News Survey Shows Most Voters Still Oppose Tax Increase

Survey Shows Most Voters Still Oppose Tax Increase

Survey Shows Most Voters Still Oppose Tax Increase
February 29, 2004 |

A recent survey conducted for the Alabama Farmers Federation shows most Alabamians who voted in the Sept. 9 referendum still oppose a tax increase in the state.The survey included questions for 600 Alabama voters who said they voted Sept. 9. It was conducted by Verne Kennedy’s Market Research Insight and showed 75 percent said if their legislators now raised taxes without a vote of the people, they would be inclined to vote against the legislator in the next election. Fifteen percent said they would not be inclined to vote against their lawmaker. Ten percent said it would make no difference to them.Forty-six percent of those who participated in the survey said if the Legislature puts another tax referendum before Alabama voters and it fails, they would be inclined to vote against their legislator in the next election. Twenty-two percent said it wouldn’t make a difference in how they would vote.When those surveyed were asked which is most important to them, 77 percent said government accountability, while 16 percent said new tax revenue. Seven percent were undecided. The survey also showed most voters–57 percent–don’t trust state officials with new tax revenue, while 27 percent said they could, and 16 percent weren’t sure.Most of those surveyed–68 percent–said they favored helping low-income Alabamians by not collecting any income tax on the first $18,000 of income and by raising the tax rate for upper income taxpayers from 5 percent to 5.5 percent. The majority of those surveyed also said they favored an increase in cigarette taxes and increases for recording deeds and mortgages. The survey showed most voters agree with major components of the accountability plan developed by the Foundation for Educational and Economic Development, which was presented to the Alabama Legislature last month.Seventy-nine percent favored a constitutional amendment requiring government to base all future budgets on realistic revenue projections, while 11 percent opposed such an amendment, and 9 percent were undecided.Of those surveyed, 73 percent favored creating a board to establish accounting and management standards for all levels of state and local government. They also favored requiring all government agencies to hire state-approved accountants to conduct an annual audit. Twenty-two percent said they were opposed to such requirements, and 6 percent were undecided.

View Related Articles