Those taking a poll at the State Fair sponsored by the state House of Representatives narrowly favor solving the state budget crisis with cuts, rather than tax increases.
House officials released the results of the unscientific survey this morning, showing that of the 8,746 visitors taking the poll, 47.5 preferred budget cuts while almost 44 percent wanted tax hikes. And most thought the governor should not have used unallotment to balance the budget.
House Public Information Services, which is nonpartisan, conducted the annual poll.
Other results:
- Almost 70 percent of participants believe terminally ill patients should be able to use medical marijuana to ease their suffering.
- Homeowners should be entitled to attorney fees and other costs related to the legal action against a builder or contractor to have a warranty enforced (81 percent).
- Speeding violations should not be placed on a person’s driving record if the driver was traveling no more than 10 mph over the speed limit in a 60 mph zone (74.7 percent).
- A local disaster assistance fund should be established to help local governments deal with the aftermath of a tornado, flood or other natural disaster (70.8 percent).
- Charter school students should be allowed to participate in an activity in their resident school district if the activity is not offered by the charter school (68.3 percent).
- By a 2-to-1 ratio, participants said voter approval should be required before any public money is used for a new or refurbished Minnesota Vikings’ stadium. The team’s lease expires at the Metrodome after the 2011 season.
- Nearly 57 percent of those voting believe Minnesota should join 31 other states and allow voters to cast ballots as early as two weeks before Election Day.
- Fifty-one percent believe that when a person registers for a driver’s license or state identification card, it should automatically allow them to vote.
- Slightly more than half of respondents oppose a state-run casino inside the ticketed area at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and nearly the same oppose allowing Minnesotans to fish with two rods at once.
See all the poll results from this year and previous polls here. (PDF)
A poll that asks people to tax themselves or make unexplained and indistinct tax cuts will ALWAYS show people don’t want taxes. How about if the poll asked: Would you rather see a 1 percent tax hike on people making more than $75,000 a year or would you like to close a third of the state parks, lay off 15 percent of all teachers, kick the poor out of nursing homes and raise tuition at colleges by 25 percent?
You would get a huge difference in the vote, although there would still be enough Birther Tea Bags that would vote against any and all taxes.