Economy No. 1 concern

Thirty-six percent say it is the biggest issue facing the state.

Concern about the nation's economy has rocketed to levels unprecedented in the 16-year history of the Oklahoma Poll, according to the latest edition of the survey.

Thirty-six percent of the 357 Oklahomans questioned by SoonerPoll.com Oct. 24-26 said the economy is the No. 1 issue facing the state. That's 50 percent above the previous high in January of this year.

Perhaps more revealing, almost 70 percent said they've adjusted thermostats or taken other measures to save on utility bills, and more than half said they've changed their grocery-buying habits.

"I think it's going to be very, very bad before it gets better," said Deborah Watson of Drumright.

As they have been in previous polls, Oklahomans were somewhat less pessimistic about the state's economy and their own personal situations. Only 37 percent said the state's economy is getting worse and a similar share said the same about their own situations, an improvement from a July Oklahoma Poll.

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