Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Poll: Simpler version of Prop 1 has strong support

The big news from Tuesday is not that Proposal 1 lost badly – nearly everyone expected that – it’s the information revealed in additional poll numbers released by EPIC-MRA.
The newly released results show 64 percent support for a one percentage point increase in the sales tax if all the extra revenue raised would go to roads, bridges and transportation, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Bernie Porn, president of the Lansing polling firm EPIC-MRA, said his April 25-28 survey found that 87 percent said Snyder and the Legislature should immediately begin working on an alternative road funding plan if Proposal 1 fails.
Voters who participated in the statewide poll were divided on what “Plan B” should look like, with more than one-third of voters – 37 percent – saying they think the state can raise sufficient road funds solely by cutting programs and services. Another 35 percent said the Legislature must raise taxes and/or fees, while 10 percent said a combination of cuts and new taxes would be needed.

However, many lawmakers will look at those numbers in a different light once they study the poll’s follow-up question. Asked about specific cuts, 88 percent said they opposed major cuts to K-12 schools to pay for roads; 86 percent rejected big cuts in health care assistance for the poor, elderly, disabled and children; 76 percent opposed major cuts to public safety; and 63 percent opposed taking an axe to colleges and universities.

This the same EPIC-MRA poll that found 61 percent of the 600 likely voters planned to vote no on Proposal 1.

 

1 comment:

  1. You forget to mention that this "poll" was commissioned by the forces behind pro-Proposal 1. That should be mentioned. Of course, this is very ironic because Roger Waymire of yes on Proposal 1 spent most of the campaign dismissing polling on Proposal 1 as inaccurate and irrelevant.

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