Public perception is that the oil boom has not personally benefitted them, according to a poll. In a San Angelo LIVE!/San Angelo Connection poll taken from Thursday, May 15 until today, over 70% of respondents indicated that the oil boom has not been “personally beneficial” to them.

The poll is a convenience sample taken of Facebook fans on the San Angelo LIVE! and San Angelo Connection pages through Survey Monkey.

The wide disparity between those who have benefitted and those who have not can possibly be a macro view into the national debate about income inequality. Left-leaning politicians bemoan what they call “income inequality” where the rich are getting richer, and the poor and middle class are losing ground.

It’s a populist message aimed at the 70%: To use the hammer of government to force the gap to narrow. With so many people declaring that the oil boom has not benefitted them, there may be fertile ground here to harvest votes. More on the politics of income inequality.

An alternative view of the income inequality debate can be seen in the comments to the poll. Many of the respondents who said that the oil boom had personally benefitted themselves also indicated how they positioned themeselves to reap the benefits.

As a resident of the Concho Valley, has the oil boom been beneficial to you personally?

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Here is a sampling of the responses from those who have benefitted from the oil boom (copied verbatim, spelling and grammar errors included):

“It has brought in the need for more construction and remodel work thus increasing our income.”

“My husband has a job now that actually pays the bills and we no longer live paycheck to paycheck!”

“It encouraged my husband and I to finally buy a house instead of renting apartments. Our apartment rental rate was getting out of hand because of the oil boom. However, I have noticed an increase in reckless driving and people just not paying attention when driving. It has gotten to the point I do not want to be on the roads after 9 am and not before 11pm. Thankfully I am a night worker so this tends to fit my schedule better anyway.”

“My son and son-in-law got some good paying jobs that made a great difference in their life. Without this San Angelo would continue to have mainly low paying job with nowhere to go. Then they would have had to move out of town away from family to move up in life.”

“My husband works at Walmart. And the business increase helps the store which helps him with annual bonus.”

“My income increased 5 fold. We were able to pay CASH for our house in Southland. I am able to go back to college and pay cash and pay for my student loans. Not all of us drive brand new giant diesel trucks. Some of us are responsible with our earnings so that when the bust comes, which it will, we are worried about the bank taking all of our possessions. It's a different lifestyle and most people just don't understand and never will.”

“The oil boom has created rehab needs that allowed for the opening of a new position that I could take in order to be employed in my hometown, which was my dream when I left for school. I have a full case load and we are always busy with a variety of injuries that we treat due to the oil field.”

“I'm a resident of abilene for 3 years now and use to live in Angelo for 12 and seeing the growth in Angelo has me wanting to move back and get a job in the oilfield the economy is great in Angelo from what I see.”

“It has provided a great income for my family and myself. I also have extended family that got into the oilfield right out of high school making great money. College is not for everyone and there is great potential in the oilfield to not only make money but to move into higher positions within these companies. It has also been a great benefit for our local economy. We have not suffered the same set backs as many places throughout the country. We are actually growing! People have jobs and can support their families. My husband and just bought our first home. We paid $185,000 for a beautiful home on 2 acres. This would not have been possible without the opportunity presented to us by the oilfield. It's a blessing in more ways than one. I believe our country should strive to be energy independent. This should only be the beginning!”

“My husband got offered a fantastic job in the oil field support industry. It allowed us to move to Texas and get out of the Pacific Northwest. We are very happy to be here.”

“My husband is a manager at a local restaurant and the oil boom has brought in a lot of additional business, which helps his bonuses. I am a professor at ASU and I have seen a lot of new students who are working in the oilfield. I think that people should be more grateful for the benefits the oil workers bring to San Angelo!”

“My children are working in the oil field and support industry. They no longer rely on us for anything, yea!!”