A poll of probable voters conducted for two advocacy organizations found that education has risen to the top in voters’ minds as a major issue for state government to tackle, right up there with jobs and economic development.
And it found that 55 percent of women and 49 percent of men would somewhat or strongly favor raising the state sales tax and delaying a scheduled corporate tax reduction to stave off severe cuts to schools.
In addition, 55 percent of women and 46 percent of men would favor an increase in the state income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.3 percent.
“We were testing people’s willingness to increase statewide taxes to fund schools, not just Philly schools, but to restore $1 billion in education cuts,” said Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth. “People shockingly said yes, especially women.”
The telephone poll of 604 voters was conducted by Lake Research Partners for Public Citizens for Children and Youth and the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. It was conducted June 19-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll results come as the legislature enters the last week before it must pass a budget, with funding for education a major point of contention and the Philadelphia School District in a state of crisis.
Pennsylvania school districts have seen cumulative cuts of $900 million in funding from state and federal sources over the last three years. Many of those cuts have impacted Philadelphia, which has adopted a “doomsday” budget that includes more than 3,800 layoffs. It is seeking funds from the state and city and concessions from the teachers’ union to help close its $304 million shortfall.
The poll presented respondents with two views of the current situation. One portrayed districts as being forced to lay off 20,000 people, raise property taxes, increase class sizes, and make other sacrifices since Gov. Corbett took office due to education cuts. The other view said that Corbett has increased state education funding by more than $1 billion and that the problem was a loss of federal stimulus funds that “hardworking Pennsylvanians” can’t afford to replace.
More respondents — 55 percent vs. 30 percent — agreed with the first scenario, the poll found.
Corbett’s budget would increase basic education funding by $90 million, while a House-passed budget would add $100 million to the current subsidy. That amount would not stave off deep cuts.
PCCY’s Cooper, a former policy adviser to Gov. Ed Rendell, said that it is rather late in the game to consider tax increases as part of next year’s budget. Still, she said, the poll shows “that the legislature and governor are out of step with the people of Pennylvania. The voters are willing to support a billion-dollar increase to restore the cuts.”
A poll conducted in early May for the education reform organization PennCAN, which supports more charter schools and other market-based education reforms, said Corbett could gain voter support by challenging the Philadelphia teachers’ union on such issues as seniority. That poll also found that Corbett’s record on education was unpopular.
That poll was conducted by a Republican polling firm. Lake Research Partners is run by Celinda Lake, a prominent Democratic pollster.
Philadelphia Public School Notebook – June 24, 2013 – Read article online