the follow ing discussion focuses upon an examination o f how some d iffe r e n t kinds o f services contribute towards rural development as well as problems w ith upgrading these services. Improving education services, as pointed out 1n the lit e r a t u r e , 1s Important fo r ru ral development fo r several reasons. F ir s t, Improved rural education helps to Insure a d iv e rs ity o f learning experiences to help meet the educational needs o f a broad range o f people. Also, Im­ proved educational services helps a ttr a c t people o f d iffe r in g backgrounds and ta le n ts to ru ral areas. A National Acadeiny o f Sciences report Indicates Aspects o f Planning fo r Public Services 1n Rural Areas, (Ames: Iowa State U n ive rs ity, 1976), p. 372. ^Samuel Leadley, "Community Services fo r Nonmetropol1tan People In the Northeast," Northeast Regional Center fo r Rural Development, Papers o f the Workshop on Current Regional Developmen t. Regional Research in the Northeast. (New Vork: Cornel 1 U n iv e rs ity , 19721. p. 135. 12 Second Annual Report o f the Secretary o f A g ricultu re to the Con­ gress, Rural Development Goals, (Washington, D .C.: U.S. Government P rin t­ ing O ffT c e T 1975), pp. 10-11. 10 The future rural educational system must be diverse enough to a ttra c t a representative segment o f the population. I t must o ffe r elementary school education o f the c a lib e r to a ttra c t fam ilies with high standards and maintain q u a lity programs up through adult educa­ tio n o f the kind that 1s 1n growing demand by re tire d persons.'3 Second, an Improved rural educational system may also help a ttra c t younger working age persons. C urrently, many younger working age youth are migrating to urban areas 1n search o f employment leaving an older population to support the Increasing cost o f rural development. An a t­ tractio n o f younger persons to rural areas would In je c t some o f the v i t a l ­ it y needed fo r social and economic growth 1n rural communities. F in a lly , upgrading vocational educational opportunities 1n rural areas would help persons acquire new job s k ills needed fo r obtaining em­ ployment as well as provide knowledge needed fo r establishing and running new businesses In rural areas. There a re , however, a number o f barriers to providing q u a lity edu­ cation In rural areas. Kenneth Rainey Indicates two problems. F ir s t, many rural school d is tr ic ts cannot affo rd a wide v ariety o f courses 1n the educational curriculum because o f a lim ited tax base; and second, many rural school d is tric ts cannot afford needed educational specialists 14 such as remedial reading teachers, a r t and music teachers. The adequacy o f health services 1s considered In the lite r a tu r e as another key service fo r social and economic rural development. Ade­ quate health services are needed to Insure the health and well-being o f 13 Committee on A griculture and the Environment, National Academy of Sciences, Productive A griculture and A Q uality Environment, p. 107. 14 Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services In Rural Areas," p. 18. 4 residents liv in g In rural areas. Rural residents, however have several problems 1n obtaining adequate health care as Indicated In a report of the National Academy o f Sciences: While the costs o f needed (health ) services w ill be high, the present and d ire c t costs o f Inadequate services are also high. For example, 1n sparsely settled and economically depressed areas o f the county, ...t h e need to travel 50-100 miles to secure medication, pre-natal care, or routine physical examinations means that residents whose Incomes are well below poverty levels are pouring out large sums o f money fo r what few services they manage to g e t.15 There are also several problems In a ttra c tin g s k ille d health care personnel to rural areas. The National Academy o f Sciences' report also points out that "a major deficiency 1n rural health care lie s 1n the d i f ­ f ic u lty o f a ttra c tin g people with needed s k ills ...o n e reason often given is the Is o la tio n from professional colleagues and from special technical equipment."^ The report also Indicates that doctors are not attracted because o f low earning p o te n tia l, undesirable social settings from what doctors and th e ir fam ilies are used to , and reservations about adequate educational services fo r th e ir children. With respect to other health care conditions in rural areas, Kenneth Rainey states that ambulance systems are Inadequate. children have poorer teeth than children In urban areas.^7 Also, rural Research undertaken by Kraenzll and MacDonald show a high Incidence o f mental 18 health problems In sparsely settled areas. In ad d itio n , a summary report 15 Committee on A griculture and the Environment, National Academy of Sciences, Productive A griculture and A Q uality Environment, p. 106. 16Ib1d. ^Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services In Rural Areas," p. 19. 18 As reported by Anne S. W illiam s, "Planning Service Delivery Systems fo r Rural, Sparsely Areas," North Central Regional Center fo r Rural Development, Aspects o f Planning fo r Public Services In Rural Areas. (Ames: Iowa State U n iversity, 1976), p. 207. 12 of the National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty Indicated th a t there was a need fo r people In rural areas to develop and expand fam ily planning 1o programs fo r planning the number o f desired children. Adequate transportation systems also pay a key ro le 1n rural develop­ ment. Safe roads and bridges, fo r example, provide safe access to busi­ nesses and homes. Moreover, q u a lity roads and highways are prerequisites to a ttra c tin g new business and industry to an area. Building and main­ taining roads and bridges, however, 1s expensive, and many rural areas cannot afford the expense. Also, public tra n s it 1s d if f ic u lt to estab­ lis h and maintain 1n rural areas due to the r e la tiv e ly few people and high per capita cost. The adequate provision o f water and sewer f a c ilit ie s 1n rural areas 1s also crucial to economic development. Kenneth Rainey indicates that the Area Redevelopment Act Program (ADA), Appalachian Program, and Farmers Home Administration were "overwhelmed" with requests fo r building small town sewage systems. This high demand Is In d icative o f the desire of rural areas to have these type o f f a c ilit ie s 1n order to encourage Industrial development. The high cost o f building these f a c ilit ie s 1n rural areas without federal a id , however, would be p ro h ib itiv e . as Rainey connents, "Scale 1s a problem. Distance Is a problem. Also, You can 't run a lin e very fa r along a county road before the cost begins to soar."20 Police and f i r e services are also Important to the development o f rural areas. The adequacy o f these services provide safety fo r both 19 W. E. Black, "Rural Poverty: A Summary Report o f the National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty," Selected Perspectlves-for Commun­ it y Resource Development, Edited by Raymond D. VIasIn, Luther Wallace, and Daryl Nobles, (Raleigh: North Carolina S ta te , 1969), p. 47. 20 Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services 1n Rural Areas," p. 20. 13 local rural residences as well as the security needed fo r commercial and Industrial places o f business. As Rainey points out, many rural police departments are understaffed and rural f ir e departments are often manned 21 by volunteer personnel. Thus, many rural homes and businesses are poor Insurance ris k s , and they are e ith e r forced to pay high Insurance rates or are denied Insurance coverage a ll together. Although many w riters point out that community services play a key role In the development o f nonmetropolitan areas, and th a t a ttra c tin g In ­ dividuals and fam ilies to rural areas is an Important facto r in the pro­ cess o f social and economic development, two questions emerge: f i r s t , do people want to move to rural areas; and second, would I t be economically feasible fo r fam ilies to move to rural areas? In answer to the f i r s t question, a report from the National Academy of Slcences cites a 1970 L ife magazine poll showing that " . . . o f the peo­ ple liv in g 1n c itie s today, two-thirds would lik e to get out and only a third want to stay another 10 years." 22 Although the poll results are dated and may not represent a to ta l commitment o f people to move 1 f they could, the results do suggest that urban overcrowding, congestion, and high crime rates may be factors In people's desires to leave metropolitan areas. In answer to the second question o f whether people can break away from th e ir economic dependency o f the c it y , the National Acaden\y o f Science reports again Indicate th a t "fewer people w ill be required to liv e In c itie s ...autom ation, sophisticated communication and 21 Ib id ., p. 22. 22 Committee on A griculture and the Environment, National Acadenty of Science, Productive A griculture and A Q uality Environment, pp. 97-98. 14 transportation technologies w ill permit d ecentralization o f service 23 In d u stries."M Thus, with the general desire o f people to move out o f c itie s and the greater la titu d e that people w ill have In choosing a liv in g lo catio n , Improving the adequacy o f rural community services would encourage urban dwellers to consider rural areas as a place to liv e and work. Local public o ff ic ia ls In rural areas have an Important and d ire c t role In the Improvement o f services and f a c i l i t i e s . They are d ire c tly responsible fo r appropriating and a llo ca tin g public tax money fo r such services as education, health , transportation, and public safety. A n ti­ cipating the challenges that H e ahead fo r public o f f ic ia ls , Gerald Church and Kenneth VerBerg w rite How can our local governments be geared up to deal with the growing demands made on them? That question deserves our most careful a t ­ ten tio n , since local governments are la rg ely responsible fo r^ d e llv erlng the public services on which we are a ll so dependent. In th e ir decision making fo r Improving the adequacy o f community services fo r rural development, local public o ff ic ia ls In rural areas can benefit by understanding c itiz e n 's opinion. An understanding of public preferences 1n decision making helps local public o ff ic ia ls b e tte r understand, from the c lie n te le point o f view, a v a rie ty o f possible pub­ lic services needs. Ray Vlasln comments that a major concern 1n planning for rural development 1s " how to Insure meaningful local p a rtic ip a tio n 25 1n decisions." The w rite r goes on to say that 23Ib 1 d ., p. 97. 24 Gerald Church and Kenneth VerBurg, "Toward the Resolution o f Problems 1n Michigan Local Government," Proceedings o f the Public Policy Forum on A lte rn a tiv es fo r Michigan Local Government, (E. Lansing: Michigan State U niversity, 1973), p. 1. 25 Raymond D. Vlasln, "Linking Research With Planning: Some 15 c le a rly , the public service p o licies and program decisions must benefit the actual and potential users o f those services. ...A chlevlng th is o rien tatio n 1n policy and program development Is d if f ic u lt . Achieving 1t without local p artic ip a tio n by those affected is lik e ly Impossible.2® Also, including c itiz e n opinion In public decision making helps to le g i­ tim ize or Insure the support o f the public 1n the decisions that are made fo r Improving services; and f in a lly , recognizing public opinion In decision making would help people feel a part o f the decisions a ffec tin g th e ir liv e s which may resu lt In a community commitment o f Ideas, time, and resources fo r improving services. Although these are three reasons why understanding c itiz e n opinion 1s useful In decision making fo r Improving community services, several w riters point to other considerations 1n using public opinion In decision making. The following section, th erefo re, focuses on what some w riters see as advantages and lim ita tio n s 1n using c itiz e n opinion 1n decision making. This review helps to put Into perspective the usefulness o f considering c itiz e n opinion 1n decisions fo r Improving community services 1n rural areas. The Role o f Public Opinion 1n Rural Development The question o f whether public opinion 1s useful Information to consider fo r decision making Is not new; I t emerged as th is nation was being established. There were two prevailing schools o f thought on the usefulness of public opinion. One school held th a t the determination o f public In te re s t Implications and Approaches," Aspects o f Planning fo r Public Services In Rural Areas, p. 374. 26Ib 1d., p. 375. 16 should not be l e f t to the people; ra th e r, the public decision maker should use his own Insights In deciding public In te re s t. This view was contrasted by the philosophy that the w ill o f the people was the only legitim ate source o f judgement on public Issues. The former view held that people were too Ill-In fo rm e d and 'too moved by every sudden breeze o f passion or to every transient Impulse* as expressed by Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton's views reflected the views of Edmund Burke, a member of the B ritis h Parliament 1n the la t t e r eighteenth century. In a le t t e r to his B risto l constituents, Burke states the classical case fo r Independent decision making on the part of public decision makers. A representative's unbiased opinion, his mature judgement, his en­ lightened conscience, he ought not ot s a c rific e to you; to any man or set o f men liv in g . These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the co n stitu tio n . They are a tru s t from Providence, deeply answerable. Your representative owes you not his Industry only, but his judgement, and he betrays. Instead o f serving you, 1f he s ac rific e s 1t to your opinion.2' In contrast to Hamilton and Burke's philosophy of public repre­ sentation, Jean Jacques Rousseau recognized th a t representatives could develop special In terests that run contrary to the general good of the community a t large. He wrote The Social Contract In which he described the "general w ill" as that sense o f common In te re s t In which both repre­ sentatives and constituency recognize as something d iffe re n t than s e lfis h private In tere s ts . Both Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln generally reflected Rousseau's view, and were strong advocates o f following c i t i ­ zen's opinions on public Issues. Jefferson f e l t that public sentiment 27Edmund Burke, 1n his le t t e r to the Electors o f B ris to l, 1774. Taken from Charles Roll and Albert C a n trll, P olls: Their Use and Misuse, (New York: Basic Books, In c ., 1972), p. 138. 17 seldom chooses Immorally or unwisely, and Lincoln f e l t that following constituent w ill was a great liv in g p rin c ip le of democratic representa­ tiv e government. In more recent thinkin g , the question o f the proper role o f public opinion 1n decision making is s t i l l very much with us—p a rtic u la rly be­ cause of the growing popularity o f opinion surveys on n atio n al, s ta te , and local Issues. Authors In the lite r a tu r e point to advantages and lim i­ tations o f using public opinion in decision making. Harwood Childs advocates the consideration o f public opinion 1n decision making fo r three reasons: f i r s t , a government founded on consent and whose major policies have the general support o f the people Is less subject to vio len t overthrow and sudden change. Childs quotes Lord Bryce as saying, "The excellence o f popular government lie s not so much 1n its 28 wisdom as 1n It s strength." Secondly, he indicates that 1t seems only f a ir that those who are affected by major policy decisions should be con­ sulted and should share 1n the making o f policy. As a fin a l reason, Childs feels that In some m atters, public opinion 1s wiser than the opin­ ions o f a small decision making group. He w rites that Many would argue . . . t h a t the general public 1s especially competent, probably more than any other group, e l i t i s t , expert or otherwise, to determine the basic ends o f public p o lic y, to choose top policy makers, to appraise the results o f public p o licy, and to say what. In the fin a l analysis 1s f a i r , ju s t, and m o r a l . 29 Childs indicates that I t 1s also necessary to take a d iscrim inat­ ing view concerning when a decision maker should use public opinion, and he d iffe re n tia te s between question o f the ends o f policy versus the 28 Lord Bryce as quoted by Harwood Childs, Public Opinion: Nature, Formulation and Role, (Princeton: D. VanNostrand Co., In c ., 1965), p. 350. 29 Harwood Childs, Public Opinion: Nature, Formulation, and Role, (Princeton: D. VanNostrand Co., In c ., 19&5), p. 3&0. 18 means o f achieving those ends; technical from non-technlcal questions; and those questions from w ith in and outside c itiz e n experience. Accord­ ing to Childs, . .. t h e general public Is not competent to determine the best means fo r a tta in in g s p e c ific goals, to answer technical questions, to prescribe remedies fo r p o lit ic a l, s o c ia l, and economic I l l s , and to deal with specialized Issues fa r removed from the everyday exp eri­ ence and understanding o f the people In g e n e ra l.30 Several other authors also agree with Childs and point out lim ita ­ tions In using public opinion In decision making. Charles Roll and Albert C an trll feel th a t some Issues are too complex fo r general public understanding. They comment: In our own view, the competence o f public opinion 1s a t the Mfee11ng le v e l." The public obviously cannot be expected to be Informed and up to date 1n It s understanding o f complex Issues, the Im plications o f a lte rn a tiv e courses o f a c tio n , nor the advantages o f specific In stru m en talities by which a policy 1s e ffe c te d .3 ' They state that the speed o f social change In our modem society has tended to r e s t r ic t public opinion, and 1t 1s d i f f i c u l t fo r people to keep up-to-date on a ll the changes occurring around them. There Is also a growing tendency fo r Issues to become technical and complex. They In ­ clude questions related to public finance, le g is la tio n on health or edu­ cation, or m ilita r y matters. As Roll and C a n trll comment, "there Is an Increasing body o f te c h n ic a l, s c ie n t if ic , or merely general knowledge that Is required before many o f todays decisions can be soundly made." 32 Leo Bogart points to three additional considerations In using public opinion Information 1n decision making: f i r s t , the la rg e r number 30Ib1d. 3^Charles Roll and A lbert C a n tr ll, P o lls: Their Use and Hlsuse, (New York: Basic Books, In c ., 1972), pp. 143-44. 32Ib 1 d ., p. 142. 19 of opinions offered by the public may not represent comnltments fo r action. They may be Ideas gathered through the mass media and with which people have l i t t l e fa m ilia r ity . A second consideration Is that a m ajority o f people's opinions may be opposed to a prevailing law. A majority of people 1n some communities, fo r example, are opposed to bus­ ing fo r Integration. Third, Bogart mentions that people's opinions are subject to rapid change, and therefo re, may or may not r e fle c t support for a given public Issue over time. 33 The use o f opinion polls or survey research as a means of gather­ ing the opinions o f c itize n s on issues o f comnunlty in te re s t also have several advantages and lim ita tio n s . Charles Adrian regards opinion polls as a useful source o f In fo r­ mation a t the local level fo r determining potential support fo r proposed comnunlty Improvements. Information o f th is type may Involve, fo r exam34 p ie, the acc ep tab ility o f tax Increases fo r improving local services. Leo Bogart points out th a t polls have become an Important part of the process by which newsmen and p o litic a l leaders develop an awareness of the public's sense o f social p r io r ity . He w rites th a t "opinion sur­ veys have become mechanisms through which the public becomes sensitized to Its own needs so that 1t Is self-conscelous about Its own c o lle c tiv e stance."35 Several w rite rs , however, point out some lim ita tio n s 1n the use of polls fo r community decision making. Bogart relates that people are 33Leo Bogart, S ile n t P o litic s : Polls and the Awareness o f Public Opinion, (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1972), p. 113. ^Charles Adrian, "Public Attitudes and Metropolitan Decision Making," Eighth Annual U errett Lecture on Local Government, (U niversity of Pittsburgh: In s titu te o f Local Government, 1962), p. 3. 35Bogart, S ile n t P o litic s : Polls and the Awareness o f Public Opinion, p. 15. 20 sometimes asked questions on matters they have not thought about or fo r which they feel no sense o f re s p o n s ib ility . Also, the mechanics of survey research are subject to erro r through poor Interview ing, unrepre­ sentative cross-sections, poor questionnaire construction and errors In 36 data processing. Structured questionnaires, fo r example, may lim it respondent reaction so that a f u lle r understanding o f one's opinion 1s not possible. A d d itio n ally, the use o f Interviewers In survey research may Influence the respondent's statements. Bogart refers to this as the paradox o f the s c ie n tific method when we change phenomena by measuring them. Although problems are encountered in achieving the p rin cip le of American representation by u tiliz in g public opinion in decision making, Bogart feels the public opinion must be used to Inform the public leader­ ship which In turn helps meet the changing demands o f the constituency. Effective leadership, according to Bogart, requires an understanding of what the constituency wants and how badly 1t wants 1 t. This, 1n tu rn , would appraise leaders o f possible public spending a lte rn a tiv e s . Childs sees the use o f public opinion as f u l f i l l i n g four crucial functions 1n our society: f i r s t , public opinion Information provides a balancing function between competing In terests. He 1s re fe rrin g to pressure groups such as labor, management, or farming types o f groups. Second, Childs feels that I t 1s Important to use public opinion in adresslng the broader Issues of public policy making fo r maintaining and devel­ oping a government o f public consent. Third, the use o f public opinion provides a basis fo r discussing public Issues. 36Ib 1 d ., p. 16. L as tly, public opinion 21 can thwart tendencies fo r public leaders to c e n tra lize economic and p o litic a l power and can help hold them accountable fo r th e ir a c tio n s .^ The lite r a tu r e has revealed several advantages and lim ita tio n s 1n using public opinion In decision making as well as some considera­ tions o f when and when not to use public opinion. W riters pointed out that the use o f public opinion 1n decision making holds public o ff ic ia ls accountable; provides a basis fo r discus­ sing public Issues; helps to Insure the support o f the people; helps to make certain that people should have a voice in decisions a ffec tin g them; th a t the public, In some cases, are wiser; and th a t opinions pro­ vide Information needed fo r more e ffe c tiv e leadership. Some lim ita tio n s of using public opinion 1n decision making In ­ cluded the fa c t that the rapid pace o f events lim its general public understanding on some Issues; that opinions may not represent commit­ ments fo r action; that the public may have gotten erroneous Information from the news media on a given Issue; and that 1t 1s sometimes d if f ic u lt to accurately measure public opinion. I t seemed to be concluded In the lite r a tu r e that 1t 1s Important to consider public opinion 1n the decision making process, especially to Id e n tify public needs. Determining the basic ends of p o lic y. In d ic a t­ ing what 1s f a i r , ju s t or moral, and appraising or evaluating the results of public policy were also considered leg itim ate roles fo r public opinion to play 1n decision making. On the other hand, the use o f public opinion for determining means, answering technical questions, or dealing with specialized Issues did not seem to be leg itim ate roles fo r using public opinion 1n decision making. 37 Childs, Public Opinion: Nature, Formulation and Role, p. 350-58. 22 Since I t was generally concluded 1n the lite r a tu r e that public opinion does have a role 1n decision making, and that public opinion Is one way of assessing public programs or conditions, 1t would then seem to be useful to u t iliz e public opinion as one way o f evaluating the adequacy of services 1n rural areas. Also, a good understanding o f consumer dissatisfactio n with selected services could help leaders Id e n tify possible services that present a hlnderance to social and eco­ nomic development 1n rural areas. Moreover, to have a good understanding of consumer d issatisfactio n with those services that present possible barriers to social and economic development, local public o ff ic ia ls must be aware of how d iffe rin g consumer groups 1n the comnunlty feel about various services. According to Hatry, Winnie, and Fisk ...s e rv ic e s seldom a ffe c t segments of a population the same way. ...T h e community as a whole might be well served by a program, while certain neighborhoods are receiving Inadequate services. A recrea­ tion program, fo r example, may Inadvertently Ignore special needs of aged, very young, or handicapped persons. ...T h u s , careful evalua­ tion o f various subgroups should be an Important part o f program evaluation.38 Various socioeconomic groups In the community th a t view services negatively may have service needs th a t are not being met; development e ffo rts , therefore, can be directed towards these groups. Another population subgroup representing the general comnunlty Interest are the local public o f f ic ia ls themselves. As a subgroup In ­ flu e n tia l In the provision o f community services, 1t 1s Important fo r them to know how th e ir c o lle c tiv e opinions on service adequacy match those o f th e ir constituency. Major differences 1n opinions may suggest that local o ff ic ia ls do not perceive the same p r io r itie s as th e ir 38 Hatry, Winnie, and Fisk, Practical Program Evaluation fo r State and Local Government O ffic ia ls , pp. 15-167 23 constituents fo r Improving community services and, thus, make decisions separate from the general public w ill. Therefore, Id e n tifyin g a d i f ­ ference In views can serve as a basis fo r dialogue between these two groups which can re s u lt 1n a b e tte r understanding o f consumer service needs. In order to gain some Insights Into socio-economic characteristics most closely associated with one's d is sa tisfac tio n o f selected services and differences between the public and local o ff ic ia ls d issatisfactio n with services, the following lite r a tu r e review was undertaken. Findings on Socio-economic Characteristics Most Closely Associated With D issatisfaction of Services and Differences Between Local O ffic ia ls and P ublic’ s D issatisfaction o f Services Prior research concerning people's opinions on community services appears to be lim ite d . This 1s p a rtic u la rly true fo r research that pro­ vides Insights on how, fo r example, opinions vary among people with d i f ­ fering socio-economic c h a ra cte ris tic s . This is also true o f research that compares the opinions o f local public o f f ic ia ls with service con­ sumers on questions o f service adequacy. John C. Bollens undertook a study concerned with investigating resident* s atisfactio n with local public services In St. Louis County, Missouri. In describing the study, Bollens writes th a t, "attention Is ...g iv e n to the responses among d iffe re n t categories o f the population— who are d is s a tis fie d and s a tis fie d fo r each major governmental service?, 3Q and how does d is sa tisfac tio n re la te to e th n ic ity , age and s e x ? ...1 39 John C. Bollens, Exploring the Metropolitan Community, (L .A .: University o f C alifo rn ia Press, 19&1), pp. 2153-54. 24 People's opinions were surveyed on the following services: condi­ tions o f resid en tial s tre e ts , police protection, garbage disposal, sew­ age disposal, schools, lib r a ry services, and f ir e protection. Related Independent variables 1n his study were age, sex, social rank (education, Income, occupation), and type of liv in g area (u rb a n /ru ra l). fo r each o f these services are summarized as follows: Findings In general, the higher the social rank, the more s a tis fie d respondents were with s treets. Social rank was measured by education, Income, and occupation. Of these, the most s ig n ific a n t relatio n ship o f the three was found among occupa­ tional class where the higher the occupational class, the more s a tls lfe d respondents were with s treets. The most s ig n ific a n t differences of opinion on police protection were found among Income classes; occupational and educational groups were not found to d if f e r s ig n ific a n tly . The higher Income groups were found to be more s a tis fie d with police protection than were the lower Income classes. A s ig n ific a n tly greater proportion o f c ity people were found to be d is s a tis fie d with garbage disposal services than county people. Also, the highest proportion o f d issatisfactio n with th is service was found 1n the c ity 's poverty areas where the poor were twice as lik e ly to be d is ­ s a tis fie d with garbage disposal services. When county residents were compared to c ity residents, a s ig n if i­ cantly greater proportion o f county residents were found to be d is s a tis ­ fied with sewage disposal services. I t also appeared th a t d is sa tisfac tio n with th is service declined somewhat with Increasing education. S ig n ific a n t differences In satisfactio n with schools were found among age groups. The younger age groups were found to be least s a tis fie d 25 with schools. Bollens writes that many In th is age group probably have school age children and therefore were concerned with the condition of public schools. Unfortunately, Bollens was not specific as to which age groups were least s a tis fie d or which kinds o f schools (elementary or high schools). A s ig n ific a n t relationship was found between age and one's s a tis ­ faction with lib ra ry services. The older respondents were more s a tis fie d than the younger respondents. No s ig n ific a n t relationship was found between one's s atisfactio n with f ir e protection services and the Independent variables used In the study. Bollens o ffers th is summary comment on why he thinks variations In opinions were found among socio-economic groups as related to s a tis ­ faction with local services: Variations ...w it h c ity schools and lib ra rie s are c h ie fly the product of the d iffe re n t needs and expected standards o f the various segments o f the population. Variations 1n s atis fa ctio n with ...p o lic e pro­ tection and co llectio n of waste (sewage and garbage disposal) are la rg ely based on differences In the services provided fo r d iffe re n t segments o f the population 1n the c ity and county.40 Another related study was undertaken by the In s titu te fo r Envlron41 mental Studies, University o f Wisconsin a t Madison. The study d ealt with opinions o f Wisconsin c itizen s towards the following public services: roads and highways, schools, general health, mental h ealth , police pro­ te c tio n , and adult education. Variation 1n responses among the following 40Ib 1 d ., p. 273. 41 V irginia Lambert, David McGrapahan, Oscar Martinson, and E. A. W11ken1ng, Public Service, Programs, and Policy In Four Northwestern Wisconsin Counties, (Madison: In s titu te fo r Environmental Studies, 1974). i 26 Independent variables were examined: age groups, sex, occupation, and Income. The respondents were asked th e ir opinions on whether the service should be expanded, kept the same, or cut back. A d d itio n a lly , respon­ dents were asked which were the most Important community service problems. The study took place 1n the Wisconsin counties o f Ashland, Burnett, Rusk, and St. Croix. These counties were characterized as rural and suffering from a declining economy. The findings, as reported fo r each socio­ economic v a ria b le , were as follows. I t was found that o f the young, middle, and older age groups (years were not In d icated ), the younger age groups favored the expansion o f mental health and adult education programs. These programs were found to be re la tiv e ly unimportant fo r the middle and upper age groups. I t was reported that 1n a ll services (general health, mental health, police protection, and adult education) except fo r roads and highways, "a higher proportion of women favored expansion o f these services than did 42 men.11 Females were found to be more s a tis fie d with roads and highways than men. Those with less than a high school education f e l t least favorable toward service expansion (except fo r police protection services) than were respondents 1n other education groups. Generally speaking, those with higher levels of formal education were more supportive o f service expansion. I t was also found th a t those with higher levels o f formal education were p a rtic u la rly 1n favor o f expanding adult education; 1n contrast, those with less formal education f e l t that health, roads, and highways should be expanded. I t was found that the overall support from re tire d persons fo r service expansion was " ...lo w compared to the other occupational 42Ib 1 d ., p. 37. 27 categories." 43 Programs most Important to re tire d persons were the ex­ pansion o f roads and highways and public transportation. In comparing blue c o lla r and white c o lla r workers, I t was found that white c o lla r workers were more 1n favor o f service expansion; how­ ever, a higher proportion o f blue c o lla r workers were found to favor the expansion of both physical and mental health services. "The r e la ­ t iv e ly low degree o f support fo r these (fin d in g s) may r e fle c t th e ir greater resources fo r travelin g outside the community to acquire these 44 services." The lower Income groups were found to be more supportive o f ex­ panding health and medical f a c ilit ie s than were the higher Income groups. I t was also found that as Income Increased, the support fo r police, schools, and adult education Increased. The researchers concluded th e ir study by saying that "In general, support fo r expansion o f public services Is greater among younger re s l45 dents, women, and those o f higher socio-economic status." The authors speculated that people for whom excessive taxes are a major problem are less lik e ly than others to support the expansion o f th e ir services. Another related study was undertaken by H. George Frederlckson e n title d "Exploring Urban P r io ritie s : The Case o f Syracuse." Frederlckson w rites: The hypothesis o f th is paper Is rather straightforw ard: public p r io r ity preferences vary widely on the basis o f s o c ia l, economic, and demographic circumstances. Consequently, any a u th o ritativ e ordering o f metropolitan area wide public p r io r itie s w ill serve to advantage certain "publics" and to disadvantage others ...th e r e Is a paucity o f evidence as to who 1s being advantaged or disadvantaged by a p a rtic u la r pattern o f public p r io r itie s . Further, and probably 43Ib 1 d ., p. 39. 44Ib 1 d ., p. 41. 45Ib 1 d ., p. 44. 28 more Im portant, there Is l i t t l e known about which p a rtic u la r "publics'* fe e l more or less advantaged by s p e c ific urban p r i­ o r i t i e s . 46 Frederlckson surveyed a random sample o f the population o f Onondaga County, New York 1n the summer o f 1967. Respondents were asked to ra te the follow ing services th a t needed Improvement: education, w e lfa re , water p o llu tio n , housing, police p ro tectio n , water, parks and recrea­ tio n f a c i l i t i e s . The Independent variables used in the study were place o f residence (urban-suburban), Income, education, age and sex. Frederlckson found th a t among a ll socio-economic groups, those with higher levels o f education and Income were most In favor o f Improv­ ing the services (except fo r police p ro te c tio n ); or conversely, as in the Wisconsin study, those with lower levels o f education and Income were found to be less in favor o f general service improvement. Related to s p e c ific services, he found th a t o ld e r, those with less formal edu­ c a tio n , and lower Income groups had stronger preferences fo r the improve­ ment o f police protection. A fourth related research p ro ject e n title d Public Values and Concerns o f Washington Residents was undertaken by Dan Dlllm an, a rural sociologist from Washington State U n iv e rs ity .47 Dlllman was Interested In examining opinion differences between urban and ru ral residen ts, and found th a t those who liv e d in ru ral areas viewed the condition o f streets and roads as well as medical care services less adequate than 1n urban areas. 46 H. George Frederlckson, "Exploring Urban P r io r itie s : the Case o f Syracuse," Urban A ffa ir Q u arterly, September, 1969, p. 31. 47 Dan Dlllm an, Public Values and Concerns o f Washington Residents, (Washington State U niversity: A griculture Experiment Station B u lle tin , 1970). 29 Urban-rural opinion differences were also analyzed 1n another study undertaken by Ronald Johnson and Edward Knop. They found that "s ig n ifica n t ...asso ciatio n s show urban residents more s a tis fie d with shopping and medical f a c i l i t i e s , teacher a b i lit y , employment oppor­ tu n itie s , and entertalnm ent-recreatlon p o ten tials. Rural residents, on the other hand, appear more s a tis fie d with local democratic processes 48 and th e ir general geographical m ilie u ." In exploring opinion differences between leaders and c itize n s on satisfactio n with services, a research study was undertaken by Harold 49 N1x, Ram Singh, and Paula Cheatham. The study focused on differences In opinions between leaders and c itizen s concerning (1) services viewed as being Immediate problems, and (2) a general level o f s atis fa ctio n with services. A sample o f randomly selected households ("random respondents") were surveyed 1n Laurens County, Georgia using a mall survey questionnaire. The sample o f community leaders was made by using a "positional-reputa­ tional approach." The leaders were Interviewed using the same set of questions. Services and f a c ilit ie s that were viewed as being Immediate prob­ lems by random respondents were 1n transportation, economic opportunities, recreation, health, and housing. 48 In contrast, leader respondents f e l t Ronald Johnson and Edward Knop, "Rural-Urban Differences In Community S a tisfa ctio n ," Rural Sociology, Vol. 35, No. 4 , December 1970, p. 547. 49 Harold Nix, Ram Singh, and Paula Cheatham, "Views o f Leader Respondents Compared With Random Respondents* Views,” Journal o f Community Development Society, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring 1974, pp. 8 l -91. 30 that greater atten tio n fo r Improvement should be paid to education, plan­ ning and development, and polIt1cal-governmental structure. In terms o f s atisfactio n with services, leader respondents were generally more s a tis fie d with services than were random respondents. The researchers concluded by saying th a t "responses to other questions led us to believe the random respondents would have shown r e la tiv e ly greater desire to change the community 1n terms o f Increasing services and f a c i l i t i e s . " ^ In reviewing these previous studies, some general relationships seem to emerge. Both the Wisconsin study and the Frederlckson study found those In high Income groups generally favored service expansion or Improvement. This finding was not true 1n a ll cases, however. It was found 1n the Wisconsin study, fo r example, that lower Income groups were more 1n favor o f expanding health services than higher Income groups. Thus, I t appears that although higher Income groups are generally more 1n favor o f service Improvements, 1t depends somewhat on the specific ser­ vice 1n question. I t was also generally found th a t people In the more rural areas were less s a tis fie d with th e ir services. In the Bollens study, fo r ex­ ample, county residents were less s a tis fie d with sewage disposal than c ity residents; also , the Dlllman study re fle c te d a greater d is s a tis fa c tio n o f rural residents with streets and medical care compared to urban people. Johnson and Knop also found In th e ir study th a t rural people were less s a tis fie d with medical care 1n comparison to urban people. A th ird general relatio n ship seemed to develop 1n which younger persons seempd to be more 1n favor o f service Improvement and expansion 50Ib 1 d ., p. 89. than older persons. For example, 1t was found In the Bollens study th a t younger persons were less s a tis fie d with schools; and 1n the Wisconsin study, younger persons were more 1n favor o f expanding mental health and adult education. I t was found 1n the Frederlckson study, however, th a t older persons were more In favor o f Improving police services than were younger persons. Again, these findings suggest th a t although younger persons may be more generally In favor o f service Improvement, 1t depends somewhat on the service In question. As a fourth possible re la tio n s h ip , the Wisconsin study Indicated that women were generally more 1n favor o f service Improvement or expan­ sion. I t was found, fo r example, th a t women generally favored expansion o f h ealth , mental h ea lth , police p ro tectio n , and adult education more than men. L i t t l e research seems to have been done 1n comparing c itiz e n s ' opinions with public o f f ic ia ls ' opinions on services. In the research that has been done, leaders were found to be generally more s a tis fie d with services, and th a t p r io r itie s fo r Improving services d iffe re d be­ tween these groups. Summary and Im plications o f the L ite ra tu re fo r Further Research From th is review o f lit e r a t u r e , I t was found that services In rural areas were considered to be generally In fe r io r to those In urban areas, and th a t local public o f f ic ia ls ' e ffo r ts to Improve services are Important fo r the social and economic development o f ru ra l places. A l­ though there are lim ita tio n s to using public opinion 1n decisions fo r Improving the adequacy o f services to ru ral residents, local public o f ­ f ic ia ls can Improve th e ir decision making by having a b e tte r understanding o f c itiz e n s ' opinion. Although the review o f lite r a tu r e revealed seme general types o f services th a t were problems 1n communities ( e .g ., education, transporta­ tio n ), l i t t l e Information was availab le on specific kinds o f services ( e .g ., high schools, roads) th a t were f e l t to be problems and thus pos­ sible b arriers to local development. In ad d itio n , l i t t l e information was found on how rural residents, as a group, viewed the adequacy o f specific services. Also, l i t t l e Information was found on socio-economic characteristics most closely associated with people's d is sa tisfac tio n with services as well as differences between the views o f the public and local o ff ic ia ls on service s a tis fa c tio n . F in a lly , assuming th a t those who had used services would have a more Informed opinion about the ade­ quacy o f the service, no research was found th a t provided Insights o f users' ( I . e . , consumers) satisfactions with community services. CHAPTER I I I RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION Research Design Introduction I t 1s c le a r from the review o f background lite r a tu r e th a t l i t t l e Is understood about people's opinions o f service adequacy as a basis fo r obtaining Insights on community services 1n rural areas o f the United States. Therefore, th is study must necessarily be exploratory 1n nature. No hypotheses were formulated, but given the lack o f Information as noted 1n the conclusion of the previous chapter, the following four objectives were established to guide th is research e ff o r t. Research Objectives 1. To determine consumer and local public o f f ic ia ls ' s atisfactio n with selected community services. 2. To Id e n tify reasons consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls were d is s a tis fie d with selected community services. 3. To Id e n tify socio-economic characteristics most closely asso­ ciated with consumers' d is sa tisfac tio n o f selected community services. 4. To determine the differences between consumers and local pub­ l i c o f f ic ia ls ' d is sa tisfac tio n with selected community services. For a more complete understanding o f the study and It s design, a d e fin itio n o f several terms used In th is research 1s Important. 33 34 D efin itio n o f Terms Community Service Opinions Community service opinions refers to the respondent's judgement about the adequacy o f a given community service fo r meeting th e ir In d i­ vidual or fam ily need. Service Consumers Service consumers re fe r to those Individuals who had used a com­ munity service Included 1n th is study. Respondent's opinions were In ­ cluded 1n th is study only 1f the respondent or the respondent's Imme­ diate fam ily ( I . e . , spouse, c h ild ren , brothers, s is te rs , parents, or grandparents) had used the service. I t was assumed In this study that those who had used the community service would have a more Informed opinion on the adequacy o f the service than those who had l i t t l e or no contact with the service. Local Public O ffic ia ls For the purposes o f th is study, local public o ff ic ia ls are d efin ­ ed as those Individuals representing a ll levels o f local government who deal with questions o f public policy 1n helping to provide community services: they appropriate and/or a llo ca te public tax money, and help establish local ordinances or laws 1n the provision o f community services. On the basis o f th is d e fin itio n , the local public o ff ic ia ls Included In this study were county commissioners, c ity mayors and c le rk s , township supervisors and c lerks , and v illa g e presidents and clerks In each o f the three counties. 35 Community Services Community services re fe r to community programs th a t are necessary for meeting the social or economic needs o f people. The services s e le c t­ ed fo r Inclusion In th is study are characterized as being generally sup­ ported by public tax money and/or regulated by governmental units fo r the welfare o f service consumers. The community services were selected on the basis o f a reconnais­ sance survey o f the study area 1n which key Informants ( I . e . , Individuals In flu e n tia l 1n guiding local development) were asked which community services were most relevant and Important to th e ir development concerns. Key Informants Included County Commissioners and Cooperative Extension Directors 1n each o f the three counties, members o f the Huron and Tuscola Interagency Service Councils, s ta ff and board members of the Thumb Area Human Development Commission, and s ta ff members o f the East Central Plan­ ning and Development Regional Commission. The terms "community services" and "services" w ill be used In te r ­ changeably throughout th is study. On the basis o f the reconnaissance survey, the services selected fo r th is study are divided Into several major service categories each having a number o f specific services. They are as follows: Education Serv1ces--preschools, elementary schools, high schools, vocational schools, community colleges, adult education 1n high schools, adult education 1n community colleges, cooperative extension, and public lib ra rie s . Health Services—general hospital services, hospital emergency room services, ambulance services, nursing, doctors, d en tis ts . Immuniza­ tio n , maternal and child health care, mental health , fam ily planning, and home health nursing. 36 Recreation Services— picnic areas, camping areas, swimming f a c i l ­ i t i e s , school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r use by whole community, organized recreation fo r youth, organized adu lt recreation programs, and organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s . Public Safety Services— f i r e p ro tectio n , police p ro tectio n , courts, and ju v e n ile correction. Transportation Services— school bus, scheduled a ir lin e service, commercial trucking, road plowing, condition o f local roads, condition o f county roads, condition o f state highways, the condition o f bridges, bus service between towns, and fre ig h t r a il service. Public Works Services—garbage disposal services, sanitary land­ f i l l s , public w ater, and public sewers. Special Services—train in g /ed u catio n fo r re h a b ilita tio n o f phy­ s ic a lly handicapped a d u lts , job tra in in g fo r low Income a d u lts , special care fo r the retarded, c h ild day care services, fam ily counseling fo r fin an c ial problems, fam ily counseling fo r personal problems, fin a n c ia l aid to low Income fa m ilie s , housing f a c i l i t i e s fo r the e ld e rly , housing f a c ilit ie s fo r low Income fa m ilie s , legal services fo r low income fam­ i l i e s , and provision o f food service to the e ld e rly . Service Adequacy Service adequacy Is defined as a respondent's s a tis fa c tio n with (1) the amount o f the service 1n the area; (2 ) the a v a ila b ll1 ty and a c c e s s ib ility o f the service; and (3) the q u a lIty o f the service. Location and Dates o f the Study The study was conducted 1n Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties. These are three contiguous, la rg e ly r u r a l, and somewhat isolated counties 37 that have lim ited social and economic development. The counties are located In Michigan's "Thumb Area" (see Figure 1 ). Since the study area I f often Id e n tifie d by Michigan residents a t the "Thumb Area," the ex­ pressions "Thumb Area" and "study area" w ill be used Interchangeably throughout th is d ld sertatlo n . This area w ill be discussed In fu rth er d etail 1n the following chapter. Planning fo r the study began 1n January 1973. The data were gath­ ered In the spring o f 1974 and data analysis was completed In the winter of 1975. Design o f the Survey Instrument A mall questionnaire was used 1n th is study fo r surveying the opinions o f service consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls . The same questionnaire was used fo r both groups so that the responses from these groups could be compared accurately. For gathering data In th is study, three general question areas were selected.^ The f i r s t general question area contained a number o f community services in which the respondent was asked whether the services 1n each of the following seven major service categories were adequate fo r meet­ ing th e ir Individual or fam ily needs: education, health , recreation, public s afety , transportation, public works, and special services. a lis tin g o f the specific services surveyed, see pages 35 and 36. For E ither V h ls survey Instrument was also designed to gather data fo r sev­ eral other purposes 1n addition to the objectives o f th is study. There are additional question areas In the Instrument, th erefo re, that are not germane to th is study. These additional questions are questions eight through fourteen on the survey Instrument (see Appendix A). 38 Figure 1. Map of Michigan Showing the Study Area. 39 "yes" or "no" responses were given fo r those community services that the respondent or the respondent's Immediate fam ily ( I . e . , spouse, ch ild ren , brothers and s is te rs , parents, and grandparents) had used. The specific question areas covered 1n the survey Instrument were determined on the basis of the Information needs o f the Human Develop­ ment Commission as sponsor o f a research project upon which th is study 1s based. The purpose of that research project was to determine public opinion on questions related to the development of community services for serving the needs o f people 1n Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties 1n Michigan. For determining the specific questions to be Included In the survey Instrument, meetings were held with Individuals who serve the community service needs o f Thumb Area residents. These Individuals In ­ cluded the s ta ff and governing board of the Thumb Area Human Development Commission, County Commissioners and Cooperative Extension Directors 1n each o f the three counties, members o f the Huron and Tuscola Interagency Service Councils, and s ta ff members of the East Central Planning and De­ velopment Regional Commission. In addition to these meetings, meetings were also held with Michigan State University personnel related to some o f the technical considerations of survey Instrument construction such as the selection o f wording, the selection o f Independent variables to be used, foremat considerations, and pretesting. The second major question area In the survey Instrument consisted of an open-ended question a fte r each major service category where re ­ spondents were asked th e ir suggestions fo r Improving those community services they f e l t to be inadequate. The fin a l major question area 1n the survey Instrument sought Information on the following variables: county residence, age, length 40 of residence, occupation, liv in g area lo catio n , sex, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income, and education. Pretest o f the Survey Instrument The survey Instrument was pretested In G ratio t County, an area located approximately 80 miles southwest o f the study area. This area was selected because the demographic and socio-economic characteristics were s im ila r to the study area. Based on the p re te st, the following changes In the survey Instrument were made. 1. Questions which were unclear were reworded. For example, when the question was asked, "Is the service adequate?", 1t was unclear whether the respondent was to judge service adequacy fo r meeting his or his needs, or fo r meeting the needs o f others In the area. The question was c la r ifie d by Indicating that the respondent was to judge service adequacy In terms o f meeting his or her Individual or fam ily needs. 2. Instructions fo r answering the survey Instrument were c l a r i ­ 3. I t was also decided that space should be designated on the fie d . survey Instrument fo r coding the data. This helped f a c ilit a t e coding and key punching accuracy. Data Collection Sampling Methods In the selection o f the sample o f consumers In the three counties, a systematic random sample o f households was drawn from telephone d ire c ­ to ries o f the area. Telephone d ire cto rie s were used fo r two reasons: f i r s t , they were more availab le and accessible than other kinds of l i s t ­ ings; second 1t was f e l t that a greater proportion o f lower Income people 41 would be lis te d In the telephone directory than 1n other available sources such as registered voter or property owner lis t s . Fortunately, fo r selecting the names of local public o ff ic ia ls 1n the area, an up-to-date lis tin g o f Individuals defined In th is study as local public o ff ic ia ls (see pages 34-35) was availab le from the East Central Michigan Regional Planning and Development Commission located In Essexvllle. Collection Procedures A formula fo r calculating the confidence in tervals fo r dlchotomous variables was used fo r estimating the necessary number o f responses from each county. (See Appendix C fo r the formula used and determination of sample size for each county.) This formula was used because most questions In the survey Instrument were dlchotomous (yes/no questions), and no e s t i­ mate o f the v a r ia b ility o f people's opinions In the population was a v a il­ able that would permit the use o f an a lte rn a tiv e formula. The calculated sample size fo r each county, based on a ± 5 percent confidence In terval and a significance level of a * .10, was as follows: Huron County ■ 265; Tuscola County * 266; and Sanilac County * 265. In order to get the re ­ quired number of returns from each county, with an estimated return rate of 25%, the required sample sizes were m ultip lied by a fa c to r o f four fo r a to ta l required sample size o f about 3,200 fo r the three county area. Although using th is formula assumed a 100% response fo r each question, budget lim ita tio n s precluded the mailing o f additional questionnaires. Enclosed with each questionnaire was a cover le t t e r (see Appendix A) ex­ plaining the purpose of the survey and a post paid return envelope. In attempting to achieve a large number o f responses fo r each com­ munity service, two follow-up mailings were undertaken. For the f i r s t 42 follow-up m ailing, a reminder post card (see Appendix A) was sent a fte r several weeks to a ll respondents. The second follow-up mailing Included another cover le t t e r , copy of the questionnaire, and post paid envelope, and was sent to nonrespondents a fte r a period o f about seven weeks. Re­ turns from the second follow-up mailing ceased a fte r three weeks; con­ sequently, the cut o ff date fo r accepting returned questionnaires was approximately ten weeks from the f i r s t mailing. Data Analysis In f u l f i l l i n g the f i r s t study o b jective, the opinions o f consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls on the adequacy of community services were Id e n tifie d . The opinions o f consumers were tabulated fo r the study area as a whole and fo r each o f the Individual counties. The opinions of local public o ff ic ia ls were tabulated fo r ju s t the study area as a whole (the number o f local public o f f ic ia l respondents was in s u ffic ie n t fo r a county breakdown). Id e n tifyin g consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls ' overall opinions on service adequacy was done to determine those services that both groups f e l t were most and least adequate. Confidence lim its were calculated on the overall responses o f both consumers and o ff ic ia ls to determine the degree of probable e rro r 1n the data (see Appendix B). Based upon these calcu lation s. I t was found that the response levels fo r some services were not s u ffic ie n t fo r drawing Inferences a t a » .10. I t was decided that I f the confidence lim its or degree o f probable erro r was too great and could change the direction o f opinion d is trib u tio n community service, the results fo r that fo r a given service would not be accepted as re lia b le . Although a ll results are re ­ ported, the analysis anddiscussion o f the findings w ill focus only upon those results that were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly re lia b le . 43 The focus o f the analysis on the remaining study objectives were on the two services 1n each major service category th a t consumers as a group viewed le as t adequate. The second study o b je c tiv e — th a t o f determining reasons users ( 1 . e . f consumers and o f f ic ia ls ) were d is s a tis fie d with services—was undertaken by examining the responses to the open-ended questions con­ cerning suggested Improvements. In Id e n tify in g the socio-economic c h a ra c te ris tic s most closely associated with consumers' d is s a tis fa c tio n o f convnunlty services— the th ird study o b je c tiv e — the follow ing socio-economic variables were used In the analysis: county residence, liv in g area location ( I . e . , urban, rural non-farm, and farm ), age length o f-residen ce, occupation, sex, m arital statu s, fa m ilia l statu s, Income, and education. Chi Square was the s ta tis t ic a l te s t used fo r determining s t a t is ­ tic a l differences among the v ariab les. Ch1 Square Is defined as . . . a general te s t th a t can be used . . . t o evaluate whether or not frequencies which have been e m p iric ally obtained d if f e r s ig n i f i­ can tly from those th a t would be expected under a c erta in set of th e o re tic a l assumptions.2 In more e a s ily understood terms, using the technique o f Ch1 Square anal­ ysis helps to determine the p ro b a b ility o f there being an actual d i f f e r ­ ence among variables as opposed to a d ifferen ce produced by random change. This s ta tis t ic a l technique was selected fo r two reasons. F ir s t , since the purpose o f the data analysis was to determine whether f r e ­ quencies among selected variables d iffe re d s ig n ific a n tly ; th is , as In d i­ cated 1n the d e fin itio n , Is the appropriate method to use. Also, Chi ^Hubert M. B lalock, Social S t a tis t ic s , (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1960), p. 276. 44 Square Is the appropriate method when nominal variables are used In the survey Instrument as Is the case In th is study. The significance level chosen fo r the Ch1 Square This significance level te s t was a = .10. means th a t there Is a 90% chance th a t an actual difference among two variables exists and did not occur by chance. The value o f a 3 .10 Is considered to be an acceptable level o f probable ris k 1n social science research, p a rtic u la rly in an exploratory study such as th is . The fin a l o bjective o f the study Involved a comparison o f the over­ a ll opinions o f consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls . Ch1 Square analysis was also used 1n undertaking th is o bjective as w e ll. Data Processing The data on the questionnaires were coded, key punched onto data cards, and then transferred onto magnetic tape fo r analysis. The computer analysis was done by using the Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Re­ search (CISSR) program package a t Michigan State U n iversity. The response frequency and percentage d is trib u tio n s were analyzed by using the CISSR Percent-Frequency (P-F) Count program. This analysis Included the tabulations o f service consumer and local public o f f i c i a l 's opinions on the adequacy o f community services and background character­ is tic s o f the respondents. Ch1 Square analysis th a t Id e n tifie d s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t d i f ­ ferences o f opinions among selected variables was generated by using the CISSR Analysis o f Contlgency Table (ACT) program.* 3 Leighton A. Price and W illiam P. O'Hare, "Percentage and Fre­ quency D is trib u tio n (PFCOUNT)," Technical Report 72-6, Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Research, Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , June 28, 1972. *Pr1ce and O'Hare, "Analysis o f Contingency Tables (ACT)," 45 The follow ing chapter describes 1n d e ta il socio-economic char­ a c te ris tic s o f the study area and community services found In the area. This Information 1s Intended to help the reader b e tte r understand the general community w ithin which th is study was undertaken. Technical Report 7 2-8, Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Research, Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , May 17, 1972. CHAPTER IV THE STUDY AREA: SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE BACKGROUND INFORMATION As a basis fo r understanding the study area, an analysis of socio­ economic data fo r Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties and a comparison with the Michigan to ta ls are Included. This comparison helps provide In ­ sights Into the area's social and economic conditions as well as levels of service adequacy In the study area. (The reader should note that "state average" data re fle c ts , in large p a rt, the more urban characteris­ tic s o f the state. A comparison of data between the study area counties and the s ta te , therefo re, re fle c ts In large measure urban-rural d i f f e r ­ ences. ) Secondary Information was also availab le for community services that were Included In th is study. This Information w ill be the focus o f discussion 1n the la s t h a lf o f th is chapter. Secondary Information th a t assessed comnunlty service conditions 1n the study area was lim ited and the Information was availab le fo r only a small number o f services Included In th is study. Nevertheless, th is information can be o f fu rth er help to local public o ff ic ia ls In Id e n tifyin g community service Improvement op­ p o rtu n itie s, and 1t also provides a basis fo r corroborating the survey results 1n the la s t section o f Chapter V I. 46 47 Socio-economic C haracteristics o f the Study Area When compared to the s ta te , the three counties In the Thumb Area have several d is tin c t socio-economic characteristics which have Im plica­ tions concerning levels o f community service adequacy. The three counties have a s ig n ific a n tly larg er rural population than the state. Each county has about three times as many people located In rural areas when compared to the s ta te , and Sanilac County has no center o f population over 2,500 people. Thus, Thumb Area residents may encounter service problems associated with liv in g in rural areas such as a low supporting tax base fo r providing adequate service levels or the distance and cost necessary fo r obtaining a needed service. Table 1 d etails the urban-rural population d is trib u tio n fo r the three counties and the state. The three counties in the study area have also had a s ig n ific a n t­ ly lower net 1n-m1grat1on than the state between 1960-1970. A ctu ally, Huron County had a net out-migration of 3,005 people 1n th is period. The data, therefo re, do not r e fle c t population gains that would suggest a dynamic and growing economy. D etails on net migration are provided In Table 2. In a dd itio n , there are proportionately fewer work1ng-age males and females (between 20-44 years) 1n each o f the three Thumb Area counties when compared to the s ta te . Although the proportion o f males and females ages 5-19 In the study area 1s comparable to the s ta te , there 1s a much higher proportion o f males and females 65 years old and older 1n the three counties. With the r e la tiv e ly low proportion of working age persons and a high proportion o f older re tire d persons, Thumb Area leaders may find I t d if f ic u lt to generate needed revenues to pay fo r the risin g cost Table 1 .-Urban-Rural Population D istrib u tio n; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1970. Location Michigan Huron County Sanilac County Tuscola Co. Population Over 2,500 8,878,083 34,083 34,899 48,603 6,553,773 2,999 0 6,503 Population Distribution 1,000-2,500 * % 247,370 5,361 6,873 4,123 73.8 8.9 13.4 2.8 15.7 19.7 8.5 Other 2,073,940 25,732 28,016 37,977 23.3 75.5 80.3 78.1 SOURCE: Michigan County and Regional Fact Book-Reqion V II, {East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1972), p. 13. Table 2 .--Births, Deaths, and Net Migration; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1960-1970. Location 1970 Population Michigan Huron County Sanilac County Tuscola County 8,875,083 34,083 35,181 48,603 Births 1,744,477 6,955 6,669 9,326 Deaths Net Migration 727,072 3,873 4,034 4,663 34,484 -3,005 232 735 SOURCE: Mlchlqan County and Regional Fact Book-Req1on V II, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1972), p. 12. 49 of services, p a rtic u la rly from older persons on fixed Incomes. In ad­ d itio n , Thumb Area public o ff ic ia ls may find 1t d i f f i c u l t to gain p o li­ tic a l support from an older population fo r bond referendums that provide, for example, elementary or high school Improvements. Table 3 d e ta ils population d is trib u tio n Information by sex and age fo r the study area and the state. Family Income characteristics fo r the Thumb Area in contrast to state wide data also r e fle c t a general In a b ility of local residents to pay fo r the ris in g cost o f services. There 1s a larg er percentage o f fam ilies 1n a ll three counties below the poverty level when compared to the s ta te . The percentage of fam ilies below poverty level In Huron and Sanilac Counties p a rtic u la rly , Is comparatively high. Table 4 d e ta ils this Information. For a general picture of the study area, a comparison o f major Income sources shows a predominance of earnings 1n a g ricu ltu re and manu­ facturing, p a rtic u la rly in Huron and Sanilac Counties. Manufacturing and government provide the largest percentage o f earnings fo r Tuscola County residents. With respect to manufacturing, there are a number o f small firms 1n the area, many of which are automotive types of businesses ( e .g ., tool and d ie , metal stamping). There are also mobile home and camper t r a i l e r firms located 1n M arlette and Brown C ity , Sanilac County, Michigan. Sugar beets and beans are the major a g ricu ltu ra l crops produced In the three counties, and Michigan Sugar, a large sugar manufacturing company, 1s located 1n Huron County. Table 5 d e ta ils Information on to ta l earnings by major sources fo r the state and each of the three counties. 50 Table 3 . --Population D is trib u tio n by Sex and Age; Michigan and Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1970. % % % % Under 5 Years 5-9 Years % 19-19 Years % Population 20-44 Years 45-64 Years 65+ Years 4,348,648 4,526,435 9.4 8 .7 10.8 10.0 21.5 20.4 31.1 31.7 19.6 19.9 7.5 9.4 Huron County Male Female 16,836 17,247 9.1 8 .7 10.4 10.2 22.3 20.6 24.9 25.4 21.6 21.6 11.8 13.7 Sanilac County Male Female 17,274 17,615 9.1 8.9 11.4 10.2 21.8 20.8 25.7 26.9 20.6 20.7 11.4 12.5 Tuscola County Male Female 24,055 24,548 9.8 9.3 11.9 11.3 22.3 20.6 29.1 30.2 19.0 18.7 7.9 10.0 Location Michigan Male Female SOURCE: Michigan County and Regional Fact Book-Reglon V I I , (East Lansing: Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , 1972), p. 14. Table 4 . —Selected Family C haracteristics fo r Michigan and Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1969. Item Michigan Total No. o f Families 2,190,269 Huron County Sanilac County Tuscola County 8,666 8,965 11,658 15.0 11.5 8 .8 % o f Families Below Poverty Level 7 .3 SOURCE: Michigan County and Regional Fact Book-Reg1on V I I , (East Lansing: Michigan State U n ive rs ity, 19^2). P- 16. Table 5 .—Total Earnings by Major Sources; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1969. Item Sanilac County Tuscola County 71,165 75,585 80,889 1.1 21.5 20.3 11.2 Government 12.0 16.9 12.5 24.7 Manufacturing 45.4 23.1 39.1 26.2 Total Earnings ($000) Michigan 29,607,631 Huron County Distribution of Total Earnings by Percent (%) Farm Mining .1 * - - Contract Construction 5.7 3.8 3.2 3.8 Transportation, Communica­ tion, & Public U tilitie s 4.9 6.6 1.2 4.5 Wholesale & Retail Trade 13.9 15.9 12.4 18.4 Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 3.2 Services Other • 1.4 •» 12.2 9.0 8.8 8.8 .2 .9 1.1 .7 SOURCE: Michigan County and Regional Fact Book-Region V II, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1972), p. 48. 52 Community Service Background Information The following background Information provided 1n th is section offers additional Insights Into conditions o f community services in ­ cluded 1n th is study. The information Includes: (1) per capita county expenditures fo r education, highways, hosp itals, health, police protec­ tio n , f ir e protection, sewer, sanitation (other than sewer), corrections, and lib ra rie s fo r the three counties In the study area and the s tate; (2) an Inventory and assessment of lib ra ry f a c ilit ie s 1n Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties; (3) an Inventory and assessment of general care hospital beds fo r Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties In re la tio n to recommended federal standards; (4 ) an Inventory o f medical s ta ff person­ nel for the area and a comparison o f the numbers o f doctors, nurses and dentists per 1,000 population among the counties and the s ta te ; (5) an Inventory and assessment of f i r e protection service fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties 1n accordance with the standards o f the American Insurance Association; and (6) an Inventory and general assessment of sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties. Per Capita County Expenditures According to the la te s t availab le data, the 1971-1972 per capita expenditures fo r many community services in Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties were below the state per capita expenditures fo r those same services. The state per capita expenditures fo r health, police protec­ tio n , f i r e protection, sanitation (other than sewage), corrections, and lib ra rie s were, 1n most cases, four times greater than the amounts o f the three counties spent fo r those same services. I t was revealed In the data that the per capita expenditures 1n Michigan fo r health was $12.28 compared to $3.11 In Huron County, $3.68 53 1n Tuscola County, and $3.44 In Sanilac County. Michigan expenditure for police protection was $31.22 per person compared to $13.02 In Huron County, $10.29 1n Tuscola County, and $11.80 1n Sanilac County. Simi­ l a r l y fo r f ir e protection, the state per capita expenditure was mark­ edly higher with $11.88 compared to only $2.23 1n Huron County, $2.82 In Tuscola County, and $ .82 In Sanilac County. For s a n ita tio n , Michigan had an average expenditure of $7.47 per person compared to $1.24, $1.94, and $ .15 for Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac Counties respectively. Michigan also had a per capita expenditure o f $9.14 fo r corrections compared to a per capita expenditure o f $ .13 in Huron County, $ .66 1n Tuscola County, and $ .45 1n Sanilac County. For lib ra ry services, Michigan had a per capita expenditure o f $3.40 compared to $ .90 in Huron County, $2.68 1n Tuscola County, and $ .46 1n Sanilac County. Data fo r education, highways, and hospitals were not complete. The available data, however, revealed that the per capita expenditure In Michigan fo r education construction was higher with $269.71 than Huron County ($168.11) or Tuscola County ($246.21). Sanilac County had a s lig h tly higher per capita expenditures ($295.38) compared to the s ta te . Data fo r education operating expenses were not availab le fo r the s ta te . The larger per capita expenditures fo r the state 1n contrast to each o f the three perdomlnately rural counties may be due, 1n p a rt, to the service requirements of people 1n the more urban areas o f the s ta te . A higher Incidence o f crime In D e tro it, fo r example, would warrant high­ er per capita expenditures fo r police protection. Also, higher and c o s tlie r buildings, sanitation requirements, larg er prisons, and univer­ s ity lib ra ry f a c ilit ie s 1n the more urban areas o f Michigan would account, 1n large p a rt, fo r greater c ap ital outlays 1n f i r e , s a n ita tio n , correc­ tions, and lib ra ry services fo r the state as a whole. 54 Although one can not make any d e fin ite conclusions about the ade­ quacy o f these Thumb Area services on the basis o f these data, a lower level o f per capita expenditure may suggest fewer resources fo r up­ grading services by acquiring new technology, fo r example, or q u a lifie d s ta ff. Table 6 d e ta ils the per capita county expenditures fo r the state and for Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties. Library Services In reviewing the background Information related to the adequacy of lib ra ry services fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties, the American Library Association suggests the following guidelines fo r establishing adequate 1Ibrary f a c i l I t l e s . 1 Library sites should be c e n tra lly located with respect to the population served. Libraries should be located on or near major th o r­ oughfares and at the focal point o f several resid en tial units to be served. Also, most a u th o rities agree that lib ra rie s should be c e n tra lly located 1n or near commercial areas and shopping centers in order to promote lib ra ry usage. A primary service radius o f one to two miles should be provided fo r lib ra ry f a c ilit ie s w ithin densely populated areas, with a secondary radius o f fiv e miles fo r areas outside the primary area. For estimating space requirements fo r lib ra ry f a c i l i t i e s , the American Library Association recommends a standard o f 0.7 square fee t of building area per capita o f to ta l population served. In ad d itio n , the A.L.A. standard requires a minimum book co llectio n o f 10,000 volumes. C urrently, In Huron County, there are six public lib r a rie s lo ­ cated a t Harbor Beach, Ubly, Bad Axe, Sebewalng, Port Austin and Pigeon. ^VIIIcan-Leman and Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County Michigan, (D e tro it, Michigan, June 1973), p. 53. Table 6 . —County Area Per Capita Government Expenditures, by Function; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1971-1972. Michigan Huron County Tuscola County Sanilac County Education Construction Operating $269.71 N/A $168.11 166.04 $246.21 238.60 $295.38 217.05 Highways Construction Operating N/A N/A 87.27 36.11 83.43 30.11 79.42 37.51 Health 12.28 3.11 3.68 3.44 Police Protection 31.22 13.02 10.29 11.80 Fire Protection 11.88 2.23 2.82 .82 Sewer 34.88 11.62 32.92 51.78 Sanitation 7.47 1.24 1.94 .15 Corrections 9.14 .13 .66 .45 Libraries 3.40 .90 2.68 .46 Service SOURCE: Census of Governments, 1972, Vol. 4, #5, Compendium of Government Finances, Table 53. aThis figure excludes per capita costs for higher education. 56 In applying the above standards to the lib ra ry f a c ilit ie s In Huron County, the following assessment was made by a study group. At the present, most o f the existin g lib ra rie s would not meet these standards. However, Improvements 1n the way o f new additions and new f a c ilit ie s are planned fo r or are being constructed to a lle v ia te some o f the space problems confronting several o f the existing 1ib ra rle s .* Tuscola County has eight lib r a rie s located 1n Caro, Cass C ity , Falrgrove, Fostorla, M ayville, M illin g to n , U n lo n v ille, and Vassar. In terms o f the adequacy o f these lib r a ry f a c i l i t i e s , I t was found that Five of the eight existin g lib ra rie s are adequate fo r the present needs o f that v illa g e and/or township. However, most o f the l i ­ braries, with the exception o f those lib ra rie s In Cass C ity , F a lr­ grove and M ayville are confronted with space problems 1n terms of reading space and shelving space. Lack o f shelving space accounts fo r the Inadequate number o f books ava ila b le fo r most o f the l i ­ braries. Apart from the building or room I t s e l f , most o f the l i ­ braries do not provide enough space fo r parking and future additions, when necessary.3 Comparable lib ra r y information fo r Sanilac County was not a v a il­ able; however, In a ra tin g o f poor, f a i r , and excellent by another study group on lib ra ry f a c i l i t i e s , the location and general condition o f lib ra ry f a c ilit ie s In Croswell, Lexington, and Sanilac Township were rated as excellen t. The Brown C ity Library was rated as good.^ General Care Hospital Beds In reviewing the health Information related to bed care f a c i l i t i e s . I t 1s recommended by national health standards that a community or 2Ib1d. 3 V1l1can-Leman and Assoc., General Development Plan, Tuscola County, Michigan, (D e tro it, Michigan, June 1974), p 52. 4 East Central Michigan Planning and Development Comn1ss1on, Community F a c ilitie s o f Sanilac County, Report #3, March 1974, p. 35. 57 regional h o s p ita l should have from th re e to fo u r general care beds per 1,000 population 1n the service area. 5 Based upon th is standard, an assessment o f general care bed f a c ilit ie s fo r each county 1s as follow s. C urrently, there are three hospitals in Huron County: Harbor Beach Community Hospital 1n Harbor Beach, Huron Memorial Hospital west of Bad Axe, and the Scheurer Hospital 1n Pigeon. Based on the above c r it e r ia , the county should have 102 to 136 general care hospital beds based on a population o f 34,083 (1970 census). The number o f availab le beds In the three hospitals Is 146; th erefo re, the short range demand for bed space appears to be adequate. Tuscola County has the Caro Community Hospital 1n Caro, Michigan and the H ill and Dale General Hospital 1n Cass C ity. hospitals, there are 117 beds fo r p atien t use. Between the two In addition to hospital bed space, there are 166 additional beds ava ila b le In Tuscola County's three nursing homes. A study on the adequacy o f bed space Indicates that given the current s itu a tio n , the ava ila b le bed space appears ade­ quate fo r serving Tuscola County residents.® Sanilac County has three hospitals fo r serving the needs o f Its residents: the McKenzie Memorial Hospital 1n Sandusky, the M arlette Community Hospital 1n M a rle tte , and the D eckervllle Hospital In Deckerv ll l e . Total number o f beds fo r the three hospitals 1s 149 which, according to the above standard, Is s u ffic ie n t fo r the current population of the county. 5 V1l1can-Leman and Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County. Michigan, p. 47. ®V11lean-Leman and Assoc., General Development Plan, Tuscola County, Michigan, p. 45. 58 Doctor, Nursing and Dentist Services Additional background Information related to th is study Include an Inventory o f doctors, nurses, and dentists 1n the study area and a comparison o f the per capita numbers o f these personnel among the counties and the state. Tuscola County has the greatest number o f doctors with th irty -tw o followed by Huron and Sanilac Counties with th irty -o n e and twenty-three doctors respectively. Tuscola County also has the greatest number o f total nurses (333) followed by Huron (286) and Sanilac (255). The number of dentists among the three counties are f a ir ly evenly d istrib u ted with Tuscola County also having the largest number o f dentists (15) followed by Huron and Sanilac Counties with 14 and 13 respectlvely. Table 7 d etails th is Information. Table 7 . --Medical Personnel: D istribu tio n of Physicians, Nurses, and Dentists; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1976. Physicians (MD & DO) Nurses (RN & LPN) Dentists 13,593 75,209 4,684 Huron County 31 286 14 Tuscola County 32 333 15 Sanilac County 23 255 13 Area Michigan SOURCE: Michigan Medical Society, telephone Interview with John Anthony, D irector o f the Bureau o f Research, East Lansing, Michigan, March 1976. Additional Information fo r understanding health care levels 1n terms o f doctor, nursing, and d en tist services fo r residents 1n the three county study area can be seen by reviewing Information on per capita numbers o f these health care personnel. 59 Although Tuscola County has a greater number o f doctors, nurses, and dentists than the other two counties, 1t has fewer doctors per per­ son (1:1519) than Huron County (1:1097), fewer nurses per person (1:146) than e ith e r Huron (1:119) or Sanilac (1:138) Counties, and fewer den­ tis ts per person (1:3240) than Huron (1:2434) or Sanilac (1:2706) Counties. Of the three counties, Huron County has the greatest number o f doctors, nurses, and dentists per person. A s ig n ific a n t finding o f these data, however, is that a ll three counties have markedly fewer doctors per person than e ith e r the recom­ mended standard o f 1:650^ or the state average o f 1:653. S im ila rly , a ll three counties have fewer dentists per person than the state average o f 1:1895 (a recommended per capita standard fo r d en tist services was not a v a ila b le ). With respect to the number o f nurses per person, however, the ra tio s 1n the three counties are comparable to the state as a whole (1:118). Table 8 re fle c ts the per capita d is trib u tio n o f doctors, nurses, and dentists fo r the study area and the s ta te . Table 8 . —Medical Personnel: Ratio o f Physicians, Nurses, and Dentists Per Person; Michigan and Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1976. Area Physicians (MD & DO) Michigan Huron County Tuscola County Sanilac County 1:653 1:1097 1:1519 1:1530 Nurses (RN & LPN) 1:118 1:119 1:146 1:138 Dentists 1 :1895 1:2434 1 :3240 1 :2706 SOURCE: Michigan Medical Society, telephone Interview with John Anthony, D irector o f the Bureau o f Research, East Lansing, Michigan, March 1976. ^Michigan Medical Society, telephone Interview with John Anthony, Director o f the Bureau o f Research, East Lansing, Michigan, March 1976. 60 Fire Protection Services F1re protection services fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties were analyzed by a study group 1n re la tio n to the f i r e protection standards established by the American Insurance Association. The AIA established response standards based on the type o f development served, access to the area, and type o f s ta tio n f a c i l i t y . For recommended response d is ­ tances, the optimum recommended f i r e protection radius fo r high value property Is one and on e-h alf m iles; the radius 1s up to two miles fo r scattered development. Table 9 d e ta ils th is Inform ation. Table 9 . — Recommended Response Distances fo r F ire P rotection, 1965. Type o f D is tr ic t Optimum Service Radius In Miles High Value Protection Commercial, In d u s tria l, In s titu tio n a l 0 Developed Residentials Areas Residential and Commercial 1*5-2 Scattered Development Residential 2 - 5 - 1>* SOURCE: American Insurance Association, B u lle tin No. 315, January 1965; and Michigan Inspection Bureau. In evaluating the f i r e services 1n Huron County based upon c r it e r ia established by the American Insurance Association, the study group indicates th a t a number o f farm and ru ral non-farm areas are not located w ithin the optimum f i r e protection boundaries. The towns and v illa g e s , on the other hand, are much more adequately covered. The study group also assessed Huron County f i r e equipment and personnel as follow s: 61 An evaluation o f the existing f ir e statio n s, which would Include having adequate f a c ilit ie s fo r storing th e ir equipment, s u ffic ie n t number o f firemen and pieces o f f i r e fig h tin g equipment, suggests that Huron County's f ir e protection needs are s u ffic ie n tly met. Most o f the f a c ilit ie s are adequate fo r the present and short-range future needs fo r the respective areas served.8 Tuscola County has th irte e n existin g f ir e stations fo r serving resident needs a ll o f which are served by volunteer personnel. I t was also found that many farm and non-farm residents are outside minimum recommended f ir e protection boundaries. adequately covered. The urban areas are much more An assessment on the general adequacy of Tuscola f ir e f a c ilit ie s was as follows: An evaluation o f the existin g f ir e station s, which would In ­ clude having adequate f a c ilit ie s fo r storing th e ir equipment, suf­ fic ie n t number o f firemen and pieces of f ir e fig h tin g equipment, suggests that Tuscola County's f i r e protection needs are s u f f i­ c ie n tly m e t . 9 Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s An Inventory and general assessment of land f i l l f a c ilit ie s were made fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties. In Huron County, there are twenty-three disposal s ite s , three of which are p riv a te ly owned and twenty are township operated. to a study undertaken o f sanitary land f i l l According f a c ilit ie s In Huron County, the county . . . I s confronted with a severe problem In terms of locating suitable land f i l l sites due to a perched water table which predominates throughout the county. Further the m ajority of the existin g sites are not licensed disposal sites and are operated fo r the most part as open dumps. I f they were to continue to operate 1n th is manner, not only w ill they become "eyesores" but more Importantly nuisances and health hazards to the people o f Huron County.10 o Vlllcan-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County, Michigan, p. 56. g V1l1can-Leman Assoc., General Development Flan, Tuscola County, Michigan, p. 55. ^Vlllean-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County. 62 Tuscola County has tw enty-five existing disposal s ite s , two of which are p riv a te ly owned with the remaining sites v illa g e or township operated. I t was also found th a t Tuscola County has a high water table and th a t, fo r the most p a rt, the existin g sites are not licensed, and are operated p rim arily as open dumps. Although no positive steps were suggested by the study group for Improving sanitary land f i l l f a c ilit ie s fo r Huron or Tuscola Counties, they indicated that a ll sanitary land f i l l f a c ilit ie s should meet the standards as set forth under the Michigan Waste Disposal Act. Summarizing the socio-economic Information on the study area, i t was found th a t, 1n comparison with the state as a whole, the counties are larg ely rural with comparatively l i t t l e 1n-m1grat1on. Sanilac County, 1n fa c t, has had an out-migration o f people which does not suggest a dynamic and growing economy. Also, there 1s a much higher proportion of males and females 65 years old and older In the three counties and proportionately fewer working age persons 1n comparison to the state. In addition, there 1s a larg er percentage of fam ilies 1n a ll three counties below the poverty level when compared to the state. With an older population on fixed Incomes and a comparatively high proportion of persons below the poverty le v e l, th is Information suggests th a t Thumb Area leaders may find 1t d if f ic u lt to generate needed revenues to pay for the ris in g cost o f services. In terms of major Income sources, the data reveal a predominance of earnings 1n a g ricu ltu re (sugar beets, beans, and d airy c a t t le ) , and manufacturing (automotive re la te d ). The background Information on community services reveals that the per capita expenditures In Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties were M ichigan, p. 49. 63 markedly below state per capita expenditures fo r h e a lth , police protec­ tio n , f i r e p ro tectio n , s a n ita tio n , co rrectio n s, and lib r a r y services. The greater per capita expenditures fo r Michigan may r e fle c t a greater need In the more urban areas o f the state fo r such services as prisons, f ir e and police equipment, and garbage disposal. This Information may also suggest fewer resources 1n Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties for upgrading e xis tin g services. Although lib r a r ie s 1n a ll three counties were considered generally adequate, additional space fo r shelving, reading, and parking could be provided fo r some o f the lib r a r ie s . The Inform ation on bed care f a c i l i ­ tie s fo r Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac Counties revealed th a t, based on a recommended standard o f three to four general care beds per 1,000 pop­ u la tio n , the bed space fo r a ll three counties appears to be adequate. Although Tuscola County has the larg est number o f physicians, the county has fewer physicians per person compared with the other two counties. Huron County, on the other hand, has the greatest number o f physicians, nurses, and dentists per person than a ll three counties. The most s ig ­ n ific a n t finding from the health d ata, however, Is th a t a ll three counties have s ig n ific a n tly fewer physicians per person than e ith e r the recommend­ ed standard o f 1:650 or the state as a whole (1 :6 5 3 ). counties have fewer d en tists per person than the s ta te . Also, the three The ra tio o f nurses per person fo r the s ta te and study area was comparable. I t was found th a t 1n respect to f i r e services, many rural non-farm and farm areas were not located 1n the optimum f i r e protection radius as established by the American Insurance Association. F1re department personnel fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties, on the other hand, appeared to be adequate (comparable Information was not a v a ila b le fo r Sanilac County). 64 In an assessment o f sanitary land f i l l f a c ilit ie s fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties (comparable Information was not availab le fo r Sanilac County)* most o f the sanitary land f i l l f a c ilit ie s are "eyesores," health hazards, and do not meet state statutory standards fo r licensing. Although th is background information on services re la tin g to edu­ cation, health , public safety, and public works does not give a complete picture o f the opportunities fo r Improving community services Included In this study, 1t does help local public o ff ic ia ls b etter understand potential consumer service needs. This Information along with the survey findings 1n th is study, w ill therefore serve as a basis fo r recommending community service Improvements In Chapter VI. The following chapter focuses on a d etailed discussion of the research findings. I t Includes an overview o f the respondent character­ is tic s 1n the study area and th e ir opinions concerning the adequacy o f services fo r meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs. CHAPTER V RESEARCH FINDINGS Introduction To meet the research objectives as set forth 1n Chapter I I I , th is chapter provides a d etailed discussion of research findings. Due to the large volume o f data collected in th is research, 1t 1s divided Into four sections fo r c la r it y and convenience of reading. The f i r s t section Involves a b rie f report o f survey returns from service consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls . The discussion in Section I I focuses on the socio-economic char­ a c te ris tic s o f the service consumer and local public o f f ic ia l respondents. A discussion o f sample representativeness is Included 1n th is section. The discussion 1n Section I I I o f this Chapter focuses on a s ix part analysis o f the survey results fo r services w ithin the major service categories o f education, health , recreation , public safety , transportation, public works, and special services. A fu rth e r description o f the s ix - part study analysis 1s presented a t the beginning o f Section I I I . The discussion 1n Section IV focuses on a comparison between actu­ al conditions o f services Included 1n this study (as obtained 1n second­ ary sources) and consumer opinions fo r those same services. ison helps to corroborate these survey findings. 65 This compar­ 66 Section I Survey Completion Rates Of the 3.300 service consumer households surveyed, 965 useable questionnaires were returned fo r a 29.2 % return ra te . There were also 86 non-useable questionnaires: many had less than a page f i lle d In , some were returned with w ritten refu sals, and several were returned blank. Local public o ff ic ia ls had a higher return ra te . Of the 300 local public o ff ic ia ls surveyed, 145 useable questionnaires were returned fo r a 48.3% return ra te . Two questionnaires from th is group were not useable: both had less than a page f i l l e d In. Section I I Respondent C haracteristics The following description o f respondent ch aracteristics serve as background Information on the sample o f service consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls . These c h a ra c te ris tic s , which constitute the Independent variables used in th is analysis, are as follows: county residence, age, length o f residence, occupation, liv in g area locations, sex, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income, and education. The discussion of each respondent c h a ra c te ris tic Is presented In the same order as 1t appeared In the survey Instrument (see Appendix A). In addition to a description o f the background characteristics of service consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls , a comparison was made be­ tween these respondent groups and the population at large (according to census d a ta ), fo r the purpose o f Id e n tify in g sample bias. Comparable census Inform ation, however, was not availab le 1n every Instance; thus, sample bias could not be determined fo r length of residence, liv in g area lo catio n , fa m ilia l status, and m arital status. 67 Chi Square was the s ta tis tic a l technique used to determine I f there were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t differences (a t a * .10) between the characteristics of study group respondents and general population characteristics. County Residence The service consumer and local public o f f ic ia l respondents were f a ir ly evenly d istribu ted among the three counties. Of the three coun­ tie s , the largest percentage o f returns from consumers came from those liv in g In Tuscola County (35%) while Huron County had the largest pro­ portion o f local public o f f ic ia l respondents (35%). No s t a t is t ic a lly sig n ifica n t difference was found In comparing the d is trib u tio n of con­ sumer respondents with the census and the d is trib u tio n o f local public o ffic ia ls with the census. The d is trib u tio n of response among the counties Is detailed 1n Table. 10. Age The largest proportion o f service consumer and local public o f f i ­ c ia l response came from persons between the ages o f f i f t y to f ift y -n in e . No s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t age differences (a t a * .10) were found be­ tween service consumers and the census. Local public o f f ic ia ls , however, were found to d if f e r s ig n ific a n tly from the census 1n age. Generally speaking, the major source o f th is difference was the re la tiv e scarcity of younger local public o ff ic ia ls (between 20-29) and the r e la tiv e ly large proportion of older public o f f ic ia ls . These results would be ex­ pected since local public o ff ic ia ls usually establish th e ir positions a t an older age. Table 11 gives a complete d is trib u tio n o f th is variab le . 68 Table 1 0 .--Household P opu lation D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups by County Compared to Census o f P o p u latio n f o r Huron* S a n ila c , and Tuscola C o u n ties, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Local Public Consumers O f fic ia ls 0 County N % Huron 305 32.7 49 35.0 34,083 29.8 Sanilac 301 32.3 44 31.4 34,889 30.5 Tuscola 327 35.0 47 33.6 48,603 39.7 Total 933 100 N Census o f Population % o f Thumb N Area Population 140 % 100 117,575 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census o f Population: 1970, Michigan, V o l. 1, Summary o f General C h ara c te ris tics , pp. 59-62. S ta tis tic a l significance was not found a t the .10 p ro b a b ility level in comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers among the three counties with the census. S t a t i s t i c a l significance was not found a t the .10 p ro b a b ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n o f o f f ic ia ls among the three counties with the census. Table 1 1 .— Age D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Age N Local Public 0ff1c1alsb % N % Census o f Population N % o f Thumb Area Population 20 - 29 41 14.4 5 3.6 12,717 20.2 30 - 39 174 18.4 17 12.3 10,984 17.4 40 - 49 163 17.7 31 22.5 11,773 18.7 50 - 59 189 20.0 35 25.4 11,191 17.8 60 - 69 170 18.0 28 20.3 8,223 13.1 70+ 109 11.5 22 15.9 8,033 12.8 Total 946 100 138 100 62,921 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census o f Population: 1970, Michigan, V ol. 1, General Characteristics o f the Rural Population fo r counties, pp. 215-20 S t a t is t ic a l significance was not found a t the .10 p ro b ab ility level In comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers among age groups with the census. S t a t is t ic a l significance was found a t the .02 p ro b ab ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n of o ff ic ia ls among age groups with the census. 70 Length o f Residence The largest proportion o f service consumer respondents lived In th e ir county from 10-29 years while the largest proportion of local public o f f ic ia l respondents lived 1n th e ir county 50-59 years. Census Information was not availab le for comparison with the survey respondent groups. The sample o f local public o ff ic ia ls tended to have lived 1n th e ir county longer than the sample of service consumer respondents. The pro­ portion o f local public o ff ic ia ls with fo rty or more years o f residence was markedly higher than consumers while the proportion o f service con­ sumers with zero to th irty -n in e years o f residence was higher than local public o f f ic ia ls . This finding Is consistent with the previous findings on age where local public o ff ic ia ls were also found to be older than the general population. Table 12 d e ta ils the d is trib u tio n o f response fo r this variab le. Occupation Among the various occupational groups, the larg est proportion of service consumer respondents (almost 20%) held operative, labor, c r a f t ment, or factory related jobs. There was also a comparatively high pro­ portion o f consumers who were re tire d (18.5%) or were housewives (18.5%). The largest proportion o f local public o f f ic ia ls , on the other hand, held professional/technical jobs. Over 33% of the local public o ff ic ia ls held th is type of job (th is finding was due to the fa c t th a t many lo a d public o ff ic ia ls who held fu ll-tim e public service related jobs were c la s s ifie d as professional personnel). Table 13 d e ta ils the d is trib u tio n o f oc­ cupation fo r the respondent groups. 71 Table 1 2 .— Length o f Residence D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Length o f Residence (years) Consumers N % Local Public O ffic ia ls N % 9 197 20.9 14 10.1 10 - 29 260 27.6 25 18.1 30 - 39 126 13.4 11 8 .0 40 - 49 130 13.8 23 16.7 50 - 59 112 11.8 29 21.0 60 - 69 69 7.5 22 15.9 70 - 79 38 4 .0 14 10.2 80+ 11 1.0 - 0 - Total 943 100 138 100 72 Table 1 3 .--O c c u p a tio n a l D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Local Public O ffic ia ls Occupations N % N % Professional/government 114 12.3 44 33.3 Managers, adm inistrators and self-employed 50 5.4 6 4 .5 S a le s /c le ric a l 78 8.4 8 6.1 183 19.8 7 5.3 Farmers 93 10.1 36 27.3 Service workers 49 5.3 1 171 18.5 11 15 1.6 1 171 18.5 18 Operatives, laborers, craftsmen, facto ry workers Retired Unemployed or handicapped Housewife Total 924 100 132 .76 8 .3 .76 13.6 100 73 To determine sample bias among occupational groups, 1t was neces­ sary to have comparable Information between respondents and the census population. Since census data did not have " re tire d ," "unemployed/ handicapped," or "housewife" c la s s ific a tio n s , 1t was necessary to re c a l­ culate the percentage d is trib u tio n o f respondents among the remaining occupational groups 1n order to compare respondents with the census pop­ u latio n. In a comparison o f service consumers with the census, the d if f e r ­ ences 1n the d is trib u tio n between service consumers and the census re ­ garding occupation were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. In examining the d is trib u tio n o f service consumers and people generally (according to census data) among the occupational groups, 1t was found that the proportion o f service consumers holding professional-technical jobs was much higher than the Thumb Area population In general. In comparing local public o ff ic ia ls with the census, the d if f e r ­ ences between these two groups were also found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n i­ fic a n t. The major source o f th is difference was a markedly higher pro­ portion of local public o ff ic ia ls holding professional-technical jobs than e ith e r the consumers or people generally. Table 14 d e ta ils a com­ parison between respondents and census population regarding occupation. Living Area Location Among the service consumer respondents, the largest proportion of this group (43%) lived 1n an urban area ( I . e . , a c ity or v illa g e ). The remaining proportion o f service consumers were f a ir ly evenly divided be­ tween farm (28%) and rural/non-farm liv in g areas (29%). In contrast, the largest proportion o f local public o ff ic ia ls lived on farms (52%). Also 1n contrast to consumers, the smallest 74 Table 1 4 .— Occupational D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Occupation N % Local Public O f fic ia ls b N Census o f Population* % N % Professional/government 114 20.1 44 43.1 3,454 9 .0 Managers, adm inistrators and self-employed 50 8.8 6 5.8 2,264 5.9 S a le s /c le ric a l 78 13.7 8 7.8 5.718 14.9 Service 49 1 1 1.0 2,818 7.4 Farmers 93 16.5 36 35.3 4,260 11.1 183 32.3 7 6.9 19,823 51.7 Operatives, laborers, craftsmen, factory workers Total 567 100 102 100 38,337 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census o f Population: 1970, Michigan, Vol. 1, Occupation and £arnIngs fo r Counties, pp. 558-564. aStat1st1cal significance was found a t the .10 p ro b a b ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers among occupation groups with the census. ^ S ta tis tic a l sig nifican ce was found a t the .05 p ro b a b ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n o f o f f ic ia ls among occupation groups with the census. 75 proportion o f local public o f f ic ia ls liv e d 1n urban areas. census Information fo r th is variab le was not a v a ila b le . Comparable The d is tr ib u ­ tion o f consumer and local public o f f ic ia l response 1s depicted 1n Table 15. Table 1 5 .--L iv in g Area Location D is trib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Living Area Location N Local Public O ffic ia ls % N % Urban ( I . e . , c ity or v illa g e ) 406 43.0 56 40.3 Rural/non-farm 277 29.3 11 7.9 Farm 262 27.7 72 51.8 Total 945 100 139 100 Sex Among consumers responding to the survey, there was a s lig h tly greater proportion o f male respondents (59%) than female respondents (41%). Among the local public o f f ic ia ls , a s ig n ific a n tly la rg e r number of males (71%) than females (29%) responded. This Is lik e ly the re s u lt o f a greater number o f males occupying public positions. Differences 1n male-female d is trib u tio n between service consumers and the to ta l population as revealed by the census were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. D ifferences, however, 1n the male-female d is trib u tio n between local public o f f ic ia ls and people 1n general accord­ ing to the census o f population were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. There were a markedly higher proportion of males (71X) among local public o ffic ia ls than the census o f population revealed (49X). The d is trib u tio n of this variable Is detailed 1n Table 16. Table 1 6 .- - Sex D istrib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Sex N X Local Public O ffic ia l sb N X Census of Population X of Thumb Area N Population Males 550 58.7 99 70.7 30,624 48.7 Females 387 41.3 41 29.3 32,297 51.3 Total 937 100 140 100 62,921 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census o f Population: 1970, Michigan, Vol. 1, General CharacterTstlcs o f the Rural Population fo r Counties, pp. 215-220. aStat1st1cal significance was not found at the .10 p ro b ab ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers between sexes with the census. ^ S ta tis tic a l significance was found at the .05 p ro b ab ility level In comparing the d is trib u tio n of o ff ic ia ls between sexes with the census. Marital Status A la rg er proportion o f service consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls were married than were single. E1ghty-s1x percent o f the consumers were married while almost 95X o f the local public o f f ic ia ls were married. Comparable census Information was not availab le since census data are compiled fo r persons fourteen years old and older and the youngest age In the sample was twenty years. Using census data In th is table would, therefore, overstate the proportion o f single persons. on m arital status 1s detailed In Table 17. The Information 77 Table 1 7 .- - M a r it a l S tatus D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers M arital Status N Local Public O ffic ia ls % N % Married 820 86.5 133 95.0 Single 128 13.5 7 5.0 Total 948 100 140 100 Fam ilial Status When fa m ilia l status was reviewed, 1t was found th a t a markedly high proportion o f both service consumersand local public o f f ic ia ls had children a t one tim e. E ighty-eight percent o f the consumers and 93% of the local public o f f ic ia ls have had child ren . I t was also vice consumers and found th a t as lig h tly higher proportion o f both ser­ local public o f f ic ia ls had children liv in g at home than those without children liv in g a t home. Over 57% o f the consumers and 58% o f the local o f f ic ia ls had children liv in g a t home a t the time the study data were c o llec ted . a vailab le fo r th is v a ria b le . Comparable census Information was not Table 18 d lp lc ts the d is trib u tio n o f re ­ sponse fo r th is v a ria b le . Income A large m ajo rity o f consumers (68.5%) had Incomes from $ 0-12,000 and the m ajo rity o f local public o f f ic ia ls had Incomes from $ 0-12,000 (62%). Differences 1n annual fam ily Incomes between service consumers, people 1n the general population (according to the census), and local public o f f ic ia ls were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. There 78 Table 1 8 .— F a m ilia l Status D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Local Public O ffic ia ls Fam ilial Status Ever Had Children Yes No Total N % N % 832 88.0 129 92.8 114 12.0 10 7.2 946 100 139 100 Children Living a t Home Yes 537 57.2 81 58.3 No 399 42.8 58 41.7 Total 933 100 139 100 were, however, a markedly lower percentage o f local public o ffic ia ls earning $ 0-3,000 (3%) compared with consumer respondents (9%) or the census (12%). Also, there was a r e la tiv e ly larg er proportion of local public o ff ic ia ls earning $12,000-25,000 (34%) compared with consumers (28%) or the census (25%). Information on income 1s detailed In Table 19. Education Among the educational categories, the largest proportion o f both consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls had graduated from high schools. Over 40% o f the consumers and 49% o f the local o ff ic ia ls had graduated from high school. The smallest proportion from both groups completed vocational train in g school. This re la tiv e ly small proportion may be due to the lack o f a vailab le vocational opportunities. Only 5% o f the 79 Table 1 9 .— Income D is tr ib u tio n o f Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Income Groups (d o llars ) Consumers* N Local Public O ffic ia ls b % N % Census o f Population N % 0-3 79 9.0 4 2.8 3,661 12.5 3-6 136 15.4 19 13.5 4,774 16.3 6-9 159 18.0 31 21.8 6,707 22.9 9-12 230 26.1 34 23.9 6,092 20.8 12-25 243 27.6 49 34.5 7,322 25.0 25-50 27 3.2 5 3.5 642 2.3 7 0.79 - - 74 0.2 50+ Total 881 100 142 100 29,272 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census olT Population: 1970, Michigan, Vol. 1, Income and Poverty Status In 1969 fo r Counties, p p . 572-78. S ta tis tic a l significance was not found a t the .10 p ro b ab ility level In comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers among levels o f Income with the census. ^ S ta tis tic a l significance was not found a t the .10 p ro b ab ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n of o ff ic ia ls among levels o f Income with the census. 80 consumers and 2% o f the local o ff ic ia ls completed vocational train in g school. The Information on education Is detailed in Table 20. Table 2 0 .—Educational D istribu tio n o f Study Respondent Groups fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Consumers Levels o f Education N % Local Public O ffic ia ls N % Grades 0-8 146 15.7 19 13.4 Grades 9-11 136 14.6 10 7.0 High School Graduate 377 40.5 69 48.6 Completed Voc. Tgn. School 50 5.4 3 2.1 College 1-3 Years 91 9.8 24 16.9 College Graduate 130 14.0 17 12.0 Total 930 100 142 100 As 1n the case o f occupation, i t was necessary to have comparable Information between respondents and the census population to determine sample bias. Therefore, with regard to education, I t was necessary to recalculate the percentage d is trib u tio n o f respondents among levels of education since census data did not have a "vocational education trainin g " c la s s ific a tio n . In comparing respondents to people 1n general (according to census data) among levels o f education, i t was found that the differences be­ tween the d is trib u tio n o f consumers and census population and local o f­ f ic ia ls and census population were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. In examining the d is trib u tio n o f consumers and local o f f ic ia ls ' responses, 1t was found that a markedly larger proportion o f both groups attended 81 college 1-3 years or graduated from college than the general population. Over 10% o f the consumers and 17% o f the o f f ic ia ls attended college 1-3 years compared to only 7% o f people generally. A d d itio n a lly , 15% o f the consumers and 12% o f the local public o ff ic ia ls graduated from college compared to only 5% o f people generally. Also, the proportions of consumers and o f f ic ia ls with low levels o f education were considerably smaller than the census. Table 21 d e ta ils the comparison between respond ents and census population among education groups. Table 2 1 .—Educational D istribu tio n of Study Respondent Groups Compared to Census o f Population fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Study Respondent Groups Levels of Education Consumers* N % Local Public O ffic ia ls 1* N Census o f Population* % N % Grades 0-8 146 16.7 19 13.7 22,181 36.0 Grades 9-11 136 15.4 10 7.2 11,521 18.7 High School Graduate 377 42.8 69 49.6 20,702 33.5 College 1-3 Years 91 10.3 24 17.3 4,375 7.1 Col1ege Graduate 130 14.8 17 12.2 2,896 4.7 Total 880 100 139 100 61,675 100 SOURCE: U.S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau o f the Census, United States Census o f Population: 1970, Michigan, Vol. 1, Educational arid' family Characteristics fo r Counties, pp. 544-50. S ta tis tic a l significance was found a t the .01 p ro b ab ility level 1n comparing the d is trib u tio n o f consumers among levels o f education with tne census. ^ S ta tis tic a l significance was found a t the .001 p ro b ab ility level In comparing the d is trib u tio n o f o ff ic ia ls among levels o f education with the census. 82 Summary o f Respondent Characteristics and Sample Bias Summary o f Service Consumer Characteristics Service consumers who responded to the survey were f a i r l y evenly distributed among Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties with each county representing about 33% o f the to ta l response. Using the modal and median response to the survey Instrument, I t was possible to characterize the typical service consumer as a married male who was graduated from high school with children liv in g a t home. He was fo rty-n in e years of age, and had lived In an urban area ( i . e . , a c ity or v illa g e ) fo r th irty -o n e years. He was employed 1n the trades and earned an annual Income of $9,870. Sunmary o f Local Public O ffic ia l Characteristics The responses from local public o ff ic ia ls were also f a ir ly evenly distributed among the three counties with each county representing about 33% of the to ta l response. Using the modal and median response to the survey Instrument, i t was possible to characterize the typical local public o ff ic ia l as a married male who had graduated from high school and had children liv in g a t home. In contrast to the typical service con­ sumer, the local public o f f ic ia l was f if t y - f o u r years o f age, had lived on a farm fo r forty-seven years, held a professional job (many were also fanners) and had an Income of $10,500. Summary o f Sample Bias In comparing the d is trib u tio n o f service consumer respondents with people In general (according to the census) among county residence, age, sex, and Income groups, no s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t differences (a t a * .10) were found. (That 1s, the differences observed 1n the variatio n 83 of response among these groups were probably due to chance.) S t a t is t i­ c a lly s ig n ific a n t differences, however, between consumers and Thumb Area people in general among occupation and educational groups were found. I t was revealed th a t a s ig n ific a n tly larg er proportion of service consumers than the general population represented professional-technical jobs. I t was also revealed that consumer respondents represented higher levels o f education than people generally achieved according to the census data. In comparing the d is trib u tio n o f local public o ff ic ia ls with people 1n general among county residence and Income, no s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n if i­ cant differences (a t a - .10) were found. S ta tis tic a lly s ig n ific a n t d i f ­ ferences among age, sex, education, and occupational groups were found, however, between local public o ff ic ia ls and the census population. In contrast to the census population, local public o ffic ia ls were found to be s ig n ific a n tly o lder, to represent more males than females, have higher levels o f education, and represent a s ig n ific a n tly larg er proportion of professional occupations (the difference 1n occupation was expected since the sample of local public o ffic ia ls was s tr a tifie d by occupation). Sample bias could not be determined fo r length o f residence, l i v ­ ing area locatio n , fa m ilia l status, and m arital status because compar­ able census Information was not a va ila b le . A possible reason fo r some of the bias represented 1n the popula­ tion of survey respondents 1n comparison to the census population may be the re s u lt o f using a mall out survey research approach. I t seems logical to assume, fo r example, that those with higher levels o f formal education have reading and w ritin g s k ills that b etter enable them to respond to this type o f survey research approach. 84 Representativeness o f the Sample A non-respondent check was made to determine I f the opinions of consumers who did not respond were s im ila r to consumers who did respond. I f the d istrib u tio n s o f non-respondent opinions were s im ila r to those of the respondents, then one can be f a ir ly safe In concluding that the opinions o f consumer respondents were representative o f the to ta l sample of service consumers. For undertaking the non-respondent check, a telephone survey was made of a small sample o f non-respondent households In the three county area. An equal number o f randomly selected households were called In each of the three counties. Time and budget lim ita tio n s made I t possible to contact 129 households, fo rty -th re e households 1n each county. This represented approximately 7% of the non-respondent population. Neither time or resource lim ita tio n s permitted gathering non­ respondent's opinions on service adequacy fo r a ll f if t y - f o u r services Included 1n th is study. Thus, considering the s tip u la tio n th a t service consumers must have f i r s t used a service in order to give an opinion of service adequacy. I t was decided that In order to get opinions from as many non-respondents as possible, services that were found to have the greatest usage 1n each o f the major service categories were selected for the non-respondent check. I t was fu rth er reasoned that non-respond­ ent opinions on the more commonly used services would provide more s ta tis tic a lly re lia b le comparisons because o f the greater number o f responses. (Since the number o f respondents using services 1n the special service category was too low fo r making s t a t is t ic a lly re lia b le comparisons with non-respondents, services representing th is category were omitted 1n the non-respondent check.) 85 Consumers' opinions, th e re fo re , were gathered fo r the following six services: high school services, doctor services, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , police service, local roads, and sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s . In comparing non-respondent and respondent opinions o f service adequacy fo r these six services using Chi Square analysis, a s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ifica n t difference (a t a = .10) was found between the two groups fo r local roads and swimming f a c i l i t i e s . No s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t d i f ­ ferences, however, were found fo r the other services. Although one cannot be certain that the variatio n 1n responses fo r services other than local roads and swimming f a c ilit ie s did not occur by chance, the d is trib u tio n o f respondent and non-respondent opinions on fiv e out o f the six services were f a ir ly s im ila r. With regard to high schools, 1n fa c t, the proportion of those viewing the service "adequate" and "not adequate" was exactly the same between respondent and non-respond­ ent. The greatest d is p a rity 1n opinions between these two groups, however, Is found in the question on swimming f a c ilit ie s where 19% o f the non­ respondents f e l t th a t service was not adequate vs. 35% of the respondents A detailed comparison between respondent and non-respondent views fo r the six services Included 1n the non-respondent check 1s given 1n Table 22. In reviewing the p rio r information on respondent and non-respond­ ent opinions 1t appears that there Is a general s im ila rity 1n the responses between these two groups. Thus, i t would seem safe to say that the responses o f service consumer respondents are generally repre­ sentative o f the to ta l sample o f service consumer respondents. Given lim ited time and resources, a non-respondent check was not made fo r the sample of local public o f f ic ia ls . The p ro b a b ility o f an opinion bias In the sample o f local public o ff ic ia ls was considered to Table 22.—Comparison Between Opinions of Respondents and Non-respondents on Selected Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Respondents Indicating:______ Service Adequate Service Not Adequate Non-respondents Indicating: Service Adequate Total Not Adequate Total N % N % N % N % N % N % High Schools 428 83 86 17 512 100 55 83 11 17 66 100 Doctors 587 81 137 19 724 100 85 77 26 23 111 100 Swimming^ 209 65 112 35 321 100 25 81 6 19 31 100 Police Protection 236 87 35 13 271 100 31 77 9 23 40 100 Local Roads# 375 64 209 36 584 100 88 75 29 25 117 100 Sanitary Landfill 314 82 67 18 381 100 47 90 5 10 52 100 Selected Services ♦S tatistically significant differences were found at the .10 probability level in comparing the distribution of responses between respondents and non-respondents. 87 be less than that 1n the service consumer sample since the return rate from local public o ffic ia ls was s ig n ific a n tly higher than from service consumers (48% compared to 29%). Section I I I Analysis of Survey Results As noted e a r lie r , the following discussion of data analysis 1s broken down Into six parts fo r c la r ity and convenience o f reading. The discussion In Part I focuses upon an overview o f consumers1 opinions on the services Included In the survey fo r the study area as a whole and for each of the three counties. Parts I I and I I I center on an examina­ tion o f characteristics most closely associated with consumer d is s a tis ­ faction o f selected services. The socio-economic variables examined In Part I I are county residence and liv in g area location. Age, length o f residence, occupation, sex, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income, and education are the variables examined 1n Part I I I . Presented 1n Part IV o f th is section 1s an overview of local o f f ic ia ls ' opinions of the area as a whole (the level o f response from th is group was Insuf­ fic ie n t fo r reporting th e ir overall opinions by county). Part V o f the analysis involves a discussion o f the differences found between consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls on opinions o f service adequacy fo r the area as a whole. The discussion 1n Part VI focuses on the rea­ sons users were d is s a tis fie d with selected community services. The discussion In Parts I I , I I I , V, and VI focuses upon the two services 1n each major service category viewed le as t adequate by consumers. (In the case o f health services, three services w ill be discussed since two o f the three services viewed le as t adequate by con­ sumers had the same d is trib u tio n o f response.) Local public o ffic ia ls 88 are then provided with additional Information on services In each major service category that seem to o ffe r the greatest opportunities fo r Im­ provement. Ch1 Square was the s ta tis tic a l technique used 1n Parts I I , I I I , and IV o f th is section fo r determining whether differences 1n opinions among the variables were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The level fo r deter­ mining s ta tis tic a l significance was set a t a - .10. In addition to the Ch1 Square analysis, a 90% confidence interval was calculated for consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls ' overall responses to the survey questions as reported 1n Parts I and IV o f th is section. A 90% confidence In terval means that there Is a 90% p ro b ab ility that the consumers' overall responses to preschool services, fo r example, is ac­ curate (not due to chance) w ithin plus or minus a given percentage ( e .g ., i 9.4%). I t was found that fo r some services, the calculated confidence Interval was large enough to change the d irectio n o f opinion d is trib u tio n for that service ( e .g ., i f 60% o f the consumers indicated roads were adequate and 40% f e l t roads were Inadequate, and the calculated confidence Interval was ± 11%, th is could mean th a t as few as 49% f e l t roads were adequate and as many as 51% f e l t roads to be 1nadequate--thus the d ire c ­ tion o f opinion d is trib u tio n was changed with a confidence Interval c a l­ culated a t ± 11%). I f the calculated confidence In terval was large enough to change the d irection o f opinion d is trib u tio n fo r a given ser­ vice, the results fo r th a t service were considered s ta tis t ic a lly u n re li­ able and are noted with an asterisk ( * ) . See Appendix B fo r the calcu­ lated confidence In tervals fo r each service. 89 Part I This discussion focuses on consumers' overall opinions of service adequacy fo r the area as a whole and fo r each of the three counties. Reporting the survey results fo r the area as a whole helps the reader gain Insights Into possible service problems common to people over a multi-county or regional area; however, since counties w ithin the re­ gional area may have d is tin c t service problems or needs, 1t was also decided to report on consumers' overall opinions on service adequacy fo r each o f the three counties w ithin the study area. In order to give the reader a focus, the emphasis 1s on the two services that consumers found most and least adequate. The results fo r the other services, however, are reported. Overview o f Service Consumers* Opinions for the Study Area as a Whole Education Services Of the education services surveyed, the two community services that service consumers found most adequate 1n the three counties were the Cooperative Extension Service and adult education services In com­ munity colleges. In both cases, more than 95% o f the service consumer respondents expressed satisfactio n with the service. Also, service con­ sumers were r e la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with community colleges, public lib r a r ie s , and elementary schools with more than 92% of the consumers expressing satisfaction 1n a ll cases. Service consumers found comparatively least adequate among the education services surveyed were preschool‘ and high school services. Almost 14% o f the service consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with preschool services while 17% f e l t that high schools were not adequate fo r meeting 90 th e ir needs. A d d itio n ally, over 11% o f the service users expressed d is ­ satisfaction with adult education 1n high schools and vocational schools. The d is trib u tio n o f service consumer opinions fo r each education service is depicted in Table 23. Table 2 3 .--D is trib u tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Education Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Education Services % N % 153 95.6 7 Adult Education 39 95.1 Community College 94 Public Library Total N % 4.4 160 100 2 4.9 41 100 94.0 6 6.0 100 100 441 93.6 30 6.4 471 100 Elementary School 536 92.2 45 7.8 581 100 Vocational School 55 88.7 7 11.3 62 100 Adult Ed. 1n H.S. 155 88.1 21 11.9 176 100 Preschool 125 86.2 20 13.8 145 100 High School 428 83.3 86 16.7 514 100 Cooperative Extension N Service Not Adequate Health Services Among the health services surveyed, service consumers were most satis fie d with Immunization and nursing services. Over 94% found them adequate fo r meeting th e ir Individual and fam ily needs. In add ition , consumers seemed r e la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with general hospital services, ambulance services, d en tist services, and m aternal-child care. 90% or over f e l t them to be adequate. At least 91 Service consumers viewed alcohol re h a b ilita tio n , fam ily planning, and mental health services le as t adequate among the health services sur­ veyed. Of those who had used alcohol re h a b ilita tio n and fam ily planning services, 25% f e l t these services to be Inadequate fo r meeting th e ir needs or the needs o f th e ir fam ily. Of those who had used mental health services, almost 28% were d is s a tis fie d with the service. Consumers ex­ pressed some d issatisfactio n with hospital emergency room services, home health nursing, and doctor services. Almost 12% o f those who had used hospital emergency room services viewed them as inadequate, while 16% were d is s a tis fie d with home health nursing. Moreover, 19% found doctor services Inadequate fo r meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs. The d is trib u tio n of service consumer opinion fo r health services 1s detailed In Table 24. Table 2 4 .--D is trib u tio n of Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Health Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers* Opinions Service Adequate Health Services Immunization Nursing General Hospital Ambulance Dentist M aternal-chiId Care Hospital Emerg. Rm. Home Health Nursing Doctor Alcohol Rehab. Family Planning Mental Health Drug Rehab.* N 227 148 650 227 580 63 500 16 587 12 12 39 2 % 97.0 94.9 93.4 92.3 91.3 90.0 88.2 84.2 81.1 75.0 75.0 72.2 50.0* Service Not Adequate N 7 8 46 19 55 7 67 3 137 4 4 15 2 % 3.0 5.1 6.6 7.7 8.7 10.0 11.8 15.8 18.9 25.0 25.0 27.8 50.0* Total N % 234 156 696 246 635 70 567 9 724 16 16 54 4 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 ^Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly u nreliable due to a low level o f response. 92 R ecreation S ervices Among the recreation services, service consumers f e l t most s a tis fie d with picnic and camping areas. Almost 88% o f the service consumers found picnic areas adequate w hile over 86% Indicated camping areas were adequate. Two recreation services found le a s t adequate were school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use and swimming f a c i l i t i e s . Twenty-three percent f e l t school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use to be Inadequate while 35% o f the service consumer respondents expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with swimming f a c i l i t i e s . In a d d itio n , consumers seemed to be r e la tiv e ly d is ­ s a tis fie d with the other recreation services. These Include organized adult re crea tio n , organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s , and organized recreation fo r youth. Although the lowest proportion of consumers were d is s a tis fie d with organized adu lt recreation (14%), almost 17% expressed d is sa tisfac tio n with organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s . And 19% of the consumers were unhappy with organized recreation fo r youth. Dis­ trib u tio n o f opinion fo r the recreation service category is d eta ile d 1n Table 25. Public Safety Services Of the public safety services surveyed, service consumers were most s a tis fie d with f i r e protection (93%) and police protection (87%). On the other hand, service consumers f e l t le a s t s a tis fie d with the court system and ju v e n ile correction services. Over 16% o f the respond­ ents viewed the court system Inadequate while 18% f e l t d is s a tis fie d with ju v e n ile correction services. The d is trib u tio n o f opinions fo r the pub­ l i c safety category 1s d eta ile d In Table 26. 93 Table 2 5 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f S e rv ic e Consumers' Opinions on th e Adequacy o f R ecreation S ervices f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers * Opinions Recreation Services Service Adequate N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N * Picnic Areas 492 87.9 68 12.1 560 100 Camping Areas 169 86.2 27 13.8 196 100 Organized Adult Rec. 67 85.9 11 14.1 78 100 Organized Rec. fo r Sr. C lt. 30 83.3 6 16.7 36 100 Organized Rec. fo r Youth 158 80.2 39 19.8 197 100 School Rec. F a c ilitie s fo r Use by Community 154 77.0 46 23.0 200 100 Swimming F a c ilitie s 209 65.1 112 34.9 321 100 Table 2 6 .— D is trib u tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Public Safety Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Public Safety Services N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % F1re Protection 195 93.3 14 6.7 209 100 Police Protection 236 87.1 35 12.9 271 100 Court System 127 83.5 25 16.5 152 100 27 81.8 6 18.2 33 100 Juvenile Correction 94 T ra n s p o rta tio n Services Service consumers were most s a tis fie d with school bus service (93%) and scheduled a ir lin e service (93%) among the transportation ser­ vices surveyed. Consumers also seemed to be r e la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with commercial trucking services as over 91% viewed th is service as adequate. On the other hand, local roads and county roads were viewed le a s t adequate by service consumers. Over 35% f e l t d is s a tis fie d with both local road and county road conditions. In addition to road conditions, a r e la tiv e ly large proportion o f consumers were d is s a tis fie d with the condition o f state highways (17%), road plowing fo r local roads (19%), condition o f bridges (26%), and fre ig h t r a il service (29%). The d i s t r i ­ bution o f opinions fo r transportation services is d eta ile d In Table 27. Public Works For the public works services category, public sewers and garbage disposal were f e l t to be the most adequate by service consumers. Almost 93% approved o f public sewer f a c i l i t i e s while over 91% o f the service consumers f e l t s a tis fie d with garbage disposal services. In con trast, service consumers f e l t le as t s a tis fie d with q u a lity o f public water and sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . Almost 11% expressed disapproval o f water q u a lity while over 17% o f the respondents f e l t d is ­ s a tis fie d with sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . Although the question on water q u a lity did not designate "use" ( e .g ., d rin k in g . In d u s tria l use) 1t 1s assumed th a t most respondents In terp reted the question to mean q u a lity o f water fo r household purposes. The d is trib u tio n o f opinions 1n the public works service category 1s d eta ile d 1n Table 28. 95 Table 2 7 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f S e rv ic e Consumers1 Opinions on the Adequacy o f T ra n s p o rta tio n S ervices f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers1 Opinions Service Adequate Transportation Services N Service Not Adequate N % Total N % * School Bus 417 93.5 29 6.5 446 100 Scheduled A irlin e 172 93.0 13 7.0 185 100 Commercial Trucking 204 91.1 20 8 .9 224 100 Condition o f State Highways 471 82.8 98 17.2 569 100 Road Plowing fo r Local Roads 459 80.9 108 19.1 567 100 Condition o f Bridges 358 73.7 128 26.3 486 100 80 71.4 32 28.6 112 100 Condition o f Local Roads 375 64.2 209 35.8 584 100 Condition o f County Roads 358 63.2 208 36.8 566 100 Bus Service Between Towns* 26 59.1 18 40.9 44 100 Freight Rail *Denotes resu lts th a t were s t a t is t ic a lly u n reliab le due to a low level o f response. Table 2 8 .—D is trib u tio n o f Service Consumers' Opinions on the Adequacy o f Public Works Services fo r Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers* Opinions Service Service Adequate Not Adequate Public Works Services N % N % Total N % Public Sewer System 276 92.6 22 7.4 298 100 Garbage Disposal 363 91.2 35 8 .8 398 100 Q uality o f Public Water 313 89.2 38 10.8 351 100 Sanitary L a n d fill 314 82.4 67 17.6 381 100 96 Special Services In the special service category, the two th a t were viewed most adequate by service consumers were fin a n c ia l aid to low income fam ilies (90%) and housing f a c i l i t i e s fo r low income fam ilie s (87.5%). Viewed least adequate by consumers were tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physically handicapped and special care fo r the retarded. Twenty- fiv e percent f e l t d is s a tis fie d with tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physical­ ly handicapped, and almost 27% o f the service consumers expressed d is ­ s atis fa ctio n with special care fo r the retarded. Consumers were also d is ­ s a tis fie d with fam ily counseling fo r personal problems (19%) and job train in g fo r low Income adults (20%). The d is trib u tio n o f service con­ sumer opinion fo r services 1n the special services category Is depicted In Table 29. Overview o f Service Consumers' Opinions fo r Huron. S anilac, and Tuscola Counties Education Services Huron County— In Huron County, the two education services that consumers viewed most adequate were adult education In community colleges and public lib r a ry services. A ll o f the consumers surveyed 1n Huron County were s a tis fie d with a d u lt education 1n community colleges w hile 95% o f the consumers viewed lib r a ry services adequate. A r e la tiv e ly large proportion of consumers 1n Huron County were also s a tis fie d w ith Cooperative Extension (94%), community colleges (91%), elementary schools (91%), and adult education In high schools (91%). Huron County consumers, on the other hand, were le as t s a tis fie d with preschool services and high schools. Over 15% f e l t d is s a tis fie d with preschools services while 21% expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with high schools. 97 Table 2 9 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f S e rv ic e Consumers' Opinions on th e Adequacy o f Special Services f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Service Adequate Not Adequate Special Services N % N % Total N % Financial Aid to Low Income Famll 1es 18 90.0 2 10.0 20 100 Housing F a c ilitie s fo r Low Income Families 7 87.5 1 12.5 8 100 22 81.5 5 18.5 27 100 Job Tng. fo r Low Income Adults 8 80.0 2 20.0 10 100 Tng.-Edu. fo r Physically Handi­ capped 15 75.0 5 25.0 20 100 Special Care fo r the Retarded 11 73.3 4 26.7 15 100 Child Day Care* 6 75.0 2 25.0 8 100 Family Counseling fo r Finan­ c ia l Problems* 3 75.0 1 25.0 4 100 Housing F a c ilitie s fo r the E ld e rly * 8 57.1 6 42.9 15 100 Legal Services fo r Low Income* 1 33.3 2 66.7 3 100 Provision o f Food Service to the E ld erly* 5 62.5 3 37.5 8 100 Family Counseling fo r Per­ sonal Problems ♦Denotes re su lts th a t were s t a t is t ic a lly u n reliab le due to a low level o f response. 98 Sanilac County— In Sanilac County, the two education services that service consumers f e l t to be most adequate were Cooperative Extension and community college education. One hundred percent of the consumers f e l t that Cooperative Extension Services were adequate while 94% were s a tis ­ fied with community college education. Consumers also f e l t r e la tiv e ly s atis fie d with preschool services (93%), public lib ra r y services (93%), and elementary school (93%). The two services that Sanilac County f e l t least s a tis fie d with were adult education 1n community college (15% expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n ) and vocational education (17% were c r i t i c a l ) . A d d itio n a lly , a r e la tiv e ly large proportion o f consumers were d is s a tis fie d with adult education 1n high schools (11%), and high school services (14%). Tuscola County—The two education services consumers f e l t to be most adequate In Tuscola County were adult education 1n community colleges (100% o f the consumers found th is service adequate) and community college education (95% o f the consumers expressed s a tis fa c tio n ). A d d itio n a lly , a re la tiv e ly large proportion o f consumers expressed s atis fa ctio n with Cooperative Extension (94%), public lib ra rie s (94%), elementary schools (93%), and vocational education (92%). In contrast, consumers In Tuscola County least s a tis fie d with high school services and adult education In high schools. Over 13% of the consumers f e l t high schools to be Inadequate while 16% expressed d is sa t­ isfaction with adult education In high schools. Also, a re la tiv e ly large proportion o f consumers 1n Tuscola County f e l t d is s a tis fie d with preschool services. Almost 14% found preschool services Inadequate fo r meeting th e ir needs. The comparative d is trib u tio n of consumer opinion fo r education services by county Is depicted 1n Table 30. Table 30 .--Comparison of Service Consumers' Opinions on Education Services for Huron, Sanilac, ami Tuscola Counties, 1974. Education Service __________________________________ Service Consumers' Opinions_________________________ ________ Huron County__________ Sanilac County_________ Tuscola County Service Service Service Service Service Service Mequate Mequate Not Adequate Total Adequate Not Adequate Total Not Adequate N X N X N X N X N X N X N X N X Total N X 4$ 84.9 8 15.1 53 100 33 94.3 2 5.7 35 100 45 86.5 7 13.5 52 100 Elementary 172 91.5 15 8.5 188 100 154 93.9 10 6.1 164 100 197 93.4 14 6.6 211 100 High School 138 79.3 36 20.7 174 100 128 85.9 21 14.1 149 100 153 86.4 24 13.6 177 100 Vocational 20 90.9 1 9.1 22 100 10 83.3 2 16.7 12 100 23 92.0 2 8.0 25 100 Coaainlty College 21 91.3 2 8.7 23 100 34 94.4 2 5.6 36 100 36 94.7 2 5.3 38 100 Mult Ed. in High School 59 90.8 6 9.2 65 100 34 89.5 4 10.5 38 100 59 84.3 11 15.7 70 100 - - 9 100 11 84.6 2 15.4 13 100 18 100 - - 18 100 51 100 - - 51 100 49 94.2 3 5.8 52 100 136 100 153 93.5 11 6.5 169 100 Preschool Molt Ed. in Comm. Clg. Cooperative Extension Public Library 9 100 48 94.1 3 5.9 51 100 144 94.7 8 5.3 152 100 127 93.4 9 6.6 100 Health Services Huron County--In Huron County, the two health services that were viewed most adequate were nursing services and Immunization services. A ll of the respondents In Huron County viewed nursing services adequate while 97% viewed immunlcatlon services adequate. Consumers were also re la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with ambulance services (96%), general hospital ser­ vices (96%), and d en tist services (93%), maternal and child health care (90%) and hospital emergency room services (90%). In contrast, Huron County consumers were least s a tis fie d with mental health services and doctor services. Almost 24% o f those who have used mental health services f e l t d is s a tis fie d while the same per­ centage (24%) f e l t doctor services to be Inadequate. Sanilac County—Of the health services 1n Sanilac County, two services that were considered most satisfacto ry by consumers were nurs­ ing services and Immunization services. these services adequate. N in ety -fiv e percent found In add itio n , 90% or over viewed general hospi­ tal services, d en tist services, maternal and child health care, and ambulance service adequate fo r meeting th e ir needs. Sanilac County consumers, on the other hand, were least s a tis fie d with doctor services and hospital emergency room services. Almost 13% of the consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with the adequacy of doctor services and 14% f e l t that hospital emergency room services were Inadequate. Tuscola County— In Tuscola County, the two health services found most adequate were Immunization services and general hospital services. One hundred percent o f the consumers were s a tis fie d with the adequacy o f Immunization services, and 94% f e l t s a tis fie d with general hospital 101 services. Over 87% o f the Tuscola County consumers were also s a tis fie d with nursing services, ambulance services, hospital emergency room ser­ vices, d e n tis t services, and maternal c h ild health care. On the other hand, Tuscola County consumers f e l t le a s t s a tis fie d with doctor services and mental health services. Nineteen percent In d i­ cated d is s a tis fa c tio n with the adequacy o f doctor services while 22% f e lt d is s a tis fie d with mental health services. The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer responses fo r health services among the counties 1s depicted 1n Table 31. Recreation Services Huron County—Among the recreation services 1n Huron County, the two services th a t consumers viewed most adequate were organized recrea­ tion fo r senior c itiz e n s and camping areas. Almost 93% found organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s adequate while 88% o f the consumers f e l t s a tis fie d with picnic areas. A d d itio n a lly consumers f e l t r e la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with the adequacy o f picnic areas (88%). The two recreation services viewed le as t adequate 1n Huron County were organized recreation fo r youth and swimming f a c i l i t i e s . Almost 23% f e l t d is s a tis fie d with organized recreation fo r youth and 31% f e l t that swlmnlng f a c i l i t i e s were inadequate. Organized adult recreation and organized recreation fo r community use were two fu rth e r services th a t Huron County consumers found r e la tiv e ly Inadequate. F ifteen percent ex­ pressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with organized adult recreation while 21% o f the consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with school recreation fo r community use. Table 31 .--Comparison of Service Consumers' Opinions on Health Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Health Service ___________________________________ Service Consumers' Opinions__________________________________ _________ Huron County__________ Sanilac County_______________ TuscolaCounty___ Service Service Service Service Service Service Mequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total H X H I H I H X H X H X H X H X H I General Hospital 220 95.6 10 4.3 230 100 202 91.8 18 8.2 220 100 211 93.8 14 6.2 225 100 Hospital Emergency Room 166 89.2 20 10.7 186 100 145 85.8 24 14.2 169 100 174 89.7 20 10.3 194 100 Hurslng 50 100 - - 50 100 55 94.8 3 5.2 58 100 39 90.7 4 9.3 43 100 Doctor 176 76.2 55 23.8 231 100 196 87.1 29 12.9 225 100 200 81.0 47 19.0 247 100 Dentist 201 93.1 15 6.9 216 100 196 91.2 19 8.8 215 100 167 89.3 20 10.7 187 100 Immmlration 97 97.0 3 3.0 100 100 51 94.4 3 5.6 54 100 74 100 - * 74 100 Maternal Child Health Care 26 89.7 3 10.3 29 100 22 91.7 2 8.3 24 100 14 87.5 2 12.5 16 100 Ambulance 75 96.2 3 3.8 78 100 77 89.5 9 10.5 86 100 66 90.4 7 9.6 73 100 Mental Health 16 76.2 5 23.8 21 100 9 60.0* 6 40.0* 15 100* 11 78.6 3 21.4 14 100 - 6 100 2 50.0 2 50.0 4 100 4 66.7 2 33.3 6 100 33.3 3 100 2 50.0 2 50.0 4 100 - - 1 50.0 1 50.0 2 100 - - 6 100 Alcohol Rehabilitation* 6 100 - Drug Rehabilitation* 2 1 Family Planning* 6 100 - - 6 100 4 57.1 3 42.9 7 100 1 Home Health Hurslng* 5 100 - - 5 100 5 62.5 3 37.5 8 100 6 100 66.7 *Oenotes results that were statistically unreliable due to a low level of response. too 1 100 103 Sanilac County—Among the recreation services 1n Sanilac County, the two services th a t consumers viewed most adequate were picnic areas and organized adult recreation . Over 89% f e l t picnic areas were adequate while 87% considered organized adult recreation adequate. In a d d itio n , 86% o f the consumers f e l t s a tis fie d with camping areas. In contrast, school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use and swimming f a c ilit ie s were considered le as t adequate by consumers. Over 22% f e l t school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use were Inadequate, and 26% were c r it ic a l o f swimming f a c i l i t i e s . Also, 20% or over f e l t d is s a tis fie d with organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s and organized recreation fo r youth. Tuscola County—The two recreation services 1n Tuscola County that consumers were most s a tis fie d with were organized recreation fo r youth and picnic areas. Over 85% o f the consumers were s a tis fie d with organized recreation fo r youth and picnic areas. Camping areas and organized adult recreation followed closely with over 83% o f the con­ sumers expressing s a tis fa c tio n with these services. Swimming f a c i l i t i e s were viewed least adequate by consumers 1n Tuscola County. Over 47% viewed swimming f a c i l i t i e s Inadequate. (The level o f response fo r organized recreation fo r senior c itiz e n s was In ­ s u ffic ie n t to be s t a t is t ic a lly r e lia b le .) The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer responses fo r recrea­ tion services as broken down by county Is depicted 1n Table 32. Table 3 2 ,--Comparison of Service Considers’ Opinions on Recreation Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Recreation Service ___________________________________Service Conswers' Opinions__________________________ ________ Huron County__________ Sanilac County_________ Tuscola County Service Service Service Service Service Service Adequate Not Adequate Adequate Total Total Not Adequate Adequate Not Adequate N X R * N X N t N X N 1 N 1 N X Total N X Picnic Areas 172 88.2 23 11.8 185 100 151 89.3 18 10.6 169 100 151 84.8 27 15.2 178 100 Casing Areas 68 88.3 9 11.7 77 100 49 85.5 9 15.5 58 100 45 83.3 9 16.7 54 100 Seining Facilities 81 69.2 36 30.8 117 100 70 73.7 25 26.3 95 100 52 52.5 47 47.5 99 100 School Rec. for Con. Use 62 79.5 16 20-5 78 100 38 78.0 11 22.0 49 100 49 74.2 17 25.8 66 100 Organized Rec. for Youth 58 77.3 17 22.7 75 100 36 78.3 10 21.7 46 100 56 84.9 10 15.1 66 100 Organized Adult Rec. 29 85.3 5 14.7 34 100 20 87.0 3 13.0 23 100 15 83.3 3 16.7 18 100 Organized Rec. for Sr. C1tz. 13 92.9 1 7.1 14 100 8 80.0 2 20.0 10 100 8 72.7* 3 27.3* 11 100* ^Denotes results that were statistically unreliable due to a low level of response. 105 Public Safety Services Huron County--The two public safety services that consumers 1n Huron County viewed most adequate were f ir e protection and ju ven ile correction. A ll persons who had used these services found them s a tis ­ factory. Consumers, on the other hand, were most c r it ic a l o f the court system and police protection In Huron County. Seven percent viewed the court system Inadequate while 11% viewed police protection Inadequate. Sanilac County—Of the public safety services In Sanilac County, the level o f consumer response fo r ju v en ile correction services was too low to be s ta tis t ic a lly r e lia b le . Since there are only three services with a s u ffic ie n t level o f response, the service found most and least adequate w ill be discussed. F1re protection was considered most adequate among Sanilac County consumers with 88% Indicating the service to be adequate. The court system, on the other hand, was considered least adequate with 17% view­ ing the service Inadequate. Tuscola County--In Tuscola County, the two public safety services viewed most adequate were f i r e and police protection. Over 90% o f the consumers found f ir e protection adequate while 85% viewed police pro­ tection adequate. The two public safety services viewed least adequate were the court system and ju v en ile corrections. Twenty-five percent o f the con­ sumers f e l t these services to be Inadequate. The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer opinion among the counties 1s depicted In Table 33. Table 33.—Comparison of Service Consumers' Opinions on Public Safety Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Public Safety Service ___________________________________Service Consumers' Opinions__________________________________ ________ Huron County_______________ SanilacCounty__________ TuscolaCounty__ Service Service Service Service Service Service Adequate Hot Adequate Total Mequate Not Mequate Total Mequate Not Mequate Total N X N X N X N X N X N X N X N X N X Fire Protection €6 100 Police Protection 92 Court System Juvenile Correction 66 100 53 88.3 7 11.7 60 100 68 90.7 7 9.3 75 100 10.7 103 100 73 84.9 13 15.1 86 100 58 85.3 10 14.7 68 100 6.7 45 100 45 83.3 9 16.7 54 100 36 75.0 12 25.0 48 100 - 12 100 5 62.5* 3 37.5* 8 100* 9 75.0 3 25.0 12 100 - - 89.3 11 42 93.3 3 12 100 - "Denotes results that mere statistically unreliable due to a low level of response. 107 T ra n s p o rta tio n S ervices Huron County—School bus services and scheduled a ir lin e services were the two transportation services in Huron County th a t were viewed most adequate. N in e ty -fiv e percent o f the consumers viewed school bus services adequate, and 91% viewed scheduled a ir lin e services adequate. Consumers were also r e la tiv e ly s a tis fie d with commercial trucking ser­ vices with almost 91% viewing th is service adequate. The two transportation services th a t Huron County consumers view­ ed le as t adequate were bridges and fre ig h t r a il service. Almost 29% o f the consumers viewed fre ig h t r a il services Inadequate while 33% viewed bridges Inadequate. Other services with which a comparatively large proportion o f Huron County consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d Included road plowing (13%), condition o f state highways (15%), and conditions o f county and local roads (28%). Sanilac County—School bus service and scheduled a ir lin e services were the two transportation services viewed most adequate In Sanilac County. Ninety-two percent o f the consumers were s a tis fie d with these services. In c o n trast, local and county roads were viewed le a s t adequate by Sanilac County consumers. Over 38% o f the consumers 1n Sanilac County f e l t d is s a tis fie d with local and county roads. Moreover, a r e la tiv e ly large proportion o f Sanilac County consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with commercial trucking (13%), condition o f state highways (17%), road plow­ ing (19%), fre ig h t r a il services (30%), and bridge conditions (31%). 108 Tuscola County—Among the transportation services, Tuscola County consumers were most s a tis fie d with scheduled a ir lin e service and school bus service. N in e ty -fiv e percent were s a tis fie d with scheduled a ir lin e services, and over 93% f e l t school bus service to be adequate. Service consumers also f e l t f a i r l y s a tis fie d with commercial trucking services (93%). Local and county road conditions, on the other hand, were viewed le as t adequate. road conditions. Approximately 40% were d is s a tis fie d with local and county In a d d itio n , a r e la tiv e ly large proportion o f Tuscola County consumers were also d is s a tis fie d with the condition o f bridges (18%), condition o f state highways (18%), road plowing (24%), and fre ig h t r a il services (25%). The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer opinions fo r transporta­ tion as broken down by county Is depicted 1n Table 34. Public Works Huron County—Of the services In the public works category, the two services th a t Huron County consumers found most adequate were public sewer system f a c i l i t i e s and public water q u a lity . Almost 94% o f the consumers f e l t public sewer system f a c i l i t i e s to be adequate w hile 93% expressed s a tis fa c tio n with water q u a lity . Garbage disposal and san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s were two public works services th a t Huron County respondents found le a s t adequate. Over 9% o f the consumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with garbage disposal and 17% ex­ pressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . Sanilac County—Among the public works services, the two services that Sanilac County respondents found most adequate were garbage disposal Table 3 4 .--Comparison of Service Consumers' Opinions on Transportation Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Transportation Service ___________________________________Service Consumers' Opinions__________________________________ ________ Huron County________________ SanilacCounty__________ TuscolaCountv___ Service Service Service Service Service Service Adequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total H X H X H X H X H X H X H X H X HX 130 94.9 7 5.1 137 100 139 92.7 11 7.3 150 100 135 93.1 10 6.9 145 100 Scheduled Airline 51 91.1 5 8.9 56 100 35 92.1 3 7.9 38 100 77 95.1 4 4.9 81 100 Freight Rail 30 71.4 12 28.6 42 100 19 70.4 8 29.6 27 100 30 75.Q 10 25.0 40 100 Co— rclal Trucking 69 90.8 7 9.2 76 100 49 87.5 7 12.5 46 100 78 92.9 6 7.1 84 100 Road Plowing 160 87.4 23 12.6 183 100 134 81.2 31 18.8 165 100 150 75.8 48 24.2 198 100 Condition of Local Roads 128 71.5 51 28.5 179 100 110 61.8 68 38.2 178 100 126 61.5 79 38.5 205 100 Condition of Co. Roads 125 72.3 48 27.8 173 100 105 61.4 66 38.6 171 100 119 59.2 82 40.8 201 100 Condition of State Roads 146 84.9 26 15.1 172 100 146 83.4 29 16.6 175 100 164 81.6 37 18.4 201 100 Condition of Bridges 100 68.1 47 32.9 147 100 101 68.7 46 31.3 147 100 143 82.2 31 17.8 174 100 13 68.4 6 31.6 19 100 4 57.1 3 42.9 7 100 8 47.1 9 52.9 17 100 Bus Service Between Towns* •Denotes results that were statistically unreliable due to a low level of response. 109 School Bus Service no services and public water q u a lity . Almost 942 o f the consumers found garbage disposal adequate, and 882 found public water q u a lity adequate. Sanilac County consumers, on the other hand, were le as t s a tis fie d with the public sewer system (142 expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n ) and sani­ ta ry la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s (16% f e l t the service to be Inadequate)* Tuscola County—Tuscola County consumers found the public sewer system and garbage disposal services most adequate among the public works services. Over 962 found the public sewer system adequate while 882 f e l t s a tis fie d with garbage disposal. In c o n trast, consumers were le a s t s a tis fie d w ith public water q u a lity and san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . Over 132 viewed water q u a lity Inadequate, and 202 found san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s unsatisfactory. The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer opinion fo r public works services among the counties Is depicted In Table 35. Special Services Due to the general low level o f response among the special ser­ vices, the resu lts were not s t a t is t ic a lly r e lia b le . The follow ing d is ­ cussion, th e re fo re , w ill focus only on those services th a t were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly r e lia b le . Huron County—Among the special services 1n Huron County with a s u ffic ie n t level o f response, th a t viewed as most adequate was fin a n c ia l aid to low Income fam ilie s ( a ll persons responding f e l t th is service to be adequate). The special service found le a s t adequate 1n Huron County was fam ily counseling fo r personal problems. to be Inadequate. Twenty-five percent f e l t th is service Table 35.—Caparison of Service Consumers' Opinions on Public Works Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Public Works Service ___________________________________ Service Consumers' Opinions__________________________________ _________ Huron County_______________ SanilacCounty__________ TuscolaCounty___ Service Service Service Service Service Service Adequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total Adequate Hot Adequate Total N X N X N X N X N X N X N X N X NX Garbage Disposal 105 90.5 11 9.5 116 100 118 93.7 8 6.3 126 100 121 88.3 16 11.7 137 100 Sanitary Landfill 87 82.9 18 17.1 105 100 110 84.0 21 16.0 131 100 108 80.0 27 20.0 135 100 111 92.5 9 7.5 120 100 92 87.6 13 12.4 105 100 98 86.7 15 13.3 113 100 92 93.9 6 6.1 98 100 72 85.7 12 14.3 84 100 106 96.4 4 3.6 110 100 Quality of Public Water Public Sewer Systeu 112 Sanilac County—The level o f response was s u ffic ie n t In Sanilac County fo r reporting on only one service. I t was found th a t 83% o f the consumers viewed fam ily counseling fo r personal problems adequate. Tuscola County— In Tuscola County, a ll respondents found fin a n c ia l aid to low Income fa m ilie s , special care fo r the retarded, and tra ln ln g educatlon fo r the physically handicapped to be adequate. The service that consumers found le a s t adequate was fam ily counseling fo r personal problems. Over 11% found th is service inadequate. The comparative d is trib u tio n o f consumer opinion fo r special services among the three counties is depicted 1n Table 36. The discussion o f research findings In Parts I I , I I I , V, and VI o f th is section w ill deal with the follow ing two services in each major service category th a t consumers 1n the area as a whole found le as t ade­ quate: (as noted e a r lie r , three services In the health service category w ill be discussed since two o f the three services viewed le a s t adequate by consumers had the same d is trib u tio n o f response) Education Services— preschool services and high school; Health Services—alcohol r e h a b ilita ­ tio n , fam ily planning and mental health services; Recreation Services— school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use and swlrimlng f a c i l i t i e s ; Public Safety Services—court system and ju v e n ile co rrectio n ; Transporta­ tion Services—condition o f local roads and condition o f county roads; Public Works Services—q u a lity o f public water and san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s ; andSpecial Services—tra1n1ng-educat1on handicapped and special care fo r the retarded. fo r the physically Table 3 6.--Conparison of Service Consumers‘ Opinions on Special Services for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Service Consumers' Opinions Special Service Service Adequate R f Huron County__________ Service Total Not Adequate N X N X Sanilac County_________ Service Service Not Adequate Total Adequate N X N X N X Tuscola County Service Service Adequate Not Adequate N X N X Total N X 7 100 5 71.4* 2 28.6* 7 100* 6 100 25.0 12 100 5 83.3 1 16.7 6 100 8 2 22.2 9 100 2 40.0* 3 60.0* 5 100* 6 100 - 6 100 75.0* 1 25.0* 4 100* 1 25.0* 3 75.0* 4 100* 7 100 - 7 100 3 75-0 1 25.0 4 100 2 100 - - 2 100 2 100 - 2 TOO Job Tng-Low Incowe* 2 66.7 1 33.3 3 100 3 100 - - 3 100 3 1 Child Iky Care* 2 66.7 1 33.3 3 100 1 1 50.0 2 100 3 100 - 7 100 - - Fas. Counsel1ng-Pers. Prob. 9 75.0 3 Tng-Ed. Phy. Handicapped 7 77.8 Spec. Care for Retarded 3 Housing Fee-Low Incoae* Fas. Counseling-Financial* Housing Fac-Elderly* 3 Legal Srvc-Low Incoae* 1 100 Provision Food Ser-Elderly* 2 100 50.0 50.0 75.0 1 11.1 25.0 9 TOO 4 100 3 100 2 100 - - 2 100 1 50.0 1 50.0 2 100 4 57.1 3 42.9 7 100 3 75.0 1 25.0 4 100 50.0 6 100 1 100 - - 1 100 - - 1 100 - - 2 100 2 100 - - 2 100 - - 2 100 2 100 3 88.9 6 100 - *0enotes results that Mere statistically unreliable due to a low level of response. 113 F1n. Aid to Lou Inc. 114 Part I I Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions Among Counties and Living Area Location The discussion 1n th is part centers on an analysis o f consumers' opinions by county and by liv in g area location. P a rtic u la r atten tio n Is given to comparing consumers' opinions that were found to be s ta tis ­ t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t a * .10. This analysis, th erefo re, Id e n tifie s which socio-economic characteristics ( I . e . , county residence and liv in g area location) are most closely associated with consumer d is sa tisfac tio n with the services mentioned above. Thus, possible opportunities fo r Improving services to people 1n a given geographic location are Id e n ti­ fie d . Education Services High School Services--Consumer opinion differences concerning the adequacy o f high school services among the three counties and among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residences were not found to be s ta tis ­ t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Preschool Services—Opinion differences among the three counties regarding the adequacy o f preschool services were not found to be s ta tis ­ t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t; the level o f response, however, was In s u ffic ie n t for determining whether differences In opinions among urban, rural nonfarm, and farm residents were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Health Services Alcohol R ehabilitation and Family Planning Services—The level of response fo r alcohol re h a b ilita tio n and fam ily planning services was In ­ s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether opinion differences among the three 115 or among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Mental Health Serv1ces--The level o f consumer response fo r mental health services was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences In opinions among the three counties or among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Recreation Services School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Use by Whole Community—Consumers' opinions regarding the adequacy o f school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r com­ munity use were analyzed. opinions among the No s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t difference 1n three counties or among urban, rural non-farm, or farm residents was discovered In the analysis. Swlmnlng F a c 1 litle s —The differences 1n consumers' opinions con­ cerning swlmnlng f a c ilit ie s among the three counties were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The d is trib u tio n of response fo r swimming f a c ilit ie s showed th a t Tuscola County consumers f e l t least s a tis fie d with the adequacy o f swlmnlng f a c ilit ie s compared with consumers 1n Huron or Sanilac Counties. Almost 48X o f Tuscola County consumers f e l t d is ­ s atis fie d with the adequacy o f swimming f a c ilit ie s . S im ila rly , neither Huron nor Sanilac County respondents were p a rtic u la rly s a tis fie d with swlmnlng f a c ilit ie s as w e ll. In Huron County more than 31* f e l t that swlmnlng f a c ilit ie s were Inadequate while over 25* o f the consumers In Sanilac County expressed d is sa tisfac tio n . Table 37 d e ta ils a comparison between service consumers' opinions on swimming f a c ilit ie s and county residence. 116 Table 3 7 .— Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Swimming F a c il i t ie s fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola C ounties, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate County Residence* N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % Huron County 81 69.2 36 30.7 117 100 Sanilac County 70 73.7 25 26.3 95 100 Tuscola County 52 52.5 47 47.5 99 100 d iffe re n c e s in consumers' opinions among county residences were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t at the .10 p ro b ab ility le v e l. Differences In opinions among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents regarding the adequacy of swimming f a c ilit ie s were not found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Public Safety Services Court Services—Consumer opinion differences among the three counties regarding court services were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n if i­ cant. The proportion of Sanilac County consumers expressing d is s a tis fa c ­ tion with the adequacy o f the court system was almost four times larg er than that In Huron County. Twenty-five percent o f the Sanilac County consumers considered the court system Inadequate for meeting th e ir needs compared with only 7% 1n Huron County. the court system inadequate. In Tuscola County, 17% viewed Table 38 d e ta ils a comparison between service consumers' opinions on the court system and county residence. Differences 1n consumers' opinions among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents regarding the adequacy o f the court system were not found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. 117 Table 3 8 .--Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Court S ervices f o r Huron, S a n ila c * and Tuscola C o u n ties , 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate County Residence3 N Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % Huron County 42 93.3 3 6.7 45 100 Sanilac County 36 75.0 12 25.0 48 100 Tuscola County 45 83.3 9 16.7 54 100 d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions among county residences were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b a b ility le v e l. Juvenile Correction Serv1ces--The level o f response from consumers fo r ju v e n ile correction services was in s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences 1n opinion among counties or among liv in g area locations were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Transportation Services Local Roads— Consumer opinion differences among the three counties regarding local road conditions were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n i f i­ cant. The d is trib u tio n o f responses among the three counties showed that Tuscola and Sanilac County consumers viewed local road conditions less adequate than consumers 1n Huron County: among consumers 1n Tuscola and Sanilac Counties, 38% f e l t local roads were Inadequate; and o f con­ sumers liv in g 1n Huron County, 28% viewed local road conditions inade­ quate. Thus, 1t seems that consumers f e l t local road conditions to be somewhat o f a problem 1n a ll three counties—p a rtic u la rly 1n Tuscola and Sanilac Counties. Table 39 d e ta ils a comparison between service consumers' opinions on local road conditions and county residence. 118 Table 3 9 .--Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Local Road C onditions f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola C o u n ties, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate County Residence8 N Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % Huron County 128 71.5 51 28.5 179 100 Sanilac County 110 61.8 68 38.2 178 100 Tuscola County 126 61.5 79 38.5 205 100 d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions among county residences were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b a b ility le v e l. Consumer opinion differences on the condition o f local roads among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents were also found to be s t a t i s t i ­ c a lly s ig n ific a n t. Although there was a considerable amount o f d is s a tis ­ faction expressed by a ll groups, about 47% o f the farm respondents viewed local road conditions Inadequate and 36% o f ru ral non-farm residents f e l t d is s a tis fie d . In con trast, 27% o f the urban consumers expressed d is s a tis ­ faction with local road conditions. Table 40 1s a comparison between consumers' opinions on local road conditions and liv in g area lo catio n. County Road Conditions—Consumer opinion differences among the three counties regarding the adequacy o f county roads were also found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The v a ria tio n In response showed th a t, as In the case o f local road conditions, Tuscola and Sanilac county respondents f e l t le as t s a tis fie d with the adequacy o f county road con­ d itio n s . Over 40% o f Tuscola County consumers and 37% o f the Sanilac County respondents expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n . However, a f a i r l y large proportion o f Huron respondents were also d is s a tis fie d with the adequacy 119 Table 4 0 .— Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Local Road Conditions Among L iv in g Area Locations fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Living Area Locations3 Service Adequate N Consumers' Opinions Service Not Adequate N % Total % N % Urban 168 73.0 62 27.0 230 100 Rural Non-farm 114 64.0 64 36.0 178 100 86 53.4 75 46.6 161 100 Farm d iffe re n c e s In consumers' opinions among liv in g area locations were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t at the .001 p ro b ab ility le v e l. of county road conditions (28%). Table 41 d e ta ils a comparison of con­ sumers' opinions on county road conditions and county residence. Table 4 1 .—Comparison of Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties, 1974. Service Adequate County Residence9 N Consumers' Opinions Service Not Adequate N % % Total N % Huron County 125 72.2 48 27.7 173 100 Sanilac County 105 61.4 66 38.6 171 100 Tuscola County 119 59.2 82 40.8 201 100 d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions among county residences were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .05 p ro b ab ility le v e l. S1m1lar1ly» consumer opinion differences among urban, rural nonfarm, and farm respondents concerning county road conditions were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The d is trib u tio n o f consumer response fo r opinions on county road conditions followed the same general pattern 120 of those fo r local road conditions. I t was found th a t farm respondents were le as t s a tis fie d (44%) followed by rural non-farm (40%) and urban respondents (29%). Table 42 Is a comparison between consumers' opinions on county road conditions and liv in g area location. Table 4 2 .—Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Living Area Locations* Service Adequate N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % Urban 155 70.5 65 29.5 220 100 Rural Non-farm 105 62.1 64 37.9 169 100 90 55.9 71 44.1 161 100 Farm d iffe re n c e s In consumers' opinions among liv in g area locations were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .02 p ro b ab ility le v e l. Public Works Q uality of Public Water--D1fferences 1n consumers' opinions among the three counties regarding the q u a lity of public water were not found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The level o f response fo r public water q u ality was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences 1n opinions among urban, rural non-farm, and farm respondents were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Sanitary L a n d fill Fac1l1t1es--Consumer opinion differences among the three counties on sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s were not found to be s ta tis tic a lly s ig n ific a n t. 121 Differences 1n opinions, however, among urban, ru ral non-farm, and farm respondents were found to d if f e r s ig n ific a n tly . In examining the v a ria tio n 1n consumer response I t was found th a t over twice the pro­ portion o f rural non-farm than urban consumers viewed san itary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s Inadequate. Over 26% o f ru ral non-farm consumers were d is s a t­ is fie d with the adequacy o f san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s compared with 13% o f the urban consumers. A l i t t l e over 17% o f the farm respondents expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with the adequacy o f sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l ­ itie s . Table 43 d e ta ils a comparison between service consumers opinions on sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s and liv in g area lo catio n . Table 4 3 .— Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Sanitary L a n d fill F a c il­ it ie s Among Living Area Locations fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Living Area Locations* Service Adequate N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % 134 87.4 20 12.6 159 100 Rural Non-farm 82 73.9 29 26.1 111 100 Farm 86 82.7 18 17.3 104 100 Urban d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions among liv in g area locations were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .02 p ro b a b ility le v e l. Special Services The level o f response from consumers regarding services fo r the physically handicapped and special care fo r the retarded was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences In opinions were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n i­ fic a n t. 122 Part I I I Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions Among Selected Socio-economic tiroups The discussion 1n Part I I I focuses on an examination o f consumers' opinions among age, length o f residence, occupation, sex, m arital status, fam ilia l status, Income, and education groups In the study area. As In Part I I , p a rtic u la r atten tio n 1s given to opinion differences among these socio-economic groups that were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n if i­ cant (a t a * .1 0 ). Centering on these opinion differences, therefore, id e n tifie s which socio-economic characteristics are most closely associ­ ated with consumer d is sa tisfac tio n fo r those services that were selected for analysis ( I . e . , the two services In each service category that con­ sumers found least s a tis fa c to ry ). This analysis, in turn, helps to focus attention on possible opportunities fo r improving services to socio­ economic groups. Education Services High School Services— In an analysis on the adequacy of high school services, differences 1n consumers' opinions among sex and education groups were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Almost twice the proportion o f females compared to males found high school services unsatisfactory. Over 22% o f the female respondents expressed d issatisfactio n with the adequacy o f high school services com­ pared with 12% of the males. Table 44 d e ta ils a comparison between the. opinions of males and females regarding the adequacy o f high school services. In d iffe rin g levels o f educational attainm ent, 1t was generally found that those who had education beyond high school were less s a tis fie d with high school services than those who did not. Almost 29% o f those 123 Table 44. --Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on High School Services Between Males and Females fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Service Not Adequate Sexa N Male 247 88.2 33 Female 169 77.2 50 % N Total N % 11.8 280 100 22.8 219 100 % ^Differences in opinions between males and females were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .001 p ro b a b ility le v e l. who graduated from college and 23% who completed vocational tra in in g school were d is s a tis fie d with high school services. In c o n tra st, only 8% o f those who completed grades 9-11 and 15% who graduated from high school were d is s a tis fie d with high school services. Table 45 depicts a comparison between consumers' opinions on high school services and level o f education. Consumer opinion differences among occupation, m arital statu s, fa m ilia l statu s, and Income groups were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t fo r high school services. The level o f response was in suf­ fic ie n t fo r determining whether differences were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Preschool Services— In examining preschool services, opinion d i f ­ ferences between males and females and between those with children l i v ­ ing a t home and those with no children liv in g a t home were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t; the level o f consumer response was In su f­ f ic ie n t fo r determining whether differences In consumers' opinions among age, length o f residence, occupation, m arital statu s, Income, and educa­ tional groups 1n the study area were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. 124 Table 4 5 .--Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on High School Services Among Levels o f Education fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Levels o f Education* N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % Grades 0-8 51 82.3 11 17.7 62 100 Grades 9-11 54 91.5 5 8.5 59 100 High School Graduate 204 85.4 35 14.6 239 100 Completed Voc. School 17 77.3 5 22.7 22 100 College 1-3 Yrs. 43 84.3 8 15.7 51 100 College Graduate 45 71.4 18 28.6 63 100 ^Differences 1n consumers' opinions among educational groups were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b ab ility le v e l. Health Services Alcohol R ehabilitation and Family Planning Services—The level o f consumer response fo r alcohol re h a b ilita tio n and fam ily planning services was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether opinion differences among socio­ economic groups were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Mental Health Services—Differences 1n male and female opinions concerning mental health services were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n if i­ cant. Almost four times the proportion of female consumers (42%) to male consumers (11%) viewed mental health services Inadequate. Table 46 Is a comparison o f opinions between males and females regarding the ade­ quacy o f mental health services. The level o f response fo r mental health services was In s u ffic ie n t for determining whether differences in consumers' opinions among age, 125 Table 4 6 .— Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Mental H ealth Services Between Males and Females fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Sex Groups9 N Service Not Adequate % N % Total N X Male 23 88.5 3 11.5 26 100 Female 15 57.7 11 42.3 26 100 d iffe re n c e s in consumers' opinions between males and females were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .02 p ro b ab ility le v e l. length o f residence, occupation, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income and educational groups were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Recreation Services School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Use by Whole Community—ConcernIng school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use, respondent differences between males and females and among fa m ilia l status groups were not found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The response level was In s u ffic ie n t for determining whether consumer opinion differences among age, length of residence, occupation, m arital status, Income and educational groups were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Swimming F a c ilitie s - -Differences In opinions on swimming f a c i l ­ itie s between those people who have had children and those who have not were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. A greater proportion o f service consumers who have had children f e l t less s a tis fie d with the ade­ quacy o f swimming f a c ilit ie s (36X) when compared to those who have never had children (20X). Table 47 d e ta ils a comparison between the opinions of those who have had children and those who have not had children. ■ 126 Table 4 7 . — Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Swimming F a c i l i t i e s Between F a m ilia l S tatu s Groups fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Fam ilial Status Groups® Service Adequate N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % Consumers Who Have Had Children 181 64.2 101 35.8 282 100 Consumers Who Never Had Children 24 80.0 6 20.0 30 100 Differences 1n consumers' opinions between fa m ilia l status groups were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 probabil­ it y le v e l. Differences regarding swimming f a c i l i t i e s among length o f r e s i­ dence, occupation, sex, m arital statu s, Income, and educational groups were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Public Safety Services Court System— For the court system, consumers' opinions between males and females and whether the respondent had children liv in g a t home were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The level o f response was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining s ta tis tic a l significance o f age, length o f residence, occupation, m arital statu s, fa m ilia l statu s, Income and educational groups 1n the study area. Juvenile Correction Services—The level o f consumer response fo r ju v en ile correction services was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether opinion differences among socio-economic groups were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n i­ fic a n t. 127 T ran s p o rta tio n Services Condition o f Local Roads—Differences between male and female consumers on local road conditions were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n i­ fic a n t. A larg er proportion o f females than males viewed the condition of local roads inadequate. Almost 40% o f the female respondents viewed local road conditions not adequate versus 32% of the male respondents. Table 48 d e ta ils a comparison between males and females regarding local road conditions. Table 4 8 .— Comparison of Consumers' Opinions on Local Road Conditions Between Hales and Females fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Sex Groups® N % Service Not Adequate Total N % N % Male 225 67.6 108 32.4 333 100 Female 141 60.3 93 39.7 234 100 d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions between males and females were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b ab ility le v e l. Consumer opinion differences on local road conditions, based on length o f residence, occupation, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income and educational groups were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. County Road Conditions— In occupational and fam ily status groups opinion differences on county road conditions were found to be s t a t i s t i ­ c a lly s ig n ific a n t. Of the occupational groups, housewives were found to be least s a tis fie d with county road conditions with over 45% of the respondents 128 expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n . Table 49 depicts a comparison o f consumers' opinions on county road conditions among occupational groups. Table 4 9 .--Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Among Occupational Groups fo r Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. ____________ Consumers* Opinions___________ Service Adequate Occupational Groups* N % Service Not Adequate N Total % N % Professional/Technical 52 60.5 34 39.5 86 100 Mgr./Adm. 17 56.2 13 43.3 30 100 Sales and C le ric al 38 67.9 18 32.1 56 100 Craftsmen/Factory 72 63.7 41 36.3 113 100 Farmers 33 62.3 20 37.7 53 100 Service Workers 24 88.9 3 11.1 27 100 Retired 47 70.1 20 29.8 67 100 5 55.6 4 44.4 9 100 56 54.9 46 45.1 102 100 Unemployed/Hand1capped Housewife d iffe re n c e s in consumers' opinions among occupational groups were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b a b ility le v e l. I t was also found th a t fo r fa m ilia l status groups, those with children liv in g a t home were s lig h tly less s a tis fie d with county road conditions (39%) than those without children liv in g at home (31%). Table 50 depicts a comparison o f opinions o f these two groups. Differences 1n consumers' opinions based on age, length o f r e s i­ dence, sex, m arital statu s, Income, and educational groups fo r county road conditions were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. 4 129 Table 5 0 .--Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on County Road Conditions Between Family S tatus Groups fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers' Opinions Service Adequate Familial Status Groups* N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % Children Living a t Home 217 61.1 138 38.9 355 100 No Children Living a t Home 133 68.6 61 31.4 194 100 d iffe re n c e s 1n consumers' opinions between fa m ilia l status groups were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b ab ility le v e l. Public Works Services Q uality o f Public Water— Differences In consumers' opinions on water q u a lity between those with children liv in g at home and those with no children liv in g a t home were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. I t was found that those who had no children liv in g at home were least s a tis fie d with water q u a lity (15%) when compared to fam ilies with c h ild ­ ren liv in g a t home (8%). Table 51 depicts the percentage d is trib u tio n of th is variab le. Respondent opinion differences on public water q u a lity , however, between sex and m arital status groups were not found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The level of response was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences 1n opinions among age, length o f residence, occupa­ tio n , Income and educational groups were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ilitie s —Consumer opinion differences on sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s In length o f residence groups were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Those who had lived In th e ir county a 130 Table 5 1 Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on Water Q u a lity Among Family Status Groups f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Consumers ' Opinions Fam ilial Status Groups3 Service Not Adequate Service Adequate N N % % Total N % Children Living at Home 181 92.3 15 7.7 196 100 No Children Living at Home 121 84.6 22 15.4 143 100 d iffe re n c e s in consumers' opinions between fa m ilia l status groups were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t at the .05 p ro b ab ility le v e l. longer period o f time (40-70+ y r s .) f e l t comparatively more s a tis fie d with sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s than those who had lived In the county a shorter period of time (0-39 y r s .) . Table 52 d e ta ils a comparison of consumers' opinions among length o f residence groups regarding the ade­ quacy o f sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s . Differences 1n consumers' opinions on the adequacy of sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s among age, sex, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, and educational groups were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. The level o f response was In s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether differences In opinions among occupation and Income were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Special Services The level of consumer response fo r tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physically handicapped or special care fo r the retarded was In s u ffic ie n t for determining whether difference 1n opinion among a ll socio-economic groups were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. 131 Table 5 2 .— Comparison o f Consumers' Opinions on S a n ita ry L a n d fill Fac11 I t l e s Among Length o f Residence Groups f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Service Adequate Length of Resident Groups9 (years) N % Consumers' Opinions Service Not Adequate N % Total N % 0-9 56 74.7 19 25.3 75 100 10-29 98 81.0 23 19.0 121 100 30-39 38 74.5 13 25.5 51 100 40-49 56 94.9 3 5.1 59 100 50-59 30 90.9 3 9.1 33 100 60-69 18 85.7 3 14.3 2 100 70+ 12 85.7 2 14.3 14 100 Differences 1n consumers' opinions among length o f residence groups were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 probabil­ it y le v e l. Part IV Overview o f Local Public O ffic1al 0 p 1nIons' The discussion In th is part concerns how local public o f f ic ia ls as a group, viewed the adequacy o f the community services fo r the area as a whole. (The level o f response from local public o f f ic ia ls was In ­ s u ffic ie n t fo r reporting s t a t is t ic a lly r e lia b le survey results by county.) This discussion emphasizes two services th a t local public o f f ic ia ls thought were most and le as t adequate 1n each major service category; the discussion also focuses on o f f ic ia ls ' opinions fo r the other services as w e ll. Consistent with the order o f discussion In the p rio r section, each major service category Is presented In the same order as 1t appeared In the survey Instrument. 132 Education Services The two community services local public o f f ic ia ls found most ade­ quate were the cooperative extension services and public lib r a ry f a c i l ­ it ie s . Almost 98% viewed cooperative extension services adequate, while 93% viewed public lib r a r y f a c i l i t i e s adequate. The d is trib u tio n of response fo r opinions on elementary education and community college education was not however markedly d iffe re n t from the two services view­ ed elementary and community college services adequate. The two services viewed le a s t adequate were preschool and high school services. Over 15% o f the o f f ic ia ls f e l t d is s a tis fie d with pre­ school services while over 18% were c r it ic a l o f high school services. Also, 12% o f the respondents f e l t d is s a tis fie d with adult education 1n high schools. The d is trib u tio n o f opinion fo r the education services 1s given 1n Table 53. Health Services Of the health services surveyed, local public o f f ic ia ls f e l t most s a tis fie d with general hospital services (97%) and hospital emergency room services (95%). Public o f f ic ia ls also seemed s a tis fie d with Immuni­ za tio n , d e n tis t, nursing, ambulance, and maternal and c h ild health care. Over 90% were s a tis fie d with these services. On the other hand, local public o f f ic ia ls f e l t le a s t s a tis fie d with doctor services with 12% viewing th is service not adequate and mental health services with 17% d is s a tis fie d with th is service. Table 54 d e ta ils the opinions on health services. * 133 Table 5 3 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f Local P u blic O f f i c i a l s 1 Opinions on Education Services f o r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. ___________ O f f ic ia ls 1 Opinions_______ Service Service Adequate Not Adequate Total Education Services N % N % N % Cooperative Extension 45 97.8 1 2.2 46 100 Public Library 72 93.5 5 6.5 77 100 Elementary Education 88 92.6 7 7.4 95 100 Community College Ed. 20 90.9 2 9.1 22 100 Adult Ed. In High School 30 88.2 4 11.8 34 100 Preschool 16 84.2 3 15.8 19 100 High School 75 81.5 17 18.5 92 100 Adult Ed. 1n Comm. College* 9 81.8 2 18.2 11 100 Vocational Education* 7 77.8 2 22.2 9 100 * Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly unreliable due to low level o f response. 134 Table 5 4 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f Local P u b lic O f f i c i a l s ' Opinions on H e alth S ervices for. Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. ___________ O f fic ia ls ' Opinions________ Service Adequate Health Services Total % N % 111 97.4 3 2.6 114 100 Hospital Emergency Room 84 95.4 4 4.5 88 100 Immunization 36 94.7 2 5.3 38 100 Dentist 103 94.5 6 5.5 109 100 Nursing 17 94.4 1 5.6 18 100 Ambulance 48 94.1 3 5.9 51 100 9 90.0 1 10.0 10 100 Doctor 99 87.6 14 12.4 113 100 Mental Health 10 83.3 2 16.7 12 100 Alcohol R e h a b ilita tio n * 4 80.0 1 20.0 5 100 Drug R e h a b ilita tio n * 4 80.0 1 20.0 5 100 Family Planning - - - - - - Home Health Nursing - - - - - - General Hospital Maternal and Child Health N Service Not Adequate N % ^Denotes resu lts th a t were s t a t is t ic a lly u n reliab le due to a low level o f response. 135 Recreation Services Local public o ff ic ia ls f e l t most s a tis fie d with organized adult recreation and organized recreation fo r youth. Over 93% found organized adult recreation adequate and 88% viewed organized recreation fo r youth adequate. The two recreation services that th is group viewed least adequate were picnic areas and camping areas. In both cases, over 17% of the o ffic ia ls found these services not adequate for meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs. In add itio n , 14% expressed d issatisfactio n with school recreation fo r community use. Table 55 fu rth er d e ta ils local public o ff ic ia ls ' opinions fo r recreation services. Table 5 5 .— D istribu tio n of Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Recreation Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. ____________O ffic ia ls ' Opinions___________ Recreation Services Service Adequate N % Organized Adult Rec. 14 Organized Rec. fo r Youth Service Not Adequate N % 93.3 1 36 87.8 School Rec. Fac. fo r Com­ munity Use 37 Picnic Areas Camping Areas Organized Rec. fo r Sr. C 1tz.* Swlmnlng F a c ilitie s * Total N % 6.7 15 100 5 12.2 41 100 86.1 6 13.9 42 100 63 82.9 3 17.1 76 100 28 82.4 6 17.6 34 100 5 71.4 2 28.6 7 100 29 59.2 20 40.8 49 100 ^Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly unreliable due to low level o f response. 136 Public S a fe ty Services Of the public safety services, local public o ffic ia ls viewed f ir e and police protection most adequate. Over 96% of the o ff ic ia ls were s atis fie d with the adequacy o f f ir e protection, and over 88% found police protection services adequate. In contrast, court services and ju ven ile correction services were viewed least adequate. Thirteen percent of the o ffic ia ls were c r it ic a l of court services while over 18% were d is s a tis fie d with ju ven ile correc­ tion services. Table 56 d e ta ils the d is trib u tio n of opinions for public safety services. Table 5 6 .— D istribution of Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Public Safety Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Service Adequate Public Safety Services N O ffic ia ls * Opinions Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % Fire Protection 55 96.5 2 3.5 57 100 Police Protection 53 88.3 7 11.7 60 100 Court Services 20 87.0 3 13.0 23 100 9 81.8 2 18.2 11 100 Juvenile Correction Transportation Services In surveying transportation services, local o ff ic ia ls f e l t most s a tis fie d with school bus services and scheduled a ir lin e services. In both cases, 95% o f the local public o ffic ia ls viewed these services as adequate. Other transportation services that o ffic ia ls found compara­ tiv e ly adequate were commercial trucking (95%), road plowing fo r local roads (90%), and the condition o f state highways (89%). . 137 In contrast, the condition of county roads and the condition of local roads were viewed least adequate by local public o f f ic ia ls . A l­ most 2455 f e l t d is s a tis fie d with the condition of county roads and over 27% were c r it ic a l o f local road conditions. Table 57 depicts the d is ­ trib u tio n o f opinion fo r the transportation iervices. Table 5 7.— D istribution of Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on Transpor­ tatio n Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. ___________ O ffic ia ls ' Opinions___________ Service Adequate Transportation Services N Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % School Bus 79 95.2 4 4.8 83 100 Scheduled A irlin e 38 95.0 2 5.0 40 100 Commercial Trucking 55 94.8 3 5.2 58 100 Rd. Plowing fo r Local Roads 85 89.5 10 10.5 95 100 Condition o f State Highways 75 89.3 9 10.7 84 100 Condition of County Roads 67 76.1 21 23.9 88 100 Condition of Local Roads 67 72.8 25 27.2 92 100 4 66.7 2 33.3 6 100 Freight R a il* 22 57.9 16 42.1 38 100 Condition o f Bridges* 42 53.2 37 46.8 79 100 Bus Service Between Towns* * Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly unreliable due to low level o f response. Public Works Services In the public works category, no opinions were given fo r garbage disposal services; th erefo re, since there are only three services In th is 138 category with a s u ffic ie n t level o f response, the one service found most adequate and le as t adequate w ill be discussed. Public sewer was the service viewed most adequate by local public o ff ic ia ls with almost 902 o f the respondents s a tis fie d with th is service. The q u a lity o f public w ater, on the other hand, was viewed le a s t adequate with almost 15% d is s a tis fie d with public water q u a lity (although the question on water q u a lity did not designate use, e .g ., d rin kin g , Indust r a i l , 1t 1s assumed th a t most respondents evaluated water q u a lity fo r household purposes). Complete d is trib u tio n o f opinions fo r public works services Is given 1n Table 58. Table 5 8 .— D is trib u tio n o f Local Public O f fic ia ls ' Opinions on Public Works Services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Service Adequate Public Works Services N O ffic ia ls 1 Opinions Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % Public Sewer System 34 89.5 4 10.5 38 100 Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ll. 66 86.8 10 13.2 76 100 Q uality o f Public Water 47 85.5 8 14.5 55 100 Garbage Disposal - - - - - - Special Services The level o f o f f ic ia ls ' response was In s u ffic ie n t fo r drawing s t a t is t ic a lly r e lia b le conclusions fo r a l l but one o f the special ser­ vices. I t was found th a t fo r special care fo r the retarded, 70% o f the local o f f ic ia ls found th is service adequate while 30% were d is s a tis fie d with the service. Table 59 depicts the results fo r th is service category. 139 Table 5 9 .— D is tr ib u tio n o f Local Public O f f i c i a l s ' Opinions on Special Services fo r Huron, S a n ila c , and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. O ffic ia ls ' Opinions Service Adequate Service Not Adequate Special Services N % N % Special Care fo r the Retarded 7 70.0 3 Financial Aid to Low Income Families* 4 80.0 1 Family Counseling fo r Personal Problems Trng.-Ed. fo r Physically Handicapped* - 4 Housing F a c ilitie s fo r Low Income Family Counseling fo r Financial Problems* Housing F a c ilitie s for the Elderly Legal Services for Low Income Provision o f Food Service to Elderly N % 30.0 10 100 20.0 5 100 * - 5 100 - 80.0 1 20.0 - - - - - - - - - - - - Job Training fo r Low Income Adults Child Day Care Total 1 50.0 1 50.0 2 100 - - - - - - •m - - _ - - ^Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly u nreliable due to low level o f response. 140 Part V Comparison o f Opinions Between Consumers and Local Public 07?1c1als An examination o f consumer opinions and local public o f f ic ia ls ' opinions 1s explored 1n th is p a rt. As 1n Parts I I and I I I , p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n w ill be given to opinion differences between these groups that were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t (a t a * .1 0 ). Center­ ing on these opinion differences pinpoints, with a high degree o f p ro b a b ility (90%), the r e la tiv e d is trib u tio n o f opinions between these two groups fo r a given service. An analysis o f the differences between consumers and local pub­ l i c o f f ic ia ls ' opinions was undertaken fo r the preceedlng services that consumers found le as t adequate: ( I . e . , preschools, high school, alcohol r e h a b ilita tio n , fam ily planning, mental h ealth , school recrea­ tio n f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , courts, ju v e n ile co rrectio n , local road conditions, county road conditions, public w ater, sanitary l a n d f i l l , training/education fo r physically handicapped, spe­ c ia l care fo r the retard ed). Differences regarding the adequacy o f high school services, pre­ school services, court services, local road conditions, water q u a lity , and sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s were not found to be s t a t is t ic a lly slgnl fle a n t (a t a * .1 0 ). (That 1s, th is author can not say th a t there 1s a high degree o f c e rta in ty — 90%--that these are actual opinion differences and not due to chance.) Both consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls , how­ ever, found these services le a s t adequate among the services In each service category. The level o f response was not s u ffic ie n t fo r determining whether opinion differences between service consumers and local public o f f ic ia ls 141 for the following services were s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t: alcohol reha­ b ilit a t io n , fam ily planning, mental h ealth , school recreation f a c i l i t i e s , swimming f a c i l i t i e s , ju ven ile correction, training/education fo r the physically handicapped or special care fo r the retarded. In examining opinions o f consumers and o ff ic ia ls concerning the adequacy o f county roads, opinion differences between the two respondent groups were found to be s t a t is t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t. In examining the v a r ia b ility 1n opinions between these two groups, 1t was found that a f a ir ly large proportion o f both groups seemed to be d is s a tis fie d with the condition o f county roads. A larg er proportion of service consumers, however, expressed greater d is sa tisfac tio n with county road conditions than did local public o f f ic ia ls . Almost 37% o f the con­ sumers f e l t d is s a tis fie d with county roads compared with 23% o f the o f f i ­ c ia ls . Table 60 d e ta ils a comparison o f response between service con­ sumers and local public o ff ic ia ls fo r th is service. Table 6 0 .--Comparison Between Consumers and Local Public O ffic ia ls ' Opinions on County Road Conditions fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Respondents' Opinions Study Respondent Groups* Service Consumers Local Public O ffic ia ls Service Adequate N % Service Not Adequate N % Total N % 358 63.3 208 36.8 566 100 66 76.7 20 23.2 86 100 Differences In opinions between consumers and local public o ffic ia ls were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .02 proba b l l l t y le v e l. 142 Part VI Suggestions fo r Community Service Improvements Discussion here focuses upon suggestions from consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls fo r Improving the two services In each service category that consumers viewed least adequate. These suggestions are not neces- s a lrly representative of the to ta l sample due to a minimal number of respondents who offered suggestions. They do, however, help to Id e n tify Improvement a ltern atives to local public o ffic ia ls for those services 1n each service category that seem to o ffe r the greatest opportunity fo r Improvement. Education Services Preschool Services—Of the eighteen suggestions fo r Improving pre­ school services, eight respondents referred to a need to Improve the a v a ila b ility o f the service by Increasing the number o f c e n tra lly located preschool services. Four respondents Indicated that the services should be available to a ll children regardless of fam ily Income (respondents were re fe rrin g to the fact that several fe d e ra lly subsidized preschool services were not availab le to children from middle and upper Income classes); two respondents referred to a need for b etter teachers; one said that there should be more parental In te re s t; one Indicated a need for more d is c ip lin e ; and one referred to a need fo r a broader curriculum. High School Services—There were t h ir ty - s ix suggestions fo r Improv­ ing high school services 1n the Thumb Area. The largest proportion of respondents (12) referred to a general need to have a greater variety of courses taught In high schools; four respondents Indicated that c o l­ lege preparatory courses such as English or math should be improved and 143 fiv e respondents Indicated th a t vocational-education classes In high schools should be made more re a d ily a v a ila b le . These suggestions may r e fle c t the higher levels o f c ritic is m by persons who have completed a vocational-education program and those who have graduated from college. In a d d itio n , four o f the respondents centered on a need fo r b e tte r guidance counseling, two centered on a need fo r more teachers, two In ­ dicated th a t there should be more classrooms, three respondents related that more money fo r high schools was needed, and three Indicated a need fo r b e tte r q u a lifie d teachers. Health Services Alcohol R e h a b ilita tio n —Only one respondent commented on alcohol re h a b ilita tio n , indicatin g th a t there was "poor success" 1n r e h a b ilita ­ tion 1n re la tio n to the money spent. Family Planning—One respondent commented th a t there should be *tnore openmindedness" In serving the fam ily planning needs o f people. Mental Health Services—There were eight suggestions fo r Improving mental health services. Of these, a ll but one Indicated there was a need fo r b e tte r q u a lifie d personnel. One respondent suggested the need fo r more mental health services. Recreation Services School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Use by Whole Community—Of the six Improvement suggestions fo r school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r com­ munity use, four indicated th a t school recreation f a c i l i t i e s should be more accessible to the general public. In a d d itio n , two respondents commented th a t there was a need fo r b e tte r coordination and communication with the public regarding recreation a c t iv it ie s . 144 Swimming Fac111t ie s - -There were e ig h ty -fiv e suggestions fo r Im­ proving swlmnlng f a c i l i t i e s , and the largest proportion o f respondents (33) Indicated the need fo r more public swimming pools; six respondents Indicated a need fo r expanding existin g f a c ilit ie s . Seven respondents suggested th a t an enclosed area should be b u ilt over pools to permit year-round swimming. Also, fourteen respondents suggested that lake water should be cleaned up, seven suggested that beaches should be clean­ e r, two suggested th a t additional public beaches should be provided, and seven respondents Indicated th a t there should be b etter supervision around pools and beaches. Public Safety Services Court Services—There were only six suggestions fo r Improving the court system, four o f which Indicated that judges were too len ien t on crim inals, and two respondents suggested that cases should be adjudicated more quickly. Juvenile Correction Services—There were nine suggestions fo r Im­ proving juven ile correction services. Three respondents suggested that foster home care fo r delinquents should be more read ily a v a ila b le , two respondents Indicated th a t there should be more understanding of ju ven ile problems, and one suggested that there should be job train in g and place­ ment, fam ily and Individual counseling, recreation opportunities, and remedial help In school work fo r ju ven ile delinquents. Transportation Services Condition o f Local Roads—Of the seventy-two suggestions for Im­ proving local road conditions, the largest proportion indicated that 145 general road re p a ir was needed ( I . e . , f i l l i n g chuck holes and resurfacin g). Twelve respondents suggested th a t more road grading was needed, and ten indicated th a t additional gravel should be used. Also, three respondents Indicated th a t black top should be used on more roads and one Indicated that b e tte r road drainage was needed. Condition o f County Roads—Suggestions fo r Improving county roads were s im ila r to the Improvement suggestions fo r local roads. Of the seventy-seven suggestions fo r Improving county roads, f i f t y respondents suggested the need fo r b e tte r road re p a ir ( i . e . , f i l l i n g chuck holes and resu rfacin g), fifte e n Indicated th a t more gravel on roads was needed, and six respondents suggested th a t roads should be graded more o ften. A d d itio n a lly , four respondents suggested th a t blacktop should be used on more roads, one Indicated th a t there should be b e tte r shoulders on the roads, and one Indicated a need fo r b e tte r drainage. Public Works Services Q uality o f Public Water—There were th irte e n suggestions fo r Im­ proving water q u a lity . Seven respondents Indicated a general Improvement 1n water q u a lity was needed, two said th a t the water tasted bad, and two said th a t bad odor should be elim inated. Also, one respondent said th a t water pressure was poor, and one said th a t rust should be removed. Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ilit ie s —Of the twenty-two suggestions fo r Improving sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s , a large m ajority o f respondents (15) suggested th a t the hours o f usage should be extended. Three respond­ ents said th a t there was a need to develop additional f a c i l i t i e s , one said th a t sanitatio n around the f a c i l i t i e s should be improved, one in d i­ cated th a t bad odor should be minimized, and one respondent suggested that additional room should be provided fo r e xis tin g f a c i l i t i e s . 146 Special Services There were no Improvement suggestions regarding special care fo r the retarded. With respect to tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physically handicapped, one respondent Indicated th a t there was a need fo r physical therapy programs. Section IV Corroboration of Survey Findings The follow ing discussion focuses on a comparison between actual conditions o f services Included In th is study as obtained from secondary sources (reviewed 1n Chapter IV ) with consumers' opinions fo r those same services. This comparison helps corroborate these survey findings on service adequacy, since consumers' opinions may not always r e fle c t pre­ v a ilin g service conditions. A m ajo rity o f consumers, fo r example, may consider san itary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s generally "adequate" fo r meeting th e ir needs w h ile, on the other hand, the state health department closes the f a c i l i t i e s because o f p o te n tia lly dangerous health conditions. Therefore, 1 f d is p a ritie s a ris e between actual service conditions and people's opinions o f those same services, doubts should be raised con­ cerning the v a lid ity o f the survey findings as a basis fo r suggesting service Improvements fo r ru ral development. D is p a ritie s , however, may also suggest to local public o f f ic ia ls th a t t h e ir constituents need to be b e tte r Informed o f actual service conditions. As noted e a r lie r 1n Chapter IV , secondary Information assessing the conditions o f community services was lim ite d and was a v a ila b le fo r only a small number o f servfces Included 1n th is study. Nevertheless, some general observations on re la tin g actual service conditions as assessed 1n secondary sources to respondents' opinions on those same 147 services can be made fo r public lib r a r y f a c i l i t i e s , general hospital services, doctor services, nursing services, dental services, f i r e pro­ tection and sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . Public Library F a c ilitie s Reports th a t assessed public lib r a r y f a c i l i t i e s 1n Huron, S anilac, and Tuscola Counties^ Indicated th a t although some f a c i l i t i e s needed additional shelving space, seating and parking space, the general condi­ tion o f public lib r a r y f a c i l i t i e s were adequate fo r meeting people's needs. This same conclusion seemed to be re fle c te d In the o verall opin­ ions o f service consumers where almost 94% o f the consumers 1n the three counties viewed these f a c i l i t i e s adequate fo r meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs. 2 General Hospital Services General hospital services fo r Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties were assessed 1n several studies3 in terms o f the number o f hospital bed care f a c i l i t i e s per 1,000 population. (The reader should be reminded that th is 1s only one o f several c r it e r ia th a t might be used fo r assess­ ing the adequacy o f general hospital services. Other c r it e r ia may ^For a review o f th is Information see V1l1can-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County, Michigan, p. 53; V lH c a n Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Sanilac County, Michigan, p. 47; and East Central Michigan Planning and Development toimnlsslon? Community F a c ilitie s o f Tuscola County, Michigan, p. 52. 2See Table 23. See VII1can-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan. Huron County, Michigan, p. 47; East Central Michigan Planning and Development Commission, Community F a c ilitie s o f Sanilac County, Michigan, p. 33; and V111catt­ leman Assoc.. General Development Plan. Tuscola "County, Michigan, p. 45. 148 Include such things as the a v a ila b ilit y o f diagnostic equipment or pro­ fessional q u a lific a tio n s o f hospital s ta ff .) I t was found th a t the number o f hospital bed care f a c i l i t i e s 1n a ll three counties was suf­ fic ie n t fo r meeting p atien t needs. The survey data also seemed to r e fle c t th is somewhat lim ite d assessment o f general hospital services. I t was found th a t over 93% o f the consumers^ viewed general hospital services as "adequate" fo r meeting th e ir needs. Doctor Services In reviewing the Information on recommended per capita number o f doctors 1n an area, I t was revealed th a t a ll three counties had about one-half the per capita number o f doctors th a t is generally recommended by the Michigan State Medical Society. one doctor per 650 population.® This recommended standard is Also, when compared to the state as a whole, the Thumb Area counties had a markedly lower number o f doctors Immediately a v a ila b le to residents.® Findings on the services also coincided with the survey fin din gs. who viewed doctor services not adequate (19%), lack o f doctor Of the respondents 1t was found th a t the overwhelming reason fo r d is s a tis fa c tio n was a lack o f a va ila b le doctor services fo r meeting Individual or fam ily needs. ^See Table 24. c Michigan Medical Society, telephone Interview with John Anthony, D irector o f the Bureau o f Research, East Lansing, Michigan, March 1976. 6See Table 8. 7See Table 24. 149 Nursing Services In contrast to doctor services, I t was found that the per capita number of nurses fo r each o f the three counties p re tty much coincided with the state average per capita number of nurses o suggesting an ade­ quate number of nurses fo r serving the health needs of study area residents. The findings o f the survey data seemed to coincide with th is data and revealed that respondents found no problems with the numbers o f nurses or with nursing services 1n general. I t was, 1n fa c t, one o f the two health services th a t consumers viewed most adequate. Almost 95% o f the consumers were found to be s a tis fie d with the adequacy of th is service. q Dental Services Although the per capita number of dentists In the study area was not as low as the per capita number o f doctors, the ra tio o f dentists to population was found to be lower than the state f ig u r e .^ tion was also revealed In the survey findings. This condi­ Of those respondents d is s a tis fie d with th is service, the overwhelming reason given was a lack of availab le dental services fo r meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs. Fire Services Studies of f i r e protection services fo r two of the three counties In the study area (Huron and Tuscola) Indicated a noticeable lack o f farm and rural non-farm residences that were not located w ithin the o p ti­ mum f ir e protection radius as recomnended by the American Insurance 8See Table 8. 9See Table 24. 10See Table 8. 150 Association.11 The study also revealed th a t people liv in g 1n towns and villag es were much more adequately covered. 12 The survey findings seemed to coincide with the conclusions of the study on f ir e services. An analysis regarding the adequacy of f i r e protection services revealed that consumers' opinions among urban, rural non-farm, and farm residents were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t (a t a * .1 0 ). In reviewing the d is trib u tio n of consumer response, those liv in g In rural areas were markedly less s a tis fie d with f ir e protection services than those liv in g 1n urban areas. Twice the proportion o f farm respond­ ents and over four times the proportion of rural non-farm residents compared to urban residents found f ir e protection services not adequate fo r meeting th e ir needs. The major complaint of rural residents was that 1t took f ir e personnel too long to get to the f ir e . Table 61 d e ta ils the d is trib u tio n o f response. Table 61 .--Comparison of Consumers'Opinions on Fire Protection Services Among Living Area Locations for Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties Combined, 1974. Service Adequate Living Area Locations* N Consumers ' Opinions Service Not Adequate % N % Total N % Urban 85 96.6 3 3.4 88 100 Rural Non-farm 35 85.4 5 14.6 41 100 Farm 68 91.3 6 6.9 73 100 Differences In consumers' opinions among liv in g area locations were found to be s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t a t the .10 p ro b ab ility le v e l. 11 See Table 9. 12 See VIIIcan-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County, 151 Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s Sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s were assessed In a V1l1can-Leman research report fo r Huron and Tuscola Counties. I t was found th a t a m ajority o f f a c ilit ie s 1n these counties were "not licensed," were "eye sores," and "health hazards" to residents. The survey findings, on the other hand, revealed th a t a m ajority o f the respondents (82%) 14. viewed these f a c ilit ie s adequate. Of those who viewed sanitary land­ f i l l f a c ilit ie s not adequate, Improvement suggestions centered around hours o f usage and the need fo r additional f a c ilit ie s . In contrast, the major problems o f these f a c ilit ie s d te d 1n the V111can-Leman study focused on potential health hazards and the need to meet the following state licensing c r it e r ia as found under Public Acts, 1965, Solid Waste Disposal Act, #87: A la n d f ill operation shall be under the d irectio n of a respon­ sib le Individual a t a ll times. Refuse shall be spread so that 1t can be compacted In layers not exceeding a depth o f two feet o f compacted m a te ria l. A compacted layer of a t least six Inches of suitable cover m aterial shall be placed on a ll exposed refuse by the end o f each working day. Hazardous m aterials, Including liquids and sewage, shall not be disposed of 1n a sanitary la n d fill unless special provisions are made fo r such disposal. No garbage or refuse containing garbage shall be burned a t a sanitary la n d f ill. The e n tire s ite , Including the f i l l surface, shall be graded and provided with drainage f a c ilit ie s . Consumer Improvement suggestions, therefo re, did not re fle c t the more technical service related problems that need to be considered 1n public decision making. Michigan, p. 46; and VIIIcan-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan. VuscoTa County, Michigan, p. 26. 13 See VIHcan-Leman Assoc., General Development Plan, Huron County. Michigan, p. 49; and V1l1can-Leman Assoc., General Development P^an. Tuscola County, Michigan, p. 55. 14See Table 28. 152 Summary On the basis o f th is Information comparing actual service condi­ tions as obtained 1n secondary sources with opinion Inform ation, the survey findings 1n th is study coincided with findings on prevailing service conditions 1n a ll but one case ( I . e . , sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l ­ it ie s ) . This suggests th a t, generally speaking, consumers' opinions do seem to re fle c t prevailing service conditions as measured by other c r it e r ia . The exception was in the case of sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s where the service problems were not obvious to respondents since they had no understanding o f state licensing c r it e r ia or an awareness o f potential health hazards. Based on th is lim ited Information, I t Is suggested that respond­ ents' opinions do r e fle c t, on a su p erficial le v e l, actual service conditions, but that th e ir opinions and suggestions for service Improve­ ments are based more on Immediately obvious conditions than on the more technical considerations. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Introduction The Introductory chapter Indicated that the overall In ten t o f this study was to provide some general Insights on the adequacy o f com­ munity services In rural areas o f the United States by surveying the opinions o f the people in a predominantly rural area o f Michigan. It 1s hoped that these Insights w ill help Id e n tify possible service improve­ ment opportunities 1n rural communities and thus assist In rural com­ munity development. To meet the In ten t of th is research, the opinions of 965 consumers and 145 local public o ff ic ia ls were analyzed 1n the three counties o f Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola. cated In Michigan's "Thumb Area." These counties are lo ­ Using id entical mallout questionnaires for both consumers and local o f f ic ia ls , Information was gathered on the following four objectives that were used 1n guiding th is study: 1. To determine consumers and local o f f ic ia ls ' satisfactio n with selected community services. 2. To Id e n tify reasons consumers and local o ff ic ia ls were d is s a tis fie d with selected community services. 3. To Id e n tify socio-economic characteristics most closely associated with consumers' d issatisfactio n of selected community services. 154 4. To determine the differences between consumer and local o f f ic ia ls ' d issatisfactio n with selected community services. Focusing on consumer s atis fa ctio n with specific kinds o f services helps, 1n tu rn , to Id e n tify those services that residents viewed Inade­ quate. Thus, services that are possible barriers to social and economic rural development are pinpointed. Determining local public o f f ic ia ls ' satisfaction with services was done to compare th e ir opinions with those of the consumers. Id en tifyin g reasons why consumers and o ff ic ia ls were d is s a tis fie d with services helps local o ff ic ia ls understand some possible opportunities for improving services to rural residents. The th ird research objective—that of Id e n tifyin g socio-economic characteristics most closely associated with consumer d is s a tis fa c tio n — helps to determine whether some segments o f the community ( e .g ., aged, low Income, farm residents) view certain services less adequate than other segnents; Id en tifyin g these segments who view a service comparative­ ly less adequate, therefore, helps to pinpoint those groups In the com­ munity who may have possible service needs that should be considered 1n planning rural development e ffo rts . Id e n tifyin g service d issatisfactio n differences between consumers and local o ff ic ia ls helps to determine whether o ffic ia ls re fle c t the consumers' opinions In th e ir decision making. Id e n tifyin g differences 1n viewpoints between consumers and local o ff ic ia ls can serve as a basis fo r dialogue between these two groups which. In tu rn , could help o ffic ia ls gain a b etter understanding o f possible consumer service needs. 155 Summary o f Findings The findings fo r the research objectives w ill be summarized 1n three parts. The f i r s t part w ill Include a summary o f findings fo r the f i r s t and second objectives o f th is research and w ill cover (1) a d is ­ cussion o f the two services 1n each major service category that consumers viewed le as t adequate fo r the areas as a whole; (2) a review o f the services 1n each major service category th a t consumers viewed le a s t ade­ quate 1n each o f the three counties; and a summary o f why consumers and local o f f ic ia ls were d is s a tis fie d with these services. The discussion 1n the second part focuses on findings fo r the th ird objective and Id e n tifie s socio-economic c h a ra cte ris tic s most closely associated with consumer d is s a tis fa c tio n o f selected services. The th ird part o f th is section Is a summary o f the differences between consumers' opinions and local o f f ic ia ls ' opinions o f service ade­ quacy. The community services Included 1n th is study were categorized according to the follow ing seven major service categories: education, health, re crea tio n , public s a fe ty , tran sp o rtatio n , public works, and spe­ c ia l services (fo r a lis t in g o f the s p ecific services examined 1n th is study, see pp. 35 and 36). Part I Of the two services In each major service category that consumers viewed le a s t adequate, the larg est proportion o f consumers were le as t s a tis fie d with the follow ing: local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , mental h ealth , special care fo r the retarded, tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physically handicapped, alcohol r e h a b ilita tio n , fam ily planning, school 156 recreation fo r community use, ju ven ile corrections, sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s , high school services, court system, preschool services, and q u ality o f public water. Condition o f Local and County Roads Of the preceding services, the two with the largest proportion o f consumer d issatisfactio n area were local roads and county roads. T h irty - six percent o f the consumers expressed d issatisfactio n with road condi­ tions in the study area. Chuckholes, grading, and the need fo r more gravel on gravel roads were the major reasons cited for respondents' d issatisfactio n with local and county road conditions. Swimming F a c ilitie s The th ird largest proportion o f consumers 1n the study area f e l t d is sa tisfie d with swimming f a c ilit ie s . Almost 35% o f the Thumb Area consumers were c r it ic a l o f swimming f a c ilit ie s . The major problem cited by respondents concerning swimming f a c i l ­ it ie s was a lack o f availab le swimming pools. Mental Health Mental health was the service with the fourth largest proportion of consumers expressing d issatisfactio n (over 27%). The largest proportion o f respondents f e l t that people who worked in the f ie ld o f mental health lacked professional tra in in g . Special Care fo r the Retarded The service with the f i f t h largest proportion o f consumer d is s a tis ­ faction was special care fo r the retarded. Almost 27% o f the consumers 157 were d is s a tis fie d with special care fo r the retarded. No problems fo r th is service, however, were mentioned by respondents. Tra1n1ng-Educat1on fo r the Physically Handicapped, Alcohol R e h a b ilita tio n , and Family Planning Tra1n1ng-educat1on fo r the physically handicapped, alcohol rehabi­ l i t a t io n , and fam ily planning were the services with the sixth larg est proportion o f consumer d is s a tis fa c tio n . Twenty-five percent o f the consumers expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with these services. No problems with tralnlng-educatlon fo r the physically handicapped were mentioned by respondents. With respect to alcohol re h a b ilita tio n services, one respondent Indicated th a t there was l i t t l e success In alcohol re h a b ilita tio n 1n re la tio n to the money spent. With regard to fam ily planning, one respondent Indicated th a t there should be more "open-minded­ ness" 1n serving the fam ily planning needs o f the people. School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Comnunlty Use School recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use had the seventh largest percentage o f service consumers expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n . Twenty-three percent found th is service Inadequate. Juvenile Correction Services Juvenile correction had the eighth larg est proportion o f consumers expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n , with 18% viewing the services not adequate. Major reasons given fo r the lack o f s a tis fa c tio n Included the need fo r more fo s te r home care, job tra in in g and placement, fam ily and In d i­ vidual counseling, recreational oppo rtu n ities, and remedial help In school work. 158 Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s The ninth largest proportion o f consumers expressed d issatisfactio n with sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s . Almost 18$ f e l t the service to be Inadequate. The major reason given by respondents fo r th e ir d issatisfactio n with sanitary la n d f ill concerned the short hours these f a c ilit ie s were available fo r public use. High School Services The tenth largest proportion o f consumers expressed d issatisfactio n with high school services (almost 17$). The major reason that respondents d te d fo r th e ir d issatisfactio n Involved a lack of v a rie ty of courses offered 1n high school. Respondents f e l t that additional vocational education and college preparatory courses (e .g ., English, mathematics) should be a va ila b le . Court Services Court services had the eleventh largest proportion o f service con­ sumers expressing d issatisfactio n with over 16$ viewing the service Inadequate. Respondents were most c r it ic a l o f leniency on criminals and the length of time 1t took to adjudicate court cases. Preschool Services The tw elfth largest proportion o f service consumers viewed pre­ school services least adequate with 14$ expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n . Respondents f e l t the number of these services should be Increased and should be c e n tra lly located within the population centers. 159 Q u a lity o f P u b lic Water Of the services viewed le as t adequate among the major service categories, the smallest proportion o f service consumers expressed d is ­ s a tis fa c tio n with public water q u a lity . Eleven percent viewed public water q u a lity Inadequate. Cleaning up the drinking water to elim inate rust and bad odor was the major problem c ite d . The follow ing tab le depicts, 1n order o f magnitude, the proportion o f service consumers d is s a tis fie d with the two services 1n each major service category th a t were found le a s t adequate. V ariation o f Response by County The following discussion focuses on the two services in each major service category th a t consumers viewed least adequate in each o f the three study area counties. Since many o f the same services mentioned 1n the p rio r section are included 1n th is discussion, the reasons fo r con­ sumer d is s a tis fa c tio n with these services w ill not be repeated. However, fo r those services that are mentioned fo r the f i r s t tim e, the discussion w ill Include reasons that consumers gave fo r th e ir d is s a tis fa c tio n . Huron County Of the two services considered le as t adequate In each o f the major categories, the larg est proportion o f consumers 1n Huron County viewed bridge conditions, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and local roads Inadequate. T h irty -th re e percent o f the Huron County consumers viewed bridges Inade­ quate, 31X expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and 28% were c r it ic a l o f local road conditions. 160 Table 6 2 .— Ranking o f Selected Services 1n the Thumb Area o f Michigan According to Consumer Respondent D is s a tis fa c tio n . Ranking of Selected Services Consumers Indicating Service NOT Adequate N % 1. Condition o f County Roads 208 36.8 2. Condition of Local Roads 209 35.8 3. Swlmnlng F a c ilitie s 112 34.9 15 27.8 5. Special Care fo r the Retarded 4 26.7 6. Tra1n1ng-Educat1on fo r the Physically Handicapped 5 25.0 7. Alcohol R ehabilitation 4 25.0 8. Family Planning 4 25.0 46 23.0 6 18.2 11. Sanitary L a n d fill F a c ilitie s 67 17.6 12. High School Services 86 16.7 13. Court System 25 16.5 14. Preschool Services 20 13.8 15. Q uality of Public Water 38 10.8 4. Mental Health Services 9. School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Community Use 10. Juvenile Correction aEach percentage fig ure 1s that proportion o f the to ta l consumer response for th a t service Indicating d issatisfactio n with the service. 161 With respect to poor bridge conditions, respondents mentioned that many bridges needed rep air or replacement. They also mentioned that some needed to be widened to permit an easy flow o f t r a f f ic * p a rtic u la rly farm machinery. The services that had the next largest proportion o f consumers expressing d issatisfactio n in Huron County were fam ily counseling fo r personal problems, mental health and doctor services. I t was found that 25% considered fam ily counseling fo r personal problems Inadequate, and 24% of the consumers considered mental health and doctor services Inade­ quate. Although no reasons fo r respondent d issatisfactio n were found fo r fam ily counseling fo r personal problems, th is finding may suggest a lack of q u a lifie d personnel In th is f ie ld . the Rural areas, as pointed out In lite r a tu r e , have had trouble a ttra c tin g professional people. With respect to doctor services, respondents f e l t that there was a s ig n ific a n t lack o f doctor services fo r meeting th e ir individual or fam ily needs. Other services that Huron County consumers considered least ade­ quate among the major service categories were organized recreation for youth, high school services, sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s , preschool services, police protection, garbage disposal, and the court system. The problem associated with organized recreation fo r youth was simply the lack o f availab le a c tiv itie s . No major problems were mentioned by respondents concerning police protection. With respect to garbage disposal, two respondents Indicated a general lack of availab le services. Table 63 d e ta ils the percentage ranking fo r the services that Huron County consumers found least adequate. 162 Table 6 3 .— Ranking o f Selected Services 1n Huron County According to Consumer Respondent D issatisfactio n. Ranking o f Selected Services Consumers In d icatin g , Service NOT Adequate N % 1. Condition o f County Roads 47 32.9 2. Swimming F a c ilitie s 36 30.8 3. Condition o f Local Roads 51 28.5 4. Family Counseling for Personal Problems 3 25.0 5. Mental Health Services 5 23.8 6. Doctor Services 55 23.8 7. Organized Recreation fo r Youth 17 22.7 8. High School 36 20.7 9. Sanitary L an d fill F a c ilitie s 18 17.1 8 15.1 11. Police Protection 11 10.7 12. Garbage Disposal 11 9.5 3 6.7 10. Preschool Services 13. Court System aEach percentage figure Is that proportion o f the to ta l consumer response fo r that service Indicating d is sa tisfac tio n with the service. 163 Sanilac County County roads, bridges, and swimming f a c ilit ie s were three services among the major service categories th a t Sanilac County consumers consid­ ered least adequate. Over 38% o f the consumers viewed county roads and bridges Inadequate, and 26% expressed d issatisfactio n with swimming fac1l1t1es. The services with the next largest proportion of consumer d is s a tis ­ faction were school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use, the court system, and vocational education. Over 22% of the respondents were d is ­ s a tis fie d with school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use while 17% were c r it ic a l o f the court system and vocational education. The major c ritic is m respondents had with vocational education was the general lack o f vocational educational opportunities fo r residents. Other services th a t Sanilac County consumers considered least adequate among the major service categories were adult education In com­ munity colleges, police p rotection, public sewer system, hospital emer­ gency room services, doctor services, and the q u a lity of public w ater. Several respondents expressed th e ir d issatisfactio n with adult education 1n community colleges based on the lack o f course selection as well as the need to have adult education courses count towards a c o l­ lege degree. The major c ritic is m respondents had with hospital emergency room services was that doctors were not re a d ily availab le to tre a t emergency cases. Table 64 depicts the percentage ranking fo r the services that Sanilac County consumers found least adequate. 164 Table 6 4 .— Ranking o f Selected Services In S an ilac County According to Consumer Respondent D is s a tis fa c tio n . Ranking o f Selected Services Consumers Indicating Service NOT Adequate N % 1. Condition o f County Roads 66 38.6 2, Condition o f Bridges 46 38.2 3. Swimming F a c ilitie s 25 26.3 4. School Recreation F a c ilitie s for Community Use 11 22.5 5. Court System 9 16.7 6. Vocational Education 2 16.7 7. Adult Education 1n Community College 2 15.4 8. Police Protection 13 15.1 9. Public Sewer System 12 14.2 10. Hospital Emergency Room 24 14.2 11. Doctor Services 29 12.9 12. Q uality o f Public Water 13 12.4 aEach percentage figure is that proportion of the to ta l consumer response fo r that service Indicating d issatisfactio n with the service. 165 Tuscola County The three services among the major service categories that consumers 1n Tuscola County considered least adequate were: swimming f a c i l ­ i t i e s , county road conditions, and school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use. Over 47% viewed swimming f a c ilit ie s inadequate while 41% expressed d issatisfactio n with county roads. Almost 26% o f the consumers f e l t school recreation f a c ilit ie s fo r community use to be Inadequate. A r e la tiv e ly high proportion o f Tuscola County consumers also expressed d issatisfactio n with the court system, ju ven ile correction, and mental health services. Twenty-five percent were c r it ic a l o f the court system and ju ven ile correctio n, and 21% were c r it ic a l o f mental health services. Other services among the major service categories that were con­ sidered least adequate were doctor services, adult education In high schools, q u a lity o f public water, and garbage disposal. With respect to adult education In high schools, the major com­ p la in t o f respondents concerned the general lack o f course selection. Table 65 d e ta ils the percentage ranking fo r the services that Tuscola County consumers found least adequate. Part I I A summary o f socio-economic characteristics most closely asso­ ciated with consumer d issatisfactio n fo r selected services— the th ird study objective— 1s presented 1n th is part o f the discussion. Included 1n the analysis are the two services 1n each service category that con­ sumers as a group found least satisfacto ry fo r meeting th e ir individual and family needs. Focusing on these services helps to pinpoint several 166 Table 6 5 .— Ranking o f Selected Services In Tuscola County According to Consumer Respondent D is s a tis fa c tio n . Ranking Selected Services Consumers Indicating Service NOT Adequate N % 1. Swimming F a c ilitie s 47 47.5 2. Condition o f County Roads 82 40.8 3. Condition o f Local Roads 79 38.5 4. School Recreation F a c ilitie s fo r Community Use 17 25.8 5. Court System 12 25.0 6. Juvenile Correction 3 25.0 7. Mental Health 3 21.4 8. Doctor Services 47 19.0 9. Adult Education 1n High School 11 15.7 10. High School Services 24 13.6 11. Quality o f Public Water 15 13.3 12. Garbage Disposal 16 11.7 aEach percentage figure Is that proportion of the to ta l consumer response fo r that service indicating d issatisfactio n with the service. 167 a lte rn a tiv e services 1n each category that seem to o ffe r the greatest opportunity fo r Improvement. The socio-economic variables used 1n th is analysis were as follows: county residence, liv in g area ( I . e . , town or v illa g e , farm, rural non-farm), age, length o f residence, occupation, sex, m arital status, fa m ilia l status, Income, and education. Consistent with the analysis undertaken 1n th is study, the following discussion focuses upon those findings where differences were s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n i­ fic a n t (a t a * .1 0 ). Living Area Location Opinion comparisons were made fo r consumers liv in g on farms, In rural non-farm areas, and In towns. Farm respondents were the group least s a tis fie d with local and county roads. Almost 47% o f those liv in g on farms were d is s a tis fie d with local roads while 44% were d is s a tis fie d with county roads. I t was also found that rural non-farm residents were least s a tis fie d with sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s . Over 26% o f these respondents found sanitary la n d f ill f a c ilit ie s unsatisfactory. Sex Male and female responses were compared and females were found to be least s a tis fie d with mental health services, local roads, and high school services respectively. Over 43% o f the females were d is s a tis fie d with mental health services, 40% were d is s a tis fie d with local roads, and 23% f e l t d is s a tis fie d with high school services. Fam ilial Status Consumers who have had children were less s a tis fie d with swimming f a c ilit ie s than those without children. Almost 35% o f th is group f e l t 168 that swimming f a c ilit ie s were Inadequate fo r th e ir Individual and fam ily needs. I t was also found that those consumers with children liv in g at home were the most c r it ic a l of county road conditions. Almost 39% of th is group were d is s a tis fie d with county road conditions. Education L astly, college graduates were found to be the group least s a tis fie d with high school services. Almost 29% o f the college graduates found high school services unsatisfactory. Part I I I The Id e n tific a tio n o f differences between consumers and local o f f ic ia ls concerning d is sa tisfac tio n with services, the fin a l objective of th is research, is the focus o f th is discussion. Selected fo r analysis fo r th is study objective were the two services 1n each service category that consumers found least s atis fa cto ry . The level o f response from local o ffic ia ls fo r some services, however, was In s u ffic ie n t fo r drawing conclusions. In a ll cases where s u ffic ie n t data were a v a ila b le , however, 1t was found th a t, among the three counties, local public o f f ic ia ls gen­ e ra lly reflected the opinions o f consumers on those services that con­ sumers viewed least adequate. In the cases where s u ffic ie n t data were a v a ila b le , consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls agreed th a t, among the major service categories, the following were least adequate fo r meeting th e ir Individual or fam ily needs: high school services, preschool ser­ vices, mental health services, court services, ju ven ile correctio n , local road conditions, county road conditions and public water q u a lity . 169 In addition to the findings o f th is research fo r each o f the study objectives, I t was also found th a t consumers' opinions on service ade­ quacy coincided, fo r the most p a rt, with prevailing service conditions. Prevailing service conditions were assessed by reviewing secondary In fo r­ mation as reported 1n the la s t h a lf o f Chapter IV. Although secondary Information on services In the study area was lim ited and the Information was available fo r only a small number of services Included 1n th is study, some general comparisons between people's opinions of service adequacy and prevailing service conditions could be made fo r public lib ra ry f a c i l ­ i t i e s . general hospital services, doctor services, nursing services, dental services, f ir e p ro tectio n ,and sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s . I t was found that consumers' opinions on public lib ra ry f a c i l i t i e s , general hospital services, doctor services, nursing services, dental services.and f i r e protection services did r e fle c t the prevailing service conditions. Consumers' opinions, however, did not re fle c t the prevailing service conditions concerning sanitary la n d f ill conditions. On the one hand, a large m ajority o f consumers f e l t that sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l ­ it ie s were adequate while on the other hand, 1t was Indicated in a re ­ search report th a t most o f the existing f a c ilit ie s did not meet state licensing c r it e r ia and were potential health hazards. Conclusions Based upon the findings o f th is study, the following conclusions are drawn concerning the adequacy of community services fo r meeting the Individual and fam ily needs o f rural residents: 1. Among the services that were selected fo r analysis, consumers In rural areas tended to be most c r it ic a l o f local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services. 170 Of the services analyzed, consumers Mere least s a tis fie d with local and county roads. I t 1s, 1n fa c t, a common observation that man rural roads are gravel and often bumpy with numerous chuck holes. Dis­ satisfaction with local and county conditions may be due to the long distances that rural residents often have to travel over these types o f road conditions to obtain services; consequently, they may feel that road conditions over long distances constitute dangerous driving condi­ tions and costly automotive repairs. The d issatisfactio n rural residents expressed with swimming f a c i l ­ itie s was, according to findings of th is study, due to the lack o f a v a il­ able swimming pools. This d issatisfactio n seems to re fle c t th e ir p re fe r­ ence for swimming as a recreational a c tiv ity . Mental health services also had a comparatively high level of dissatisfactio n among rural consumers. The background lite r a tu r e also indicated that Kraenzll and MacDonald found Inadequacies 1n rural mental health care as well as a high Incidence o f mental health problems in rural areas.1 In this study, the major reason fo r d issatisfactio n with mental health care was that respondents f e l t that workers In the f ie ld lacked professional tra in in g . Moreover, rural areas were found to have general d if fic u lt y 1n a ttra c tin g highly q u a lifie d professional people because of re la tiv e ly low salary levels or a lack o f opportunity to associate with colleagues. 2 Thus, the provision o f adequate mental health services may ’ as reported by Anne S. W illiam s, "Planning Service Delivery Systems fo r Rural-Sparsely Areas," North Central Regional Center fo r Rural Development, Aspects o f Planning fo r Public Services 1n Rural Areas (Ames: Iowa State U niversity, 1976), p. Z07. 2 Conmlttee on Agriculture and the Environment, National Acadeiqy of Sciences, Producti ve Agriculture and a Q uality Environment (Washington, D .C .: National Academy o f Sciences, 1974), p. 106. ~ 171 be a s ig n ific a n t problem to rural residents In general because o f a lack of professional people to serve the mental health needs or rural r e s i­ dents. 2. Of the problems associated with providing adequate educational services to youth and adults 1n rural areas, a general lack o f course selection Is a major problem. The major c ritic is m consumers had of high school services fo r both youth and adults as well as adult education 1n community colleges, was a lack of available course o fferin g s. Kenneth Rainey, In his analy­ sis o f rural education, also found a general lack o f course selection to be a major problem 1n providing adequate education to rural residents. 3. The opinions o f service consumers regarding the adequacy of services are generally an accurate re fle c tio n o f actual service conditions In rural areas. This study revealed that consumers' opinions generally reflected prevailing service conditions fo r a ll but one service (sanitary la n d f ill fa c ilitie s ). Consumers' opinions on the adequacy o f public lib ra ry f a c i l i t i e s , general hospital services, doctors' services, nursing ser­ vices, dental services, and f i r e protection generally coincided with actual conditions. 4. People liv in g 1n more rural or sparsely settled areas are less s a tis fie d with a greater number o f services than are people liv in g 1n more urban areas ( I . e . , c it ie s , towns, or v illa g e s ). ^Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services 1n Rural Areas," p. 18. 172 Rural consumers were found to be less s a tis fie d with roads and sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s than were those liv in g In more urban areas ( I . e . , towns or v illa g e s ). This general association was also found In three previous studies: John Bollens found that county residents were less s a tis fie d with sewage disposal than were c ity residents.^ Don Dlllman found, as 1n this study, that those liv in g 1n rural areas viewed streets as less adequate than urban people; 5 he also found rural residents less s a tis fie d than urban residents with medical care. In addition, Johnson and Knop found rural residents less s a tis fie d than urban residents with shopping, medical care, and employment opportunities.** In the case of roads, sanitary la n d fill f a c i l i t i e s , medical care, or shopping centers, the distances, e f f o r t , time, and expense that rural residents incur 1n obtaining these kinds of services Is often greater than th e ir urban counterparts face. Kenneth Rainey also Id e n tifie d these same problems 1n his a r tic le e n title d "Public Services In Rural Areas. These problems would very lik e ly be contributing factors to the d is s a tis ­ faction that rural residents expressed with these services. 5. Females are less s a tis fie d with a greater number o f services than are males In rural areas. 4 See John Bollens, Exploring the M etropolitan Community (L .A .: University o f C alifo rn ia Press, 19 6 t). 5 See Don Dlllman, Public Values and Concerns o f Washington Resi­ dents (Washington State University: Agriculture Experiment Station BuTTetln, 1970). 6See Ronald Johnson and Edward Knop, "Rural-Urban Differences 1n Community Satisfaction" Rural Sociology. Vol. 35, No. 4, December 1970. ^See Kenneth Rainey, "Public Services 1n Rural Areas." 173 In th is study, females were found to be less s a tis fie d than males with high school services, mental health services, and road conditions. I t was also found 1n the Wisconsin study th a t more women than men gener­ a lly favored expansion o f health , mental h ealth , police p ro tectio n , and adult education, suggesting th a t a greater proportion o f women than men o were d is s a tis fie d with the adequacy o f these services. The d is s a tis fa c tio n that females expressed with high school ser­ vices may be the re s u lt o f th e ir ro le as mothers 1n which they may have a greater s e n s itiv ity and concern fo r the educational needs o f th e ir children than do men. This same s e n s itiv ity may also be re fle c te d In th e ir general d is ­ s a tis fa c tio n with mental health services. Women may be more sensitive to the emotional needs o f th e ir children as well as to the re st o f th e ir fam ily than men. This re s u lt may also suggest th a t women have mental health needs that are not met. The finding th a t women expressed greater d is s a tis fa c tio n with roads than men may be due to several reasons: F ir s t, women tr a d itio n a lly do a f a i r amount o f d riv in g , p a rtic u la rly 1n doing fam ily errands such as taking the children to various a c t iv itie s or shopping. They may have a greater fe a r than men o f bad road conditions because o f a concern fo r the safety o f th e ir children or themselves. A woman's concern fo r the safety o f her children on rough roads may also be suggested by the fin d ­ ings 1n th is study th a t a la rg e r proportion o f those fam ilies with c h i l ­ dren liv in g a t home were less s a tis fie d with road conditions than those fam ilies with no children liv in g a t home. o A second possible reason why See V irg in ia Lambert e t a l . , Public Service, Programs and Policy 1n Farm Northwestern W1sconsIn Coun ties (Madison: In s titu te fo r Environ­ mental Studies, 1974). 174 women were more c r it ic a l o f road conditions than men may be that women feel less prepared to deal with emergency road situations than do men. 6. Local public o f f ic ia ls ' opinions may re fle c t consumers' opinions of service adequacy In rural areas. A s im ila rity In views o f service adequacy between o ff ic ia ls and consumers found In th is study might be due to a close In teractio n local public o ff ic ia ls 1n rural areas may have with th e ir constituents; thus, local o ff ic ia ls can empathize with the views of th e ir constituents. Implications of the Study fo r the Development of Rural Communities This section focuses on the implications o f conclusions fo r devel­ opment In rural communities. Rural communities, as pointed o ut, have experienced problems o f outmigration o f young people, along with d e te rio ­ rating economies. Improving services, on the other hand, 1s an Important prerequisite fo r encouraging economic and social development o f rural areas. I t Is hoped that the Im plications of these findings may suggest opportunities fo r Improving rural community services and, thus, the qual­ ity o f l i f e fo r rural people. Among the services that were analyzed 1n th is study, 1t was con­ cluded that consumers were least s a tis fie d with local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services. These services repre­ sent a broad range o f services related to transportation, recreation, and health; th is conclusion may suggest that local community leaders and citizen s should be conscious o f a broad range o f service Improvement opportunities. I t was also concluded th a t of the problems associated with provid­ ing adequate education services to youth and adults 1n rural areas, a 175 general lack o f course selection Is a major problem. The provision of adequate educational curricula Is essential fo r the social and economic development o f rural communities. The a v a ila b ility of c ra ft or hobby related courses, fo r example, serves to enrich many peoples' liv e s . A wide range of vocational courses is important fo r job preparation and changing employment opportunities fo r rural residents. Also, a wide range of educational courses ( I . e . , English, mathematics, social studies) 1s an Important foundation fo r fu rth e r learning. Thus, i t 1s suggested that rural leaders Id e n tify what rural residents desire 1n the way of educational courses, what seems feasible In the way o f human and other resources available to a rural area, and what types o f curricula might be Important as a prerequisite fo r future employment to rural residents. Undertaking these e ffo rts would enhance the general well-being of people liv in g 1n rural areas as well as encourage the economic development of rural communities. Another conclusion o f th is study indicated that the opinions of service consumers regarding the adequacy of services are generally an accurate re fle c tio n o f actual service conditions In rural areas. This conclusion implies th a t consumers' opinions of service adequacy are use­ ful Indicators o f actual service conditions In rural areas and, thus, useful fo r assessing and planning future service Improvements 1n rural comnunltles. Rural leaders, therefo re, should consider obtaining pe­ rio d ic Insights from consumers on service adequacy to supplement th e ir planning and decision making. I t was also concluded that people liv in g 1n more rural or sparsely settled areas are less s a tis fie d with a greater number of services than are people liv in g In more urban areas ( I . e . , c it ie s , towns, v illa g e s ). 176 Given that consumers1 opinions o f service adequacy are a general In d i­ cator of actual service conditions as Indicated above, the Im plication of th is conclusion helps to confirm the observation made 1n the review of lite r a tu r e —that services to rural residents are generally In fe rio r to those fo r urban residents. Thus, th is conclusion has p a rtic u la rly relevant Im plications fo r developing national growth po licies 1n the United States. I f , In fa c t, rural services are generally in fe rio r to urban services, and 1f providing adequate services 1s an Important pre­ req uisite to the social and economic development of rural communities, then rural areas on the whole are a t a competitive disadvantage In de­ veloping s o c ia lly and economically. To help Insure equitable oppor­ tu n itie s fo r rural development, national and state leaders may want to reexamine th e ir public spending p r io r itie s and make greater e ffo rts fo r Improving rural services. The study concluded that females are less s a tis fie d with a greater number o f services than are males 1n rural areas. This finding may sug­ gest th a t women, as a group, have s e n s itiv itie s and insights that would be o f benefit to rural development p ractitio n ers fo r Improving services. Women may bring c r it ic a l Insights to a situ atio n as a consequence o f th e ir roles as mothers, homemakers, or working women. Being a mother and homemaker, fo r example, a woman may have a b etter understanding of a c h ild 's educational or health needs than would a fath er. Rural leaders, therefore, should be advised to consult with concerned women In order to gain a greater understanding o f service Improvement opportunities. A fin a l conclusion o f th is study Indicated that local public o f­ f i c i a l s 1 opinions may serve as a general Indicator of consumers' opinions of service adequacy In rural areas. The Im plication of th is conclusion 177 fo r ru ral development 1s th a t those who want to b e tte r understand service conditions ( I . e . , community development workers) could get a general understanding o f service conditions 1n ru ral areas by contacting the local public o f f ic ia ls . This conclusion, however, does not suggest th a t local public o f f ic ia ls could provide Insights Into sp ecific service prob­ lems or needs o f various c lie n te le groups. These Insights and support fo r Improving services to ru ral residents could be obtained through c i t i ­ zen p a rtic ip a tio n 1n decision making. D irect Im plications o f the Findings fo r the Development o f the Thumb Area o f Michigan Of the two services 1n each major service category th a t consumers found le a s t adequate, the larg est proportion o f study area consumers f e l t le a s t s a tis fie d with local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services resp ectively. Moreover, a large proportion o f consumers 1n Huron and Sanilac Counties were c r it ic a l o f bridge conditions. Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls , th e re fo re , may want to pay p a rtic u la r a tten tio n to Improving these services. Improvement o f local and county roads should be given special a t ­ te n tio n , p a rtic u la rly 1n Tuscola County. However, problems with roads seemed to be Indicated by residents In Huron and Sanilac Counties as w e ll. Patching chuck holes, grading gravel roads In ru ral areas, and using asphalt surfacing where possible were the major Improvement sug­ gestions. Tuscola County o f f ic ia ls p a r tic u la rly should also consider Improv­ ing swimming f a c i l i t i e s , since the larg est proportion o f respondents in th is county f e l t le a s t s a tis fie d with th is category. The provision o f additional f a c i l i t i e s fo r year round swlnmlnq was the major suggestion 178 fo r Improvement. Improvement opportunities might be Investigated 1n Huron and Sanilac Counties as well since a r e la tiv e ly large proportion o f people 1n these counties also expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with swimming fa c ilitie s . In a d d itio n , fo r the area as a whole, fam ilies with children liv in g a t home were le as t s a tis fie d with th is service. Families with children would be expected to be more fa m ilia r with swimming f a c ilit ie s since a la rg e r proportion o f children than adults usually go swimming. Planning fo r the Improvement o f swimming f a c i l i t i e s , th e re fo re , might Include the specific needs o f c h ild ren , such as water safety tra in in g , swimming lessons or the Insuring o f safe swimming conditions. Mental health should also be given special a tte n tio n fo r possible Improvement 1n a ll three counties since th is service had the fourth largest proportion o f consumer d is s a tis fa c tio n . A s ig n ific a n tly la rg er proportion o f females than males expressed d is s a tis fa c tio n with th is service. This re s u lt may be due to the fa c t th a t females may be more sensitive to mental problems than males, and/or th a t the mental health needs o f females are not being met. I t 1s suggested that Thumb Area o f­ f ic ia ls give p a rtic u la r atten tio n to in vestigatin g whether, In fa c t, the mental health needs o f females are being met. The major Improvement suggestion given by respondents Involved the need fo r additional s ta ff tra in in g to b e tte r meet the mental health needs o f p atien ts. With regard to Improving bridge conditions 1n Huron and Sanilac Counties, special a tte n tio n should be given to repairing delapidated bridges, widening those th a t In h ib it the free flow of t r a f f i c and farm machinery, and replacing those th a t are beyond re p a ir. In addition to these services, Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls may also want to work toward Improving special care fo r the retarded, tralnlng-educatlon 179 fo r the physically handicapped, alcohol r e h a b ilita tio n , fam ily planning, and school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r community use. These services had the next larg est proportion o f consumers expressing d is s a tis fa c tio n . The small number o f respondents to these special services made s t a t i s t i ­ cal analysis Impossible. The Id e n tific a tio n o f socio-economic character­ is tic s most related to d is s a tis fa c tio n with the services was therefore not possible. Also, no suggestions fo r service Improvements were pro­ vided by the respondents fo r special care fo r the retarded or tra ln ln g educatlon fo r the physically handicapped, and only one suggestion was given fo r Improving alcohol re h a b ilita tio n or fam ily planning. Since these services had comparatively large proportions o f consumers d is s a tis ­ fie d , 1t 1s suggested th a t Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls should fu rth e r In v e s ti1gate the needs o f people using these services. In a d d itio n , a case study approach concerning each service Is recommended 1n order to acquire suf­ fic ie n t Information fo r making additional conclusions. The number o f responses fo r school recreation f a c i l i t i e s fo r com­ munity use was also lim ite d . However, based on suggestions fo r service Improvement, 1t 1s recommended th a t Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls consider Improv­ ing the a v a ila b ilit y o f these f a c i l i t i e s by providing extended hours and/ or supporting an Individual responsible fo r coordinating community recrea­ tio nal a c t iv ity 1n high schools. Other services th a t were found to be comparatively less adequate by consumers among the major service categories were: ju v e n ile c o rrectio n, sanitary la n d f ill f a c i l i t i e s , high school services, court services, pre­ school services, and q u a lity o f public w ater. Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls might also consider Improving ju v e n ile correc­ tion services such as Improving fo s te r home care, job tra in in g and 180 placement, fam ily and Individual counseling, recreational a c tiv ity and remedial help In school work fo r delinquents. Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls might consider Improving sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s fo r residents In the three counties, p a rtic u la rly In rural areas. Both the respondents and the secondary Information reflected a need fo r Improving this service by extending hours of usage, providing additional sanitary la n d fill f a c ilit ie s and, as noted e a r lie r , meeting state statutory requirements. Since high school and preschool services were considered compara­ tiv e ly less adequate by respondents. Thumb Area o ff ic ia ls might consider the a lte rn a tiv e s suggested by respondents fo r Improving these services to local residents. For high schools, th is might p a rtic u la rly Include upgrading vocational-educational programs such as expanding course o f­ ferings or Informing students o f the d iffe re n t vocational opportunities. For preschool services, respondents emphasized the need to have additional preschool services. Thumb Area o ff ic ia ls may want to pay special atten tio n to Improv­ ing court services, p a rtic u la rly 1n Sanilac County since residents 1n this county were least s a tis fie d with th is service. Adjudicating court cases more quickly and minimizing leniency on crim inals were the major Improvement suggestions. For Improving public water q u a lity , Thumb Area o ff ic ia ls should f i l t e r out insolubles, elim inate bad odors, and improve water pressure where possible. Policy Recommendations fo r Thumb Area O ffic ia ls There were a number o f possible service needs expressed by Thumb Area residents. However, as 1n many rural communities, resources fo r 181 meeting people's needs are lim ite d . Therefore, p r io r itie s fo r service Improvement need to be Id e n tifie d by Thumb o f f ic ia ls . The results of th is research suggest that fo r the three counties as a whole, Thumb Area o ff ic ia ls should concentrate on Improving county and local roads, swim­ ming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services. These re s u lts , therefore, may serve as a possible guide fo r Improving Thumb Area services. Concern fo r Improving community services seemed to be Indicated by people's willingness to respond to th is study and suggest service Improvements. Thumb Area o f f ic ia ls , therefo re, should Id e n tify and u t iliz e the wide v ariety o f resources and tale n ts o f Interested c itizen s and leaders fo r Improving services in the community. The a c tiv itie s undertaken 1n upgrading community service should Include a working relationship with members representing the d iffe re n t organizations 1n the comnunlty including, fo r example, business, govern­ ment, re lig io u s , cu ltu ral and educational organizations In order that the community service needs from a v a rie ty of groups be considered. The establishment o f a c itiz e n s ' committee made up o f people representing these d iffe re n t organizations 1s recommended. Educational programs by Extension or other adult educational units to Inform Thumb Area residents of the results o f th is research should be undertaken with the guidance, encouragement, and support o f county com­ missioners, Human Development Commission s ta ff members, regional o f f i ­ c ia ls , community-wide organizations, and other Interested leaders re ­ presenting various segments o f the community. Such education programs could be a part o f other on-going community gatherings such as county comnlsslon meetings, c iv ic club luncheons, or regional hearings concern­ ing subject matter th a t may be relevant to th is research. Disseminating 18 2 this type o f Information 1s Important fo r helping local leaders and c i t i ­ zens understand a lte rn a tiv e development p o s s ib ilitie s fo r Improving th e ir services. Types o f federal or state assistance fo r Improving local services that f i t w ithin the p r io r itie s fo r local program development should be explored. Further, Thumb Area o ff ic ia ls should explore the p o s s ib ility of acquiring professional help to id e n tify , prepare, and follow through on possible federal or state fin an c ial/tec h n ica l assistance. Lim itations o f the Study This was an exploratory study designed to help local public o f­ f ic ia ls gain Insights fo r Improving rural services. Although this study was s c ie n tific 1n it s approach and involved a s ig n ific a n t amount o f In depth research, there are lim ita tio n s to the g e n e ra lIz a b llity o f the findings. The following discussion, th erefo re, focuses on several lim i­ tations Involved with this study. One Area a t One Point 1n Time The f i r s t lim ita tio n of the study relates to the fa c t that I t was undertaken 1n one area a t one point In time; people's opinions, however, may d if f e r from one region to another, or from one year to another. A re p lic atio n of th is study, therefo re, would be necessary to generalize these findings over d iffe re n t regions and time periods. Bias o f the Sample A second lim ita tio n o f the study was the bias o f the sample. The study respondents, when compared to the population a t la rg e , were found to be o ld er, and to include a greater proportion o f professional workers, males, and those o f higher Incomes and levels o f education. This bias 183 may be due to the use o f a m all-out approach In c o llec tin g data; these types of people may be more Inclined to express themselves In w ritten form. This bias lim its one's a b ilit y to generalize from these findings. R e lia b ility o f Local Public O ffic ia ls Response Another lim ita tio n o f th is study Involved surveying the opinions o f local public o ff ic ia ls without Instructing them to respond as "local public o f f ic ia ls ; " th e ir response may have been more as a "service cus­ tomer" than as a public o f f ic ia l or policy maker ( i . e . , one whose opinion Is from the point o f view o f the "public In terest" vs. his own In te re s t). The finding that there Is a high degree o f s im ila rity between consumers and o ff ic ia ls on opinions on service adequacy, therefo re, Is te n ta tiv e , Q p a rtic u la rly since 1t is contrary to the finding 1n a previous study. Therefore, 1t 1s recommended th a t, fo r future studies comparing the opinions o f consumers and o f f ic ia ls , local public o ff ic ia ls are specif­ ic a lly Instructed to respond 1n th e ir capacity as policy makers. Limited Responses A fourth lim ita tio n Involved a lim ited response from consumers and local public o ff ic ia ls fo r some o f the services Included In this study. This lim ited response precluded drawing s ta tis t ic a lly re lia b le conclusions fo r some services. The time and resouce lim ita tio n s o f th is study permitted two follow-up attempts to acquire as many returns as pos­ s ib le; however, given the s tip u la tio n o f th is research that a respondent had to use a service before an opinion could be given, 1t Is recommended that future s im ila r research attempt additional follow-ups to assure as close to a to ta l response as possible. g See Harold L. Nix e t a l . , "Views o f Leader Respondents Compared With Random Respondents' Views," Journal o f the Cownunlty Development Society 5, No. 1 (1974). 184 Limited Corroboration o f Survey Findings A fin a l lim ita tio n o f th is study Is concerned with a lack of secondary Information fo r In d icatin g whether consumers' opinions r e f le c t ­ ed p revailin g service conditions 1n the area. This lack o f secondary Information that focuses upon an examination o f service adequacy 1n rural areas may be due to several things: f i r s t , ru ral communities often lack money to undertake extensive evaluation e ffo rts o f th e ir services; second, many ru ral communities do not have the professional expertise to under­ take program evaluation e ffo rts th a t urban areas, fo r example, might have; and th ir d , leaders 1n ru ral communities may not see the need to expend money fo r evaluation e ffo r ts . Being able to compare people's opinions on services with secondary data on those same services depends la rg e ly on whether evaluation e ffo rts had been made 1n the past; otherwise the opinion researcher, given enough time and resources, would have to gather the appropriate secondary data. Recommendations fo r Further Research I t 1s recommended th a t additional s im ila r research be undertaken to corroborate the findings o f th is research. Socio-economic character­ is tic s most closely associated with consumer d is s a tis fa c tio n and services were Id e n tifie d 1n th is study. I t was found, fo r example, th a t consumers liv in g In the more ru ral sections o f the study area viewed a la rg e r num­ ber o f services Inadequate than those liv in g In the more urban areas. Female respondents were also found to view a la rg er number o f services Inadequate than male respondents. Although s im ila r conclusions were drawn 1n other studies, more research needs to be undertaken to fu rth e r (1) substantiate these findings; and (2 ) obtain additional Insights as to how various segments o f the population perceive services. « Id e n tify in g 185 these relationships would be useful fo r b etter understanding possible service needs of various segments o f the population. I t would also aid 1n planning rural development e ffo rts . Sim ilar research Is also needed to determine whether or not the views o f consumers and local o ff ic ia ls are the same on questions of service adequacy. Although i t was concluded 1n th is research that con­ sumers and o ff ic ia ls held sim ilar viewpoints on questions o f service adequacy, fu rth er research 1s needed to substantiate the fin d in g , p a r ti­ c u la rly since a contrary conclusion was arrived a t in previous research.^® Other research Is also suggested on the basis o f th is research. Future research might focus on Income levels most related to d is s a tis ­ faction with services in rural areas. Prior studies, fo r example, have Indicated that lower income groups are less s a tis fie d with some services than higher Income groups. Unfortunately, the level o f response from low Income groups 1n th is study was in s u ffic ie n t fo r drawing conclusions fo r a v a rie ty of services. I t 1s recommended that future research In ­ vestigate possible relationships between opinions on service adequacy and income levels to see i f the service needs of low income people are being met. In th is study I t was found that among the two services in each major service category that consumers found least adequate, they were most c r it ic a l o f local and county roads, swimming f a c i l i t i e s , and mental health services. Additional research should be undertaken 1n other rural areas to determine specific kinds of services viewed least adequate by consumers as a means fo r determining some possible p r io r itie s fo r service Improvements generally. ^See Harold Nix e t a l . 186 Since the larg est proportion o f consumers 1n th is study were d is ­ s a tis fie d with local and county roads, 1t 1s suggested th a t additional research be undertaken to Id e n tify ways to Improve d rivin g conditions 1n rural areas. Such topics as ru ral safety conditions or causes o f a c c i­ dents 1n ru ral areas might be explored. A comparatively large proportion o f consumers 1n th is study were also d is s a tis fie d with swimming f a c i l i t i e s . Additional research might be undertaken Into the costs and benefits o f building and maintaining swimming f a c i l i t i e s In ru ral areas, fo r example, or planning and develop1ng water safety programs. Mental health was another service 1n rural areas th a t seemed to o ffe r opportunities fo r major improvement. Additional research might Include (1 ) Id e n tify in g the d iffe r e n t mental health problems and needs o f ru ral residents; (2) id e n tify in g a lte rn a tiv e mental health treatments ( e .g ., a lte rn a tiv e s to In s titu tio n a liz a tio n ) and the cost and benefits associated with each; (3 ) determining a lte rn a tiv e means to Insure ade­ quate financing and s ta ffin g o f professional personnel In mental health; or (4) Id e n tify in g performance standards 1n the f ie ld to help 1n evalu­ ating progress and performance. Another general problem concerning rural services th a t seemed to emerge 1n th is study was the lack o f v a rie ty 1n educational c u rric u la . This was found to be true In consumers' c ritic is m s o f adult education 1n community colleges, high school services, and adult education In high schools. I t Is recommended th a t additional research be undertaken to Id e n tify some sp ecific learning needs o f rural youth and adults. What are the basic cu rricu la needs In high schools, fo r example, that are Important fo r higher education? What kinds o f vocational s k ills do ru ral 187 residents need to meet the changing job requirements 1n society? These are examples o f questions that could be fu rth e r explored. I t 1s Important fo r these and other research needs to be Id e n ti­ fie d so that systematic and orderly rural development planning can occur. Systematic research and planning are c r it ic a l fo r the proper growth and development o f rural America. QUESTIONS I THROUGH 7 ARE TO DETERMINE YOUR VIEWS ON THE ADEQUACY OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARITABLE SERVICES FOR SERVING YOUR NEEDS. THE FOLLOWING FOUR STEPS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED TO GUIDE YOU IN ANSWERING THESE SEVEN QUESTIONS. fo r sup i PIMM check fP) YES If you or your Immediate family (generally, spouse, children, brothers and sisters, parents and grandpartents) with whom you have c Io m contact, have used the service. If yes to step I, please give the name of the community where the service Is located. For sU p Z PleaM check (V) YES If you are generally satisfied with the adequacy of the service (BY "ADEQUACY", ITMEANS THAT YOUARE SATISFIED j For atop t U1™ AMOUNT OF THE SERVICE IN YOUR AREA; THAT THE SERVICE AND THAT YOU ARE SATISIFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICE.) FOr atep 4 IS AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO YOU ANDYOUR FAMILYIN MEETING YOUR NEEDS; If you check YES in step 3, do not go to step A. If you are NOT SATISIFED with the adequacy of the service and check NO In step 3, please write In step A (I) the name of the SERVICE CATEGORY you are referring to (for example, "elementary education" etc.), (2) where possible, the name of the Mrvice (i.e ., Marshall Elementary School, etc.) (3) AMO then what Im p ro v eme n t s you recommend (for example, your recommendations for Improving the amount, availability or accessibility, and/or the quality of the service). THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE IS INCLUOED AS AN EXAMPLE FOR QUESTIONS I - 7. sducatioo 188 a) stanats Step 1 SUp 2 HAVE YOU OR YOUR IMMEDIATE NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES NO DON'T KNOW Pre-school education V' b. Elementary education ir c. High school education _____ _____ Cm to p . Improvement needed u A s tk V -— Service category (and name if possible) o f iH \ - h u t NO v- o V Ma m YES to step A) Stop 4 fltn h o o t f 4 « i1 u if t o d f t iR < L k M ] SERVICE ADEQUATE ( If NO, go ( If YES, go to steps 2t3) a. SUp 3 iA i A t & 4 f4 — PLEASE DO NOT NARK IN THIS SPACE Step l HAVE YOU 00 VOUR IHHCOIATE NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES ( If YES, t. Pr*-sdiool education b. IlM M U r y education c. NI9M tcAool education d. Vocational l i M C I t l M a. Comma tty c o lle t* i t e i t l M f. Adult education offered In tilfh scNools 9. Adult education offered In com m a tty c o lle t* h. Cooperative extension services I. Public library fa c ilitie s Step 2 NO 90 DON'T MOW SERVICE ADEQUATE YES ( If NO, NO 90 PLEASE 00 NOT NARK IN THIS SPACE to st*p A) to stops 2*3) 189 Step 4 Sorvic* c*t* 9 ory (and am* If possible) Step S laprov*M*nt n**d*d SUp I SUp 1 HAVS YOU OR YOUR IHHEOIATE NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES MO SUp 3 SERVICE ADEQUATE YES NO DON'T KNOW (If NO, go ( If YES, go to steps 2S3) to step A) FLEAS! DO NOT NARK IN THIS I f ACC a* fiowril hospital services % b. Hospital aaargency room services c. HantsI hoalth services 4. M u lm c t services a. Nun Inf ssrvlcns f. doctor tarvleas «. Dontlst Mrvicat h. Alcohol rahabl11tat low sarvicas Drug rehabilitation sarvicas J. loounlzatlon sarvicas h. Feel I y planning sarvicas I. Hatamal and child health care ■. Mena health norslnf 190 I. SUp 4 Service catofory (and naan If possible) 9 laproveesnt needed (S) EKUUaXM SERVICES Step i Step 2 HAVE YOU OK YOUK IMMEDIATE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES NO DON'T KNOW ( If YES, go to steps 243) a. Picnic areas b. Camping iru s c. Swimming facilities d. School recreation facilities for use by whole co—unity e. Organized recreation progrates for youth f. Organized adult recreation programs g. Organized recreation programs for Senior Citizens SERVICE ADEQUATE YES NO PLEASE DO NOT MARK IN THIS SPACE (If NO, go to step b) Step 4 Improvement needed Service category (and name If possible) (4) PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES Step 1 HAVE YOU OR YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES NO DON'T KNOW ( If YES, go to steps 243) a. Fire protection services b. Police protection services c. Court system d. Juvenile correction services ---- — / SERVICE ADEQUATE YES NO ( If NO, go to step h) -------- — Step 4 Service category (and name if possible) Step 2 Step 2 Improvement needed — PLEASE 00 NOT NARK IN THIS SPACE S tep J HAVE YOU OR YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE SUp 2 NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES NO DON'T KNOW ( If YES, go to steps 2*3) ». SUp s SERVICE ADEQUATE YES NO PLEASE DO NOT MARK IN THIS SPACE (if NO, go to step k) School bus sorvlco b. bus service between towns c. Scheduled airline service d. Freight rail service e. Commercial trucking services f. Road glowing for local roads 9- Condition of local roads h. Condition of county roads I. Condition of state highways j. Condition of bridges SUp 4 Improvement needed Service category (and name if possible) to ro (6) public macs fa c ilitie s SUp 1 amd services HAVE YOU OR YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY USED THE SERVICE SUp 2 NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE SERVICE IS LOCATED YES NO DON'T KNOW ( If YES go to steps 2*3) a. Garbage disposal services ■ — b. Sanitary land f i l l facility ------ j _ ■V ■ c. Quality of public water d. Public sewer system SUp 4 Service category (and nane If possible) ---- ---- ----- Improvement needed SUp 3 SERVICE ADEQUATE YES NO ( If NO, to to step k) PLEASE DO NOT NARK IN THIS SPACE ssscut sanas i7;| SUp 1 HAVE YOU Oh YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY USED THE SERVICES NAME OF COMMUNITY WHERE SEHVICE IS LOCATEO YES MO OOM'T KNOW ( If YES, go to steps 2*3) a. Training/education for rehabilita­ tion of physically handicapped adults b. Job training for low Income adults c. Special care for the retarded d. Child day care services e. Family counseling for financial probtens f. Fanlly counseling for personal prohlens 9h. Financial aid to low Ineons faallles SUp 3 Step t SERVICE ADEQUATE YES MO PLEASE DO NOT MARK IN THIS SPACE ( If HO, go to step A) Housing facilities for elderly I. Housing facilities for low I fan!Ilas J. legal services for lew incone fan!lies k. Provision of food service to elderly SUp4 Service category (and nans if possible) Improvement needed 193 (la) Of the services listed In questions 1-7, are there any that you or your family need, but which are not available to youT (lb) YES HO__ If YES, please Indicate the needs that are not being met____________________________ ____________ ________ ____ (9.) Please (✓) the one service category MOST In need of attention or~ictlon for Improvement (9b) MOST Education Services Health Services Recreation Sarvicas Public Safety Services Transportation Services Please M the one service category LEAST in need of attention or action for Improvement LEAST __ __ __ __ __ IIU 'T' -HSL1Jt ''• 1 i I I . ' ir ry ~ 7 ~~ ~ ;~ . - . MC A M W t W « r iM YRN t f t t jM V f THE AKQUACY OF SERVICES FOR OTHERS IN YOUR COUNTY. (10a.) (10b.) (11) Of the services listed In questions 1-7, are there any that others need but irftich are not available to thaw? YES NO___ NO OPINION If YES, please indicate tha needs that ara not being mat _________________________________________________________ Canarally speaking, how do you faal about services provided to others in your county? (Please check) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. Education Services Health Services Aacreation Public Safety Services Transportation Public Works Special Services Adequate __ __ __ __ __ __ Not Adequate___ __ __ __ __ __ __ Don't Know__ __ __ __ __ __ __ THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS ARE CONCERNEO WITH HOWWELL INFORMED YOU FEEL YOU ARE WITH THE SERVICES MENTIONED IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. (12) Do you feel adequately Informd about the community services that were mentioned in this questionnaire? YES NO__ (13) If there are services you need more information about, please list ____________________________________________ QUESTIONS lb THROUGH 23 WILL PROVIDE US WITH AODED INFORMATION TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE A CROSS SECTION OF RESPONSES ON SERVICE NEEDS. (1b) In which community do you live?__________________________________ (15) In which county do you live (Please check) (16) Please Indicate your age. (17) How long have you lived in this county? Years _____. (18) What Is your present occupation at which you spend most of your time? Occupation _________________________ (19) Please check the type of area In which you have your home Huron_________ , Sanilac , Tuscola ,Other Years _____ a. Live on a farm b. __ Live In a ruralarea but noton a farm c. Live in an urban area, a city orvillage (20) (21) (22) Please chock (a) Hale_____ Please check (a) Harried . (b) (b) Female_ Single Please check (a) Hava you had any children YES NO___ (b) Do you have any children living at home? YES ___ NO___ PLEASE 00 NOT HANK IN THIS SOME (23) Nhlch of the following categories includes your total fawily Ineeae bafora tanas In 1)72? (Please chock) a. __ b. ___ $ 3,001 - $ 6,000 c. __ $ 6,001 - $ 9,000 d. __ $ 9,001 - $12,000 a. __ $12,001 - $25,000 f. $25,001 - $50,000 __ g. __ (2k) up to $ 3,000 ©war $50,000 Please chack tha lavaI of aducatlon you hava completed 8th grade or less __ b. Grades 9 - 1 1 __ c. High school graduate __ d. Completed Vocational Training school a. Collage 1 - 3 years __ f. Collage graduate __ If you would Ilka a copy of tha survey results, please indicate ywir naaie and address. THANK YOU PON TOON COOPEJIATIONI Frits Sauer, 323 Natural Resources luildlng, HSU, East Lansing, Hichigan 6882k 195 a. APPENDICES APPENDIX A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE AND MAIL-OUT MATERIALS M IC H IG A N S T A T E U N IV E R S IT Y 196 DEPARTMENT OP RESOURCE DEVELO PM ENT EAST LANSING • M IC H IG A N ■ 4M 24 NATURAL RESOURCES B U ILD IN G February 26, 1974 Dear Resident: Your help 1s needed 1n understanding community services In your area. Community services Include education, health care, safe tran sp o rtatio n , and so fo rth . People throughout the state are working toward Improving the kinds and q u a lity of services ava ila b le to Michigan residents. The enclosed questionnaire 1s the basis o f a survey designed to aid community groups and leaders make possible community service Improvements 1n your area. This survey is being undertaken 1n Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties. I t 1s a jo in t e ffo r t between Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , Cooperative Extension o ffic e s , County Commissioners, and the Thumb Area Human Development Commission. Please complete the enclosed questionnaire. made ava ila b le to you 1 f you request I t . A summary o f the results w ill be I f you are m arried, e ith e r you or your spouse may f i l l out the questionnaire. In e ith e r case, names w ill not be Id e n tifie d with Individual or combined data. Your cooperation w ill be g re atly appreciated. Sincerely, F r lt t Sauer Research Coordinator Thumb Area Community Services Study FS/jo Thank you fo r your time. M IC H IG A N S T A T E U N IV E R S IT Y DEPARTMENT OP RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 197 EAST LANSING • M IC H IG A N • 4M 24 NATURAL RESOURCES B U ILD IN G May 24 , 1974 Dear Thumb Area Resident: Several weeks ago a questionnaire concerning Issues in community development was mailed to you from Michigan State University. I f youhave not had a chance to respond, I hope you w ill take a few minutes to f i l l i t out and return I t to us. A greater number of responses w ill make the results of the study much more useful. I am enclosing an extra copy o f the questionnaire fo r your convenience. Thank you very much fo r your help. Sincerely, Fritz Sauer Research Coordinator Thumb Area Community Services Survey FS/jo 19 8 M IC H IG A N S T A T E U N IV E R S IT Y DEPARTM ENT OP RESOURCE DEVELO PM ENT EAST LANSING • M IC H IG A N • M M NATURAL RESOURCES B U ILD IN G Dear Resident: A questionnaire concerning your community services was recently mailed to you from Michigan State U n iversity. A number o f people have returned th e ir completed questionnaires, and I need your response in order to make accurate conclusions. I f you have not yet responded, I hope you w ill please take a few minutes now to f i l l out the questionnaire and return 1t 1n the prepaid envelope. Thank you. Fritz Sauer Research Coordinator Thumb Area Community Services Survey FS/jo APPENDIX B CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR CONSUMERS AND LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS' RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY QUESTIONS APPENDIX 8 CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR CONSUMERS AND LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS' RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY QUESTIONS Formula z * 1.65 (calculated a t a significance level o f a 3 .10, or a z score of 1 .65 ). n 3 number who answered question. N 3 to ta l population size (to ta l household population o f Thumb Area— 34,585). p 3 decimal proportion of yes. q 3 decimal proportion of no. Example: (Taken from question on preschool services.) Consumers who Indicated preschool services adequate 3 86.2% (frequency 3 125). Consumers who Indicated preschool services NOT adequate 3 13.8% (frequency 3 20 ). \ ( . 862 x .138^ ^34,585 - 145^ 862 ± 1.65 J \ 144 (.0287) Thus, .047 In te rv a l. / \ (.9979) 34,585 3 / .0286 x 1.65 3 . 047 +.862 3 90.0 or .047 - .862 3 81.5 fo r 8 *4 .7 % confidence ^William Cochran, Sampling Techniques (New York: John Wiley and Sons, In c ., 1953), pp. 59^^01 199 200 Explanation: One can be 90% certain th a t the true percentage ( i . e . , the percent­ age not due to chance) o f those who feel preschool services are adequate and not adequate are w ithin ± 4.7%. 201 Table 6 6 .--C alculated Confidence In tervals fo r Local Public O ffic ia l Responses to Survey Questions on Community Services. Community Service I. II. III. IV. Education Services Preschool Elementary High School Vocational* Community College Education Adult Education In High School Adult Education 1n Community College* Cooperative Extension Public Library Health Services General Hospital Services Hospital Emergency Room Service Mental Health Services Ambulance Services Nursing Doctor Dentist Alcohol R eh ab ilitatio n * Drug R eh a b ilitatio n * Immunization Family Planning Service* Maternal and Child Health Care Home Health Nursing* Confidence In tervals (Percentages*) 14.2 4.4 6.7 24.2 10.3 9.2 20.1 3.6 4.7 2.5 3.7 18.5 5.5 9.2 5.1 3.6 33.0 33.0 6.0 - 16.5 - Recreation Services Picnic Areas Camping Areas Organized Adult Recreation Organized Recreation fo r Youth School Rec. Fac. Used by Community Swimming F a c ilitie s * Organized Rec. fo r Senior C itizens* 7.1 10.9 11.0 8.5 8.9 11.7 30.4 Public Safety F1re Protection Police Protection Court System Juvenile Correction 2.9 3.4 5.0 11.2 202 Table 6 6 .--C o ntin ued. Community Services V. V I. V II. Transportation School Bus Service* Bus Service Between Tns. Scheduled A irlin e Service Freight Rail Service Commercial Trucking Service Road Plowing fo r Local Road Condition o f Local Roads Condition o f County Roads Condition of State Highways Condition o f Bridges Public Works Garbage Disposal Service Sanitary L an d fill F a c ility Q uality of Public Water Public Sewer System Special Services Financial Aid to Low Income Families Family Counseling fo r Personal Problems Tra1n1ng/Educ. fo r Physically Handicapped Special Care fo r the Retarded Housing F a c ilitie s fo r Low Inc. Families Job Training fo r Low Income Adults Child Day Care* Family Counseling fo r Financial Problems* Housing F a c ilitie s fo r the E lderly* Legal Services fo r Low Income* Provision of Food Service to E lderly* Confidence Intervals (Percentages±) 1.9 12.4 3.1 7.1 3.1 2.7 3.3 3.4 2.6 3.2 2.5 2.3 2.7 3.2 11.3 12.6 16.4 19.5 20.6 22.0 27.0 41.2 21.8 54.9 30.2 ♦Denotes results that were s ta tis t ic a lly unreliable due to a calculated confidence In terval large enough to change the d irectio n of opinion d is trib u tio n . 203 Talbe 6 7 .—Calculated Confidence In te rv a ls fo r Consumer Responses to Survey Questions on Community Services. Community Service I. II. III. IV. Education Services Preschool Elementary High School Vocational Community College Education Adult Education In High School Adult Education 1n Community College Cooperative Extension Public Library Confidence In te rv a ls (Percentages*) 4.7 1.8 2.7 6.7 3.9 4 .0 5.6 2.7 1.9 Health Services General Hospital Services Hospital Emergency Room Service Mental Health Services Ambulance Services Nursing Doctor Dentist Alcohol R eh ab ilitatio n Drug R e h a b ilita tio n * Immunization Family Planning Services Maternal and Child Health Care Home Health Nursing 1.5 2.2 10.1 2.8 2.9 2.4 1.8 18.4 47.6 1.8 18.4 5.9 14.1 Recreation Services Picnic Areas Camping Areas Organized Adult Recreation Organized Recreation fo r Youth School Recreation Fac. Used by Community Sw1mn1ng F a c ilitie s Organized Recreation fo r Senior C itizens 2.3 4.1 6 .5 4.7 4.9 4.3 10.4 Public Safety F ire Protection Police Protection Court System Juvenile Correction 4 .0 6.9 11.8 20.1 204 Table 6 7 .--C o ntin ued. Community Service V. VI. V II. Transportation School Bus Service Bus Service Between Tns.* Scheduled A irlin e Service Freight Rail Service* Commercial Trucking Service Road Plowing fo r Local Road Condition o f Local Roads Condition o f County Roads Condition o f State Highways Condition o f Bridges* Public Works Garbage Disposal Service* Sanitary L an d fill F a c ility Q uality o f Public Water Public Sewer System Special Services Financial Aid to Low Income Fam ilies* Family Counseling fo r Personal Problems* Tra1ning/Educ. fo r Physically Handicapped* Special Care fo r the Retarded Housing F a c ilitie s fo r Low Income Fam ilies* Job Training fo r Low Income Adults* Child Day Care* Family Counseling fo r Financial Problems* Housing F a c ilitie s fo r the E lderly* Legal Services fo r Low Income* Provision o f Food Service to E ld erly* Confidence In tervals (Percentages!) 3.9 34.8 5.7 13.4 4.8 5.2 7.7 7.5 5.6 9.3 6.4 7.9 8.3 33.0 33.0 25.0 82.5 *Denotes results that were s t a t is t ic a lly unreliab le due to a calculated confidence in terval large enough to change the d irectio n o f opinion d is trib u tio n . APPENDIX C DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE APPENDIX C DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZES The sample size determination was based on the following formula: " “ Z? (P<|) Z2 (pq) + E2 1 n The formula 1s defined as follows: N * Minimum number of households that must return questionnaire. n^ ■ number o f households In Huron County 2 n 3 n * 10,325 ■ number o f households 1n Sanilac County = 10,551 ■ number o f households 1n Tuscola County = 13,709 » Z value fo r 90% confidence level = 1.65^ = 2.72 p ■ chance o f answering yes to survey question = .5% q » chance of answering no to survey question = .5% E * significance level - .10a ^Dr. Mary Ellen McSweeney, Professor o f S ta tis tic s , Department o f Education, Michigan State U niversity. 206 Based on the formula, sample size determination fo r each county was calculated as follows: 1. Huron County sample size determination: 2.72 (.2 5 ) .68 ------------------------------ = ---------------. 265 N 2.72 (.2 5 ) + .0025 .0025658---- ----10,325 2. Sanilac County sample size determination: .272 (.2 5 ) .68 ------------------------------ » --------------- = 265 N .272 (.2 5 ) + .0025 .0025644--------10,551 3. Tuscola County sample size determination: .272 (.2 5 ) .68 ------------------------------ = ------------------= 266 N .272 (.2 5 ) + .0025 .00025496 ----13,709 Thus, the minimum to ta l number o f usable questionnaires should be 265 fo r Huron County, 265 fo r Sanilac County, and 266 fo r Tuscola County. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Blalock, Hubert M. Social S ta tis tic s . Company, 1960. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Bogart, Leo. S ilen t P o litic s : Polls and the Awareness of Public Opinion. New York: John W11ey and Sons, 1972. Bollens, John C. Exploring the Metropolitan Community. University o f Cal1fornla Press, 1961. Los Angeles: Childs, Harwood. Public Opinion: Nature, Formulation and Role. D. VanNostrand Company, In c ., 1965. Cochran, W illiam . Sampling Techniques. In c ., 1953. Princeton: New York: John Wiley and Sons, Hatry, Harry P ., and Webb, Kenneth. Obtaining C itizen Feedback: The Application o f C itizen Surveys to Local Government" Washington, D.C.: The Urban In s titu te , 1973. Hatry, Harry P .; Winnie, Richard; Risk, Donald. Practical Program Evaluation fo r State and Local Government O f fic ia ls . Washington, O.C.: the Urban In s titu te , 1973. R olls, Charles, and C a n trll, A lb ert. Polls: Their Use and Misuse. York: Basic Books, In c ., 1972. New Sharkansky, Ir a . Perspectives In Developmental Change, Art Gallaher, E d ito r, Lexington: University o f Kentucky Press, 1968. _______. Selected Perspectives fo r Community Resource Development, Ed1ted by Raymond D. Vlasln, Luther Wallace, and Daryl Hobles, Raleigh: North Carolina S tate, 1969. ________. Public Administration: Policy Making In Government Agencies. Chicago: Rand McNally PubHshlng, 1975. 207 208 Journals Frederlckson, George H. "Exploring Urban P r io ritie s : The Case o f Syracuse." Urban A ffa irs Quarterly (September 1969), 31-43. Johnson, Ronald, and Knop, Edward. "Rural-Urban Differences In Com­ munity S a tis fa c tio n ." Rural Sociology 35 (December, 1970), 544-48. N ix, Harold; Singh, Ram; and Cheatham, Paula. "Views o f Leader Respond ents Compared with Random Respondents' Views." Journal of Com­ munity Development Society 5 No. 1 (Spring 1974), 81-91. Reports A Report by the President's National Advisory Commission. The People Left 8eh1nd. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Pr1nt1nq O ffic e , 1W T . Adrian, Charles. "Public Attitudes and Metropolitan Decision Making." Eighth Annual Werrett Lecture on Local Government. University o f Pittsburgh: In s titu te o f Local Government, 1962. Christenson, James A. "A Procedure fo r Conducting Mall Surveys with the General Public." Paper presented a t the Annual Meeting o f the Community Development Society, Wilmington, N .C ., 7 August 1974. Committee on Agriculture and the Environment. National Acadeiny of Sciences, Productive Agriculture and a Quality Environment, Washington, D .C .: National Academy of Sciences, 1974. Dillman, Dan. Public Values and Concerns of Washington Residents, Washington State University: A gricultural Experiment Station B u lle tin , 1970. East Central Michigan Economic Development D is tric t on Cooperation with Huron County Advisory Council and Huron County Planning Commission. Overall Economic Development, Huron County, Michigan. April 1972. East Central Michigan Planning and Development Commission, and Sanilac County Planning Conm1ss1on. Physical Elements of Sanilac County. Report #2. December 1973. _______. Community F a c ilitie s o f Sanilac County. Report #3. March 209 ________ . Development Objectives o f Sanilac County. September 1974. Report #4. F irs t Annual Report of the Secretary o f A griculture to the Congress. 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