MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Yellowhammer obtained Wednesday morning the results of a poll commissioned by the Alabama Council for Excellent Government (ACEgov), a tax-exempt group that was launched to help Governor Robert Bentley win public support for his agenda.
Conducted by polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, the survey makes the case that Alabama Republicans want taxes to be raised. The Bentley administration believes the poll supports the governor’s proposals by showing that Republicans prefer tax hikes to cutting government programs like Medicaid, state troopers and state parks.
Results of the poll were sent to members of the legislature on Wednesday in an effort to drum up support for the governor’s proposed tax and budget reforms ahead of the Special Session beginning next week.
Some of the highlights of the poll include:
• 62 percent of Republican primary voters say Governor Bentley and the State Legislature should increase revenue opposed to cutting spending on important government programs
• 92 percent oppose both closing state parks and cutting back on the number of Alabama State Troopers
• 71 percent oppose taking money from surplus in the Education budget to help close the General Fund shortfall
The survey does not mention “tax increases,” but rather refers to “revenue,” a subtle but important difference. The phrasing of the questions also creates the premise that the only two options are tax increases or devastating cuts, a characterization with which some conservative lawmakers disagree.
The survey results of the Governor’s poll stand in stark contrast to another recent survey conducted by public opinion research firm McLaughlin & Associates that showed widespread disdain for taxes among the Alabama electorate.
These are their results:
• 62 percent of those questioned believed state government spending was too high
• 71.8 percent said that they oppose the Governor’s plan to raise taxes
• 72.2 percent agreed that “It is possible to balance Alabama’s state budget without raising taxes”
• Only 9.8 percent believed that taxes are currently too low
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