MEMORANDUM
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Global Strategy Group
DATE: February 5, 2018
RE: POLL RESULTS: Connecticut voters support creating new revenue sources over cuts to services
As debate continues over solutions to Connecticut’s budget crisis, recent poll results indicate that a broad majority of Connecticut voters – including many Republicans – support addressing the budget deficit by creating new sources of revenue over cutting funding for programs and services. In a balanced debate, an argument for implementing structural reforms that slow government spending also loses out to one in favor of creating new revenue sources to make Connecticut more attractive to the jobs of the future.
While voters are open to a number of proposals to raise revenue, a majority opposes raising revenue by allowing the state to change pension obligations to state employees without having to negotiate. Across party lines, there is broad agreement that reforms to the state pension system should be negotiated with employees rather than being imposed by the state.
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS:
- A solid majority favors addressing the budget deficit by creating new sources of revenue overcutting funding for programs and In a forced choice test between the two, nearly six in ten (57%) prefer to create new sources of revenue, compared to just 20% who want to cut funding for programs and services and 17% who believe the state should do both. Support for expanding revenue sources extends across party lines and reaches double-digit margins among registered Democrats (69% create new sources of revenue/12% cut funding for services), independents (54%/20%), and Republicans (44%/31%).
- An argument for implementing reforms to slow government spending fails to persuade, and mostclearly favor a position arguing in support of creating new revenue When voters hear arguments to address the budget crisis by either creating new sources of revenue or implementing structural reforms to slow government spending, the argument in favor of creating new sources of revenue wins out by 23 points (59% to 36%).
- While voters support a number of ways to raise additional revenue for the state, there is broadopposition to changing pension obligations to state employees without Voters broadly oppose changing state law so that the state can change pension obligations without negotiating (25% say this is an excellent/good idea, compared with 58% who say it is a not so good/poor idea). Nearly three-quarters (74%), including 71% of registered Republicans, agree that pension reforms should be negotiated with employees, not imposed by the state.
ABOUT THIS POLL
Global Strategy Group conducted a survey from December 12-17, 2017 with 500 likely voters in Connecticut. The results have a margin of error of +/-4.4% and care has been taken to ensure that the survey is weighted to reflect the makeup of our desired universe.
