Poll Shows Public has No Appetite for Cuts in Services Provided by the State
by Eric Bailey on January 29thA newly released poll shows that broad majorities of Connecticut voters say that cutting services like health care, education, and road maintenance during a time of recession will further damage the economy and that job layoffs, whether in the public sector or the private sector, will do the same.
“With significant media attention given to state employees and the state budget, we wanted to find out how voters in Connecticut viewed the services provided by state workers, how they felt about the public service workers themselves, and what the voters believe would be the best way to begin to rebuild Connecticut’s damaged economy,” said Andrew Myers of Myers Research, Strategic Services, LLC.
Most compelling is that when voters are asked to choose the best option for balancing Connecticut’s budget, a strong majority (54 percent) chose increasing taxes. Notably, generating new revenue outpaces the other alternatives by very significant margins, with just 19 percent favoring cuts to services and just 15 percent choosing layoffs of public service workers.
“The findings in this survey are crystal clear in that Connecticut voters inherently understand just what many Nobel Prize-winning economists have been saying — that is, cutting public services in an economic downturn further damages an already fragile economy” Myers said.
“Every day we hear from people who thank us for our services,” says State trooper Steven Rief, a 20-year veteran of the force and President of the Connecticut State Police Union. “It’s a true honor to serve the people of our state, and I’m very heartened by the poll results that show that our services are so highly valued.”
The poll also provided a roadmap for how Connecticut voters prefer to raise new revenue to fund critical services. Specifically, topping the list are plans to eliminate corporate tax loopholes, followed by strong majority support for raising taxes on the wealthiest.
The Connecticut State Police Union is one of thirteen unions in the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), which serves to unite approximately 50,000 Connecticut State Employees to address issues of common concern.
The poll, commissioned by SEBAC, surveyed 600 Connecticut likely 2010 voters. The poll was designed and administered by Myers Research, Strategic Services, LLC. Calling took place between January 21 and 23, 2009 and was conducted by professional interviewers. The data are stratified by the projected geographic contribution to the expected total statewide vote. The margin of error for this survey at a 95 percent confidence level is +/- 4.0 percent. The margin of error for subgroups is greater and varies.
Memorandum – Voters Value Connecticut Public Service Workers and Services No Appetite for Layoffs or Cuts
