RESULTS OF SURVEY DONE BY REP. DOUG PATTERSON

(28% responding)

 

In February, I e-mailed a survey to approximately 700 people, primarily in Leawood /Overland Park. I got back almost 200 responses. Here are the tallies of the responses:

 

 

  1. The governor has proposed a budget that would maintain existing state aid to              

local school  districts. The amount proposed is just 7 dollars less than the Base aid in

2002, but overall costs to school  districts continue to rise.  Would you support                             

a real property tax or other form of tax  increase to provide additional state aid to Kansas schools?

 

            YES:    76.54%                          NO:   22.22%                 UNCERTAIN:  1.22%

 

What if your property taxes increased by 20%?      

 

            YES:    25%                               NO:  73.15%                              UNCERTAIN:  1.85%                                                                 

 

 

     2.   The state currently has a $12 million fund designated for funding children's health       

and development programs.  Should money be taken out of this fund and instead                

used to address the budget deficit? 

 

            YES:   12.66%                           NO:  73.15%                              UNCERTAIN: 14.19%

 

 

     3.  Do you believe the gaming laws should be amended to allow slot machines in                         

Kansas? 

 

            YES:  76.19%                            NO:  17.86%                              UNCERTAIN:   5.95%

  

 

4.       The Kansas sentencing commission recently recommended that Kansas placing

nonviolent drug users (except those guilty of dealing drugs) in treatment programs  following a drug court proceeding rather than in state prisons.  Would you support this proposal? 

 

 

YES:  82.02%                            NO:  6.74%                                UNCERTAIN:  11.24%

                                                                                                                            

 

      5.  Do you believe the state should decrease the ending balance/ reserve / rainy day               

 requirement of 7.5 percent in order to free up more state dollars?   

 

 

            YES:  58.62%                            NO: 31.03%                               UNCERTAIN:  10.35%

 

 

6.       Do you think illegal aliens should be able to obtain a Kansas Drivers License?

 

YES: 13.14%                              NO:  76.83%                              UNCERTAIN:  10.03%

 

7.       Do you think colleges should give illegal aliens “in state” college tuition rates? 

 

YES:  4.94%                               NO:  87.56%                              UNCERTAIN:  7.41%

 

 

 

8.       The State is currently in year 3 of a 10 year highway plan adopted in 1999.  Some say

that transportation infrastructure is important for our state, and that funding for the     Comprehensive Transportation Plan should be maintained.  Others say that at this time it would be wise to delay some remaining projects to free up money for re-solving the state's current budget problem.  What do you think?

 

*  Maintain funding for the Highway Plan:  37.50%

 

*  Delay projects until the budget situation improves:  56.94%

 

*  Not sure:  5.56%

 

 

 

9.       Because of the tight budget, cuts may have to be made in funding our state programs,

please rank 1 to 6, in order of your desire to maintain these services, with 1 being the most desired and 6 being the least desired.

 

·         Schools:                                                             First

 

·         Social Services for the Elderly:                               Second

 

·         Highways:                                                            Third

 

·         Overall Health Care Services:                                 Fourth

 

·         Payments to counties and cities:               Fifth

 

·         Prisons:                                                               Sixth

 

 

 

10.   No one likes to raise taxes, but if state government were forced to raise taxes to balance the budget or to pay for improvements in public education, which of the following tax increases would you most to support?  Please rank from 1 to 8 with 1 being the tax you would most to support and 8 being the one you least to support:

 

Increased corporate audits to ensure that large companies are paying

their fair share:                                                                                                   First

 

Began imposing a sales tax on items purchased on the Internet:                Second

 

Increased income tax rates on incomes over $150,000 per year:                Third

 

Increased corporate taxes:                                                                                  Fourth

           

Increase the state sales tax:                                                                               Fifth

 

Repeal the state inheritance tax cut passed in 1998, and therefore

re-impose a full state inheritance tax:                                                                   Sixth   

 

Repeal current sales tax exemptions, like for charities and services:                      Seventh

                                                           

 

Other:  Consistent comment:                                                                              Do not increase property taxes

 

Increase property taxes on your home? If so, how much (%):         Average Answer, other than the overwhelming number of responses saying “None  =   16%

(the maximum number was 20% from 6 respondents.)