Virginians Think Public Education, Health Care, Illegal Immigration, and Public Safety Should Be Top Priorities for General Assembly
News Release - October 11, 2007
Media Contact:
Dr. Quentin Kidd
Director - CNU Center for Public Policy
qkidd@cnu.edu
Office: (757) 594-7971 - Mobile : (757) 334-8002
Emily L. Lucier
Press Secretary and Media Manager
emily.lucier@cnu.edu
(757) 594-8428
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) -
Asked to rate the importance of 10 separate issue priorities for the General Assembly, Virginia voters rated ‘public safety', ‘expanding health coverage', and ‘public education' as ‘highest priority' issues the General Assembly should consider in its next session. However, voters appear uncertain about the priority of putting in place the findings of the panel investigating the Virginia Tech shooting and reducing property tax rates. These findings are from Christopher Newport University's Virginia Poll, a new omnibus survey from the Center for Public Policy at CNU. The poll was conducted September 27 - October 1, 2007 with 700 registered voters in Virginia . The margin of error is +/- 3.7% at the 95% confidence level.
Virginia Poll
CNU Center for Public Policy
“Next I will read you a short list of issues and actions your Virginia State Legislators will be considering in the next session of the General Assembly. Rate how big a priority you feel each should be on a 1 to 5 scale. “5” means HIGHEST PRIORITY, “1” means LOWEST PRIORITY, and “3” is in the middle.” (cells = %) |
||
Issue Item |
Rating as “Highest Importance |
Net Rating – Important (4-5) vs. Not Important (1-2) |
Ensuring public safety, such as fighting gangs and crime |
58 |
79 – 35 |
Working to expand health care coverage to more of Virginia's working families |
49 |
67 – 13 |
Adequately funding kindergarten through 12th grade public education |
47 |
63 – 11 |
Investing in the state's higher education system including four-year public universities and two-year community colleges |
43 |
67 – 7 |
Cracking down on illegal immigrants |
42 |
66 – 25 |
Increasing veterans' benefits for insurance and health care |
39 |
63 – 12 |
Reducing property taxes |
34 |
47 – 20 |
Putting in place the findings from the panel investigating the Virginia Tech shootings about improving the mental health system |
29 |
53 – 17 |
Limiting abortions |
23 |
31 – 46 |
Providing tax breaks to businesses to create jobs where they are needed |
20 |
25 – 19 |
However, when voters were asked to PRIORITIZE the issues, crime/public safety dropped to fourth behind public education, health care, and illegal immigrants. Public education and health care top the priority list for Democrats, while illegal immigrants are a clear priority for Republicans. For Independents, public education is a top priority. “Aside from Republican and to a lesser extend Independent anxiety about illegal immigration, we see public concern focused on core services. Three of the top four priority issues for voters are cores services issues,” noted Dr. Quentin Kidd, Director of the CNU Center for Public Policy.
“Next I will read you a short list of issues and actions your Virginia State Legislators will be considering in the next session of the General Assembly. Tell me which ONE you feel should be the top priority for the State's General Assembly and Governor to work on first.” (cells = %) |
||
Issue Item |
1st choice and 2nd choice combined |
1st choice and 2nd choice by Party ID Dem Rep Ind |
Public Education |
40 |
47 31 43 |
Health Care |
29 |
42 16 32 |
Illegal Immigrants |
25 |
12 42 33 |
Crime |
25 |
26 30 24 |
Jobs |
18 |
21 20 14 |
Property Taxes |
14 |
12 19 12 |
Higher Education |
16 |
22 5 21 |
Veterans |
12 |
6 13 15 |
Abortion |
7 |
3 17 3 |
Virginia Tech Mental Health Recommendations |
6 |
8 3 6 |
State and Local Taxes
Voter frustration over taxes appears focused on local city and county property taxes. Four in ten respondents say that property taxes are much too high or somewhat too high given the services and programs provided by local government. Just over half (51%) of respondents say that state income and sales taxes are about right or too low given the services and programs provided by state government. A majority of voters in the Northern Virginia and the Charlottesville areas think state taxes levels are about right or too low. Negativity towards local taxes is most pronounced in the Hampton Roads area, while voters in Northern Virginia appear least frustrated with local tax levels. Republicans are most upset with local taxes, followed by Independents and Democrats. “We clearly see voter frustration at property tax increases, but we also see voters saying that they don't think state tax levels are too burdensome,” said Dr. Kidd.
State: “Considering all of the services and programs provided by state government, do you feel that Virginia's overall level of state taxes that comes primarily from the state income tax and sales tax are much too high, somewhat high, about right, or probably too low?” (cells = %) |
||||||||||
|
NoVA/DC |
Norfolk |
Richmond |
Roanoke/SW |
Valley/C'ville |
Dem |
Rep |
Ind |
||
High |
47 |
38 |
62 |
49 |
51 |
41 |
40 |
58 |
41 |
|
Right/Low |
51 |
59 |
37 |
48 |
46 |
59 |
58 |
41 |
57 |
|
Local: “And given the services and programs provided at the local level by your county or city government, do you feel the overall level of local taxes . . . primarily property taxes . . . are much too high, somewhat high, about right, or probably too low?” (cells = %) |
||||||||||
|
NoVA/DC |
Norfolk |
Richmond |
Roanoke/SW |
Valley/C'ville |
Dem |
Rep |
Ind |
||
High |
61 |
49 |
72 |
60 |
67 |
75 |
56 |
65 |
60 |
|
Right/Low |
37 |
48 |
27 |
39 |
31 |
23 |
43 |
34 |
39 |
|
Looming Budget Cuts and Virginia 's Quality of Life
How should the General Assembly respond to the budget shortfall? A plurality of voters pick the course Governor Tim Kaine has initially proposed - hold the line on taxes and make selective cuts; 40% choose this option with the next most popular choice being an increase in taxes to expand funding for top priorities (25%). Just 18% take the ‘No tax; cut all programs equally' position. Both Republicans and Independents are most likely to support the Governor's budget approach, while Democrats are divided between the Governor's approach and ‘increasing taxes to expanding funding.' Dr. Kidd said, “Public attitude towards tax increases is complicated. The public does not want capricious tax increases and appears to understand the cyclical nature of the current budget shortfall, which is why a majority want to hold the line on taxing and just tighten our belts. This is what most people do when their household budget hits a shortfall.”
“As you may or may not know, Virginia is projected to have a budget shortfall next year . . . possibly as large as one Billion dollars. As a result, your Legislator will have to make tough decisions about spending and taxes. In general, which of these four approaches to the state's budget would you prefer your Legislator take . . . ?” (cells = %) |
|||||
|
All |
Rep |
Dem |
Ind |
|
Hold the line on taxes and cut spending across the board for all government programs |
18 |
29 |
14 |
14 |
|
Hold the line on taxes but cut spending deeper on some programs, but not others |
40 |
48 |
32 |
42 |
|
Increase taxes enough to continue funding for all programs at current levels |
12 |
5 |
16 |
14 |
|
Increase taxes enough to expand funding for the most important priorities |
25 |
15 |
35 |
26 |
|
But, when it comes to quality of life, a majority of Virginians support an ‘invest and tax' approach to governing over a ‘no tax and limit government' approach. “The 55% to 36% preference for the ‘invest and tax' approach goes a long way towards explaining why Democratic candidates have won the last three statewide races in Virginia ,” said Dr. Kidd. “While there is certainly a partisan divide, geographically voters across the state want government to invest in core services and infrastructure . . . voters understand the need for this.”
“Which of the following do you feel is a better way to preserve Virginia's quality of life and promote the right kind of economic growth, by increasing state government's investment on such things as roads, schools, the environment, and people's health, even if it means increasing taxes, or by not increasing taxes and limiting new government spending on roads, schools, and health care?” (cells = %) |
||||||||||
|
NoVA/DC |
Norfolk |
Richmond |
Roanoke/SW |
Valley/C'ville |
Dem |
Rep |
Ind |
||
Increase Investment/Tax |
55 |
58 |
59 |
55 |
42 |
52 |
73 |
32 |
61 |
|
No Tax/Limit Spending |
36 |
34 |
31 |
39 |
44 |
33 |
20 |
58 |
31 |
|
DK |
10 |
8 |
11 |
6 |
14 |
15 |
7 |
10 |
8 |
|
Releases to Come
October 15: Views on Transportation Plan, Regional Balkanization on Issues
October 17: US Senate Race
October 23: Right Direction/Wrong Direction of State, Assessment of Local and State Economy, and Job Performance of Governor and General Assembly
Survey Methodology
The Virginia Poll is provided as a public service to the citizens of Virginia . It is an omnibus public opinion survey of registered Virginia voters conducted by telephone between September 27 and October 1, 2007. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7% at the 95% confidence level. The poll was designed by the Center for Public Policy at CNU and conducted by FrederickPolls, LLC of Arlington, Virginia. For information or requests, contact Dr. Quentin Kidd, at (757) 594-7971 or qkidd@cnu.edu.
Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 4,800 students in programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Luter School of Business and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at www.cnu.edu.