1999 Survey Results
In the summer of 1999, EIII, Inc. sent out surveys to 400 local high school graduates from 1975 to 1998 who currently live outside the southwest Nebraska/northeast Colorado area. One hundred eighteen (118), or 29%, of those were returned with bad addresses. The results follow, including both the original questions and specific comments quoted from the graduates themselves.
Please feel free to send your comments to eiii@chase3000.com
If you decided to leave
southwest Nebraska in order to find a job, what was the job?
If for entertainment/excitement, what kind?
Did you find it?
* Left
for warm climate & to live where there’s more to offer (beach,
mountains, etc.)
* Mental health nursing.
* Public accounting with a Big 8 firm.
* Farming; I left because of high taxes and water controls.
* I moved away to go to college & find work.
* Left for schooling; got doctorate; teach graduate school.
* Left to find career potential and educational opportunities elsewhere;
wanted more entertainment, cultural and business exposure (found it all on the
front range of Colorado).
* Got married and joined spouse elsewhere.
* Went to find entertainment and excitement; wouldn’t have stayed even if I
hadn’t gotten married.
* Obtain professional training.
* Spouse’s job – computer programmer -- took us elsewhere.
* Looked for work with a newspaper.
* I left to join the military.
Yes 11; No 11
Additional
comment given: *
If the property taxes, income taxes and personal property taxes were lowered
and the water controls weren’t so ridiculous, I would consider coming back.
* Sales
and Marketing.
* LPN plus degree in management.
* Accounting.
* Farming.
* Certified secondary Spanish teacher; alumni relations for major university.
* Marriage therapist; pastor; counseling; teach graduate school.
* Surgical assistant; Bachelor’s in Bus. Admin; business owner (2
businesses).
* Degree in accounting; Administrative, management, computer; University coach
& facility mgr.
* Physician, family practice.
* Lawyer, some cattle & farming experience.
* Management, bookkeeping, secretarial, marketing, entertainment agent,
conference/convention manager.
* Family practice physician.
* Teacher in higher education.
* Mgr of biomedical plasma center, Nebraska Game and Parks, small
farming/ranching, phlebotomist, medical receptionist, processing lab
technician.
* Homemaking, teaching (non-certified).
* Seminary training, licensed minister.
* Veterinary assistant, dental assistant.
* B.S. in Psychology, extensive retail.
* Secretarial, free-lance writing.
* Management, high tech software.
*
Computer, bookkeeping, interior design.
* Transportation manager/specialist, shipping supervisor.
What kind of job skills
does your spouse have?
* High
School math teacher.
* Aviation mechanics.
* Housewife.
* Marketing & finance, MBA.
* Real estate; property management.
* Installs and services commercial fire suppression equipment.
* College instructor, track & field coach, administrative, computer.
* B.S. in Nursing and in Dental Hygiene.
* Lawyer, education.
* Management, livestock, entertainment.
* RSN, BSN.
* Masters in social work, adult program development and evaluation (2nd
masters).
* Computer programming, design, development, project management.
* Farm-related.
* Police work.
* Contract cleaning, janitorial sales.
* Attorney.
*
High-tech satellite.
*
Management.
* Accounting manager of small- to medium-sized company.
* Farming.
* Alumni relations.
* Teach graduate school.
* Management.
* Business owner.
* Education and coaching.
* Lawyer; might be teacher after retire from law.
* Bison ranching, retirement.
* Family practice physician.
* Teaching in post-secondary education, but not at a 2-yr. College.
* Home-based business.
* Developing a contemplative retreat center.
* Dental assistant.
* More than minimum wage.
* Entrepreneurial venture of some kind.
* Interior design.
* Transportation/shipping.
* More
than the area offers.
* $30,000/yr.
* $45,000/yr.
* A profit.
* $45,000/yr. (wife); $70,000/yr. (husband)
* $60-75,000/yr.
* $50,000/yr. Per person.
* $30,000/yr.
* Over $200,000.
* $45,000+/yr.
* $60,000/yr.
* Average physician earnings.
* $45,000/yr.
* $30-40,000/yr.
* $60,000/yr.
* $25-30,000/yr.
* $15,000/yr.
* Above poverty.
* Depends on cost of living in the area, but don’t ask for much either.
* $95,000/yr.
* $30,000+/yr.
What are some of the pros of
your returning to southwest Nebraska?
* Near
family.
* Closer to family, excellent public schools.
* Friendly people, good natural resources.
* Good place to raise a family, no rush hour traffic.
* Family.
* Quiet, laid back, cheap housing, cheap land, more personal (can also be a
drawback).
* Closer to family.
* Small town lifestyle, community & family ties.
* Small town education and values.
* Hunting, fewer people, good people.
* Closer to parents, isolation from managed care medicine (written by
physician).
* People, climate, vitality of people & town, being able to “give
something back,” truly enjoy SW NE., strong faith in the people and religion.
* Friendliness of people, getting closer to home.
* Close to family, lifestyle.
* Natural setting, community identity, Internet connections.
* Friends.
* Nice climate, friendly people.
* Near family, solid small-town rural life, low crime.
* Less stressful in life and in traffic.
* Nothing
to do.
* Lack of employment opportunity.
* Inability to use the natural resources without being taxed or controlled.
* No major city within 100 miles, no anonymity.
* Lack of job availability to match my skills, small sized towns.
* Taxes are too high; no career advancement opportunities; not as many cultural
and educational opportunities for the kids and us; lack of entertainment and
restaurants; low population base for business.
* No colleges or universities offering track & field in southwest Nebraska
(coaching field).
* Prefer larger city, so would not return, too isolated, few opportunities for
children.
* Hard to be a professional returning to “home” area.
* Weather, no mountains, not enough entertainment, no business opportunities.
* Further from spouse’s family, very limited medical community (other
physicians).
* Lack of opportunities for money-making & professional development, no
university to teach at.
* Not near a town of 40,000 or more.
* Job market.
* Distance from medical specialists, educational resources.
* Not enough availability to Christian school and contemporary Christian radio
stations.
* No jobs or housing.
* Not many (maybe the wind)!
* Limited opportunity, small-town atmosphere is no longer appealing.
* No jobs there to match my training.
* No jobs that my husband would want.
Would you be willing to
invest (time or money) in southwest Nebraska, even if you decided not to live
here?
_____ Yes _____ No
Yes 6; No 11; Maybe 2.
Additional
comments made:
* Would, only if there were major changes made in tax structures and water
control.
* We currently own property in southwest Nebraska, but are selling due to high
taxes.
* Limited on time, but would give money if knew it would truly have a tangible
impact and people were not so anti-tax. It
costs money for roads, police, schools, etc.
People need to pay for that.
* I just did with this survey.
* Willing, but not able.
* No, but I own some land in southwest Nebraska, though.
* Might invest, but it depends on what’s needed.
Results of another survey we conducted in early summer 1998.