BLUE MOOD, BUT HOPEFUL 73% SAY CALIFORNIA'S FALLEN ON HARD TIMES, BUT L.A.'S LESS GLUM.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

They've paid a price at the gas pump. Lost money in the stock market. Suffered layoffs at work. And seen cuts to services at school, health and local government.

Nearly three out of four Californians worry that the state's fallen on hard economic times, according to a Field Poll released Monday, with San Francisco Bay Area residents expressing the gloomiest outlook.

San Fernando Valley area residents said they also feel the pinch - as well as a springtime note of optimism.

``I think as long as (Gov. Gray) Davis is in office I don't see any hope,'' said Jeff Elder, 33, of Winnetka, a future pastor who pins some economic worries on the California governor.

``A lot of people are impatient and want things to be better now. I think things are going to get better now that the war is over.''

While Northern Californians were most dour about a Golden State battered by the burst in high-tech stocks, high energy bills and by the ocean of red ink in Sacramento, Angelenos harbored the greatest hope of a turnaround, The Field Poll survey reported.

Asked about the state of the economy, 69 percent of Los Angeles County residents say these are bad economic times, compared with 16 percent who think happy days are here again.

Statewide, 73 percent saw bad times, with 89 percent of residents in the Bay Area - home of slumping dot-com Internet industries - agreeing.

It was the poll's darkest response since the 1994 recession era.

``Black times, well, they're not great times,'' said Mark DiCamillo, director of the poll. ``The Bay Area is dragging the state down, compared to Los Angeles.

``Los Angeles residents just seem to think the next year will be better.''

Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said many events have made people uneasy: the energy crisis, state budget crisis, terrorism, high workers' compensation costs and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

But in Los Angeles County, he said international trade has picked up, the motion picture industry is making a comeback and the housing and commercial building industries are booming.

``Get the weed whacker out,'' Kyser said. ``There's a lot of opportunity: We have to cut through all the underbrush and seize it.''

Like most seniors, Paul Coons, a 67-year-old retiree in Simi Valley, lost investment income in the stock market. But he's now made up for his loss in real estate, fetching the highest rents ever.

``You can only spend so much money, you can only eat so much, you can only live in so much house,'' he philosophized. ``As long as you've got that much, you're OK.''

Desiree Durang, 25, of Winnetka said her job as a computer engineer is secure, while friends have lost theirs. But her dreams have been stymied, even with a steady paycheck.

``We wanted to buy a house and that's not going to happen for a while,'' she said.

The Field survey, conducted during the first six days of April, reported a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points for the overall sample and 4.5 percentage points for secondary questions.

Among the poll's findings:

--While 66 percent of California residents five years ago believed conditions were ripe for making a major purchase, only 41 percent now say is a good time to buy.

--One in five reported that they or a family member had lost a job in the past 12 months, with one in four of those respondents in the Bay Area. Fifty-seven percent think jobs are harder to get.

--Statewide, 35 percent think things will improve next year, 35 percent think they'll stay the same, and 25 percent expect worse times ahead. In L.A. County, nearly twice as many remained hopeful than were pessimistic.

``For the average person, it's just as good as it ever has (been),'' said Fred Huckvale, stake president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canoga Park. ``I think people feel like the economy has been in a downturn, but we're coming out of it.''

Many business owners throughout the region reported dwindling sales and increased layoffs as consumer spending remains static.

A Cessna dealer at Van Nuys Airport reported a slowdown of major purchases like private jets. An airline parts supplier in Valencia reported laying off 15 percent of its work force.

A Santa Clarita television commercial director reported ``a bitter decline'' in working opportunities from so-called 'runaway' motion picture production filming outside Southern California.

At Tia Chucha's Cultural Cafe in Sylmar, some reported adverse effects of a slash in state and local government spending.

``A lot of people ... are finding that their programs are cut,'' said Trini Rodriguez, co-owner of the bookstore-cafe-cultural center. ``These are educational programs, youth programs, (for) children who need help.''

At Java City, a coffee house along Glendale's busy Brand Boulevard, manager Ian Herzon said about 20 of his regular customers have lost jobs.

``That affects us all, especially the employees. But me, personally, I can't say I feel that way. I eat three square meals a day. I think people feel it can always be worse.''

For Bob Yesia, a 50-year-old former disc jockey from Fresno who came to Burbank to find work in radio, life is worse. On disability after suffering a heart attack, he said his checks stopped coming, and now he is homeless.

``Since I've been sick, I haven't really been able to find much help,'' he said, eating a donated salad in front of the Buena Vista Branch Library. ``I want to go back to work, but I can't seem to find anything.''

A recent golf tournament fund-raiser for the Santa Clarita Boys & Girls Club drew less than 50 percent of expected contestants, forcing the popular youth group to re-evaluate its budget.

Santa Clarita party planner Stella Pilarski said her business hasn't come back since 9-11. ``People are leery about spending money right now and it's not just the war ... It's horrible.''

The Santa Clarita Domestic Violence Center attributed a 70 percent spike in calls over the past year to economic hardship.

Staff Writers Susan Abram, Naush Boghossian, Kerry Cavanaugh, Michael Gougis, Grace Lee, Lisa Mascaro and Carol Rock contributed to this report.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) - Jeff Elder

(2) - Desiree Durang