Contact:
Frank Conte,
Communications
617-573-8050; 8750
fconte@beaconhill.org
Beacon
Hill Institute Survey 2005: Half of all respondents expect Massachusetts
economy to improve in 2005; Fiscal conservatives divided on health care
mandates, tax breaks for biotech industry and tobacco taxes; Respondents
continue to support right to buy Canadian prescription drugs.
Respondents
to the Beacon Hill Institute’s 2005 State of the Household Survey
are more optimistic about the national economy than about the state
economy and more optimistic about the state economy than about their
personal finances. While 64% believe that the national economy will
improve this year, Only 50% are similarly hopeful about the Massachusetts
economy. Fifty percent (50%) see their household finances as neither
improving nor worsening with only 34% seeing improvement. Only 21% believe
that their own economic standing and that of the state is improving
as they enter the new year -- a decrease of 13 percentage points from
last year.
The survey,
sponsored by BHI, has been conducted each January since 1998. More than
425 individuals responded to this year’s mail-in survey, which
has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points.
The BHI
survey represents a sample of fiscal conservatives in Massachusetts
who support free-market policies and the candidates who espouse them.
This sample overwhelmingly believes that Governor Mitt Romney (82%)
is performing well in his job – a seven point increase from last
year.
Respondents
to the survey also:
•
oppose tax increases (84% want the personal income tax rate cut to
5%);
• want to abolish the state excise tax on cars (62% would favor
this measure);
• would accept a plan that allows landlords to charge tenants
for water use (75%);
• support reforming Social Security by establishing private savings
accounts (69%); 54% favor reforming Social Security by means other
than private accounts. Only 4% believe that Social Security should
be left alone;
• oppose any proposal that would cap the number of charter schools
(59%); and,
• support a proposal to create an independent commission to redraw
legislative and congressional districts (70%).
However,
the survey identified several splits among this sample that highlight
differences of
opinion on current issues:
•
Forty-four percent (44%) favor a proposal that would require employers
to provide health insurance or pay into a funding pool while 43% opposed.
Thirteen percent (13%) were undecided. Last year 51% opposed any law
mandating universal health care in the Bay State (down from 56% in
2003).
• Thirty-six percent (36%) favor limitations on the ability of
the Commonwealth to contract with firms that outsource jobs overseas,
while 50% oppose such measures with 14% undecided.
• Fifty percent (50%) oppose the establishment of casino gambling,
while 38% favor it. Twelve percent (12%) were undecided.
Respondents
went against mainstream free market thinking on two key issues. Fifty-two
percent (52%) favor raising tobacco taxes to expand health care coverage.
Sixty-two percent (62%) believe that states, cities and towns should
be free to purchase drugs from Canada, a ten-point drop from last year.
Only 24% agree with the state’s biotech industry that the public
sector should not be allowed to buy drugs north of the border.
Respondents
sent mixed signals on how best to use tax policy to help businesses
thrive in the Commonwealth. An equal amount opposed targeted tax cuts
for the biotech industry (35%) as supported them (35%). However, 30%
expressed no opinion on the question; the largest undecided bloc of
any policy question in the survey.
Tax incentives
for manufacturing continue to tell another story. Seventy-six percent
(76%) believe the state should be actively involved in preserving manufacturing
jobs with tax incentives if necessary. Only 17% opposed the idea. Only
32% support tax breaks for both biotech and manufacturing.
Fifty-one
percent (51%) would favor a requirement that Medicaid recipients absorb
a larger portion of their health care costs while 30% did not favor
the requirement. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of respondents overwhelming
support measure to cap medical malpractice jury awards, one of the largest
majorities received for any of the policy questions.
As with
previous findings, respondents continued to demonstrate support for
local government even though they favor abolishing a source of revenue
to localities, the excise tax. Sixty-six percent (66%) opposed cutting
local aid to cities and towns and only 17% favored cutting local aid
with 17% holding no opinion. Fifty-three percent (53%) of respondents
who expressed confidence in Governor Romney’s performance also
opposed cutting state aid to local cities and towns.
Those
who bemoan the decline of printed newspapers as a source of information
may take some solace in the findings on the BHI survey. Picking up the
newspaper appears to be the preferred method of obtaining information
among Massachusetts fiscal conservatives. Sixty-five (65%) disagreed
when asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement:
“I get more of my news from the Internet than from newspapers.”
Only 23% agreed with the statement.
|
|
Improve
|
Neither or no opinion
|
Worsen
|
|
During 2005 do you expect the global economy to...
|
46%
|
41%
|
13%
|
|
During 2005 do you expect the national economy to...
|
64
|
22
|
14
|
|
During 2005 do you expect the Massachusetts economy to...
|
50
|
35
|
15
|
|
Do you support or oppose each of the following proposals that
are likely
to be raised in Massachusetts in the coming year? A proposal
|
Support
|
Neither support nor oppose
|
Oppose
|
|
Requiring employers to provide health insurance or pay into
a funding pool.
|
44
|
13
|
43
|
|
Raising tobacco taxes to provide funding for expanded health
care coverage.
|
52
|
12
|
36
|
|
Preventing or limiting State from contracting with firms that
outsource overseas.
|
36
|
14
|
50
|
|
Capping the number of charter schools in the Commonwealth.
|
20
|
21
|
59
|
|
Creating an independent commission to draw legislative and
congressional districts.
|
70
|
21
|
9
|
|
Abolishing the excise tax on motor vehicles.
|
62
|
16
|
22
|
|
Cutting local aid to cities and towns.
|
17
|
17
|
66
|
|
Capping damages in medical malpractice jury awards.
|
87
|
5
|
8
|
|
Eliminating nursing home tax on non-Medicaid residents.
|
70
|
25
|
5
|
|
Allowing landlords to charge tenants for water use.
|
75
|
13
|
12
|
|
Do you favor or oppose each of the following?
|
Favor
|
Neither favor nor oppose
|
Oppose
|
|
The redirection of funds to assist the poor from government
to nonprofit organizations.
|
61
|
21
|
18
|
|
A continuation of education reform at its current level
|
63
|
25
|
12
|
|
The establishment of casino gambling.
|
38
|
12
|
50
|
|
Reforming Social Security by establishing private savings accounts.
|
69
|
9
|
22
|
|
Reforming Social Security by means other than private savings
accounts.
|
54
|
31
|
15
|
|
A targeted tax cut for the biotechnology industry.
|
35
|
30
|
35
|
|
Requiring Medicaid recipients to absorb a larger share
of their health care costs.
|
51
|
19
|
30
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Do you agree or disagree with each of the following?
|
Agree
|
Neither agree nor disagree
|
Disagree
|
|
Governor Mitt Romney has done well in office thus far.
|
82
|
8
|
10
|
|
Cut state personal income tax to 5% by the end of Romney's
first term.
|
84
|
7
|
9
|
|
States, cities and towns free to buy drugs from Canada.
|
62
|
14
|
24
|
|
State tax incentives for manufacturing.
|
76
|
7
|
17
|
| |
Improving
|
Neither improving nor worsening
|
Worsening
|
|
How do you rate your own household finances this year?
|
34
|
50
|
16
|
| |
Agree
|
Neither agree nor disagree
|
Disagree
|
|
Agree or disagree "I get more of my daily news from the Internet
rather than reading a newspaper."
|
23
|
12
|
65
|
| |
|
|
|