Poll Watch: Message to the States – Cut Programs, Don’t Tax and Borrow

Of seven possible ways to balance their own state’s budget, Americans are most likely to favor cutting back on state programs (65%) and reducing the number of state workers (62%). Floating more bonds (30%) and raising state income or sales taxes (33%) garner the least support, followed by raising business taxes (39%).

With regards to Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to forgo layoffs of state workers, a bit of a surprise.

In the nation’s most high-profile budget battle, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has portrayed state worker layoffs as the more draconian option he is trying to avoid by proposing cuts to state employees’ pay, benefits, and collective bargaining. Nevertheless, more Americans favor layoffs than favor pay and benefit cuts, perhaps because the Gallup question doesn’t specify the magnitude of each. While 62% of Americans favor layoffs, fewer than half, 43%, favor cutting state workers’ pay and benefits and 54% are opposed.

Additionally, the March 3-6 poll finds Americans closely divided on the primary issue in the Wisconsin budget battle — whether to “[change] state laws to limit the bargaining power of state employee unions.” About half of Americans polled, 49%, say they would favor this in their own state; 45% are opposed.

A late February Gallup poll found 33% of Americans in favor of and 61% opposed to changes to collective bargaining laws when the issue was described as passing a law “that would take away some of the collective bargaining rights of most public unions, including the state teachers’ union.” Although the timing of the surveys could be a factor, the differing results likely reflect Americans’ sensitivity to nuances in how the debate can be framed. They may also indicate the high and low boundaries of support for setting new limits on collective bargaining.

But, whatever, the message is clear to America’s states – don’t tax me BRO.