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F&M poll finds voters unhappy with state budget, economy
Tim Stuhldreher//June 6, 2012
More than 70 percent of poll respondents supported raising taxes on natural-gas producers and on smokeless tobacco and cigars as ways to balance the state budget. Raising state income taxes, sales taxes or business taxes attracted the support of 36, 40 and 42 percent of respondents, respectively. More than 60 percent favored cutting the state work force and privatizing liquor sales.
In contrast, only 24 percent favored cutting aid to public universities by half, and still fewer supported cutting state social services and trimming funding for local school district operations — all elements of Corbett’s budget proposal.
Overall, 47 percent of respondents favored a mix of tax increases and spending cuts to balance the state budget. Twenty-two percent favored spending cuts alone, and 10 percent favored tax hikes alone, according to the poll.
The poll also found President Obama leading Republican opponent Mitt Romney in the race for president in Pennsylvania, 48 percent to 36 percent.
Results are based on a telephone poll of 412 registered Pennsylvania voters called between May 29 and June 4, F&M said. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
