They Say to Cut Other State Spending to Retain Teachers
March 21, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jim Tynen (919) 834-2099
James.Tynen@NCCivitas.org
Raleigh, N.C. – Nearly seven out of 10 North Carolina voters reject raising the sales tax by 15 percent, as proposed by Governor Bev Perdue, to boost funding for education, according to a new Civitas poll.
Of likely voters, 69 percent are opposed with 57 percent strongly opposed. In contrast, 26 percent supported raising the sales tax, with 15 percent strongly and 11 percent somewhat favoring it.
When asked specifically about teachers who were hired using temporary federal stimulus funds, when given a choice voters favor cutting spending in other areas over raising taxes by a 39-point margin, 53 percent to 14 percent, with another 14 percent saying to not renew the teachers’ contracts.
“People in North Carolina are against Governor Perdue’s proposal for higher taxes even when it is tied directly to retaining teachers,” said Civitas Institute President Francis X. De Luca. “Voters appear to be saying government has to live within its means, the same as hardworking families.”
The Civitas Poll is the only regular live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more information on Civitas polling see http://www.nccivitas.org/category/poll/.
For the full results and crosstabs, click here.
Full Text of Questions:
Do you support or oppose increasing the state sales tax by 15% in order to increase funding for education?
26% Total Support
69% Total Oppose
15% Strongly Support
11% Somewhat Support
12% Somewhat Oppose
57% Strongly Oppose
4% Don’t Know/ No Opinion
1% Refused
What do you think is the best way for North Carolina to handle the issue of the teachers who were hired using temporary federal stimulus funds?
14% Raising taxes in order to retain the teachers
53% Cut spending in other areas in order to retain the teachers
14% Do not renew the teacher’s contract
2% Other
15% Don’t Know
2% Refused
For the full results and crosstabs, click here.
This poll of 600 likely 2012 general election voters in North Carolina was conducted February 27-28, 2012 by National Research, Inc. of Holmdel, NJ. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of probable 2012 general election voters in North Carolina. For purposes of this study, voters interviewed had to have voted in 2006 or 2008 or be newly registered to vote since November 5, 2008. (November 5 is the day after the election)
The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 600 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-4% of the “True Values.” True Values refer to the results obtained if it were possible to interview every person in North Carolina who had voted in the 2006 or 2008 general elections or is newly registered since November 5, 2008.
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