Geography or Race? New Jersey Doesn't Buy Newark Arena

see also:
Tabular Results
Survey Details

May 31st, 2002

Governor Jim McGreevey's enthusiasm to build a sports arena in Newark is not shared by his constituents. A majority of voters think it is a bad idea for the Nets and Devils to move to Newark, and an overwhelming number think government should not help pay for the arena.

The poll, conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, found that 57 percent of registered voters say it is bad idea for the Nets and Devils to move from the Meadowlands to Newark. Moreover, 69 percent think the state, county, and local governments should not help pay for the construction of a new arena in Newark.

The poll of 746 registered voters was conducted from May 15 to May 20 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percent. "The governor clearly faces an uphill fight in his effort to make Newark a center of New Jersey's sports entertainment," said Dr. Bruce Larson, a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University and survey analyst for the PublicMind. "New Jersey's suburban voters are always wary of higher taxes," said Larson, "and they are never enthusiastic about spending money on the state's old cities."

Only 22 percent of voters say they would be more likely to attend a sporting event in Newark than in the Meadowlands while more than half say they would be less likely.

Rural and small town voters are more strongly opposed to the arena than are city voters. Northeast voters, including Bergen and Passaic Counties, are most strongly opposed. But the Urban Core of New Jersey-- including Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties--split over the issue.

Blacks and whites have completely different takes on the arena. While 60% of whites say it's a bad idea to move the Nets and Devils to Newark, 60% of black respondents say it is a good idea. And while 74% of white respondents say the government should not help pay for the arena, 50% of blacks say the government should help. A majority of black respondents also say they would be more likely to attend an event in a Newark arena, and a majority of whites say they would be less likely.

"This is not just about geography," says Dr. Gloria Gadsden, professor of Sociology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, "this is also very much about race." Gadsden, who specializes in gender and race, says "white voters see Newark as a dangerous, dilapidated, black city. They don't realize that investing in our struggling cities is potentially good for the suburbs and the state. They see a zero sum equation."

Poll Analysis

Fairleigh Dickinson Professor, Dr. Bruce Larson can be reached at (973) 443-8727