06/14/2004
from the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association
71 percent oppose paying tax increase for environmental bond issue.
HARRISBURG -- A statewide poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies for the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA) shows that by a 2-to-1 margin voters agree that the governor's proposed $5 per ton increase in trash collection fees is, in fact, the same thing as raising taxes. It also shows that 71 percent oppose his environmental bond issue once they understand it would ultimately be paid for by homeowners and businesses.
"The results of the poll clearly indicate that many Pennsylvania voters aren't sure the Commonwealth is on the right track. Most voters -- across party and regional lines -- believe taxes are too high already and a majority oppose an increase in the trash tax, even after hearing the Rendell administration's own arguments in favor," Bill McInturff, partner and founder of Public Opinion Strategies, said.
Public Opinion Strategies is an award-winning national political and public affairs research firm. The poll for PWIA surveyed 600 likely voters in Pennsylvania and has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percent.
"The poll results bear out what we have been hearing in letters and e-mails from our customers -- that Pennsylvanians already are over-taxed, they darn well know it, and they certainly don't want another tax increase on their backs," PWIA President Thomas E. McMonigle said. "They have been telling us very forcefully 'enough is enough.'"
"It's very clear that Pennsylvanians are opposed to the governor's bond issue, once they understand that they'll have to pay for it through higher taxes," McMonigle pointed out.
The poll results were released at a news conference today in the Capitol rotunda. Groups opposing the tax increase include the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association (PMA), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, Pennsylvania Coal Association, Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Electric Power Generation Association, Pennsylvania Builders Association, and Specialty Steel Industry.
Kevin Shivers, Pennsylvania state director of NFIB, commented, "The high cost of doing business in Pennsylvania is a difficult challenge for small businesses. Higher trash taxes just add to the burden. Our members have told us they strongly oppose higher trash taxes. It's clear most Pennsylvanians oppose them too."
By a 2-to-1 margin -- 64 percent to 32 percent -- poll respondents agreed that an increase in the trash collection fees would be the same thing as a tax increase.
After hearing both arguments for and against, respondents came down in opposition to a trash tax hike, but the poll makes clear that how the issue is framed makes a "huge" difference in how they react.
When asked if they would approve or disapprove if the debt were to be paid off "by user fees on companies that haul garbage and companies that cause pollution and not with taxpayer dollars," 72 percent of respondents said they would approve.
But when asked to approve or disapprove if the debt were to be paid off "by a new state tax on trash collection to be paid by homeowners and businesses," 71 percent said they would disapprove.
Members representing the business and manufacturing communities, along with PWIA, maintain that businesses, municipalities, and individual consumers would end up bearing the brunt of a trash tax increase and other proposed taxes on the manufacturing sector.
Respondents were presented with an equal number of the Rendell administration's own arguments in favor of the bond issue and arguments against the proposal. After hearing both sides, a majority opposed the Rendell plan.
After hearing both sides, opposition to the governor's plan was high among seniors, with 59 percent in opposition in the 55-64 age group and 60 percent in opposition in the over-65 age group. Geographically, opposition was widely spread statewide -- except in the Greater Philadelphia region, which favored the plan.
Opposition to a trash-tax hike was especially high among respondents who pay their own trash bills directly, rather than through a municipality. Direct-paying trash customers (slightly more than half of all respondents) opposed the tax hike by 56 to 41 percent. Roughly a third of all respondents said they were paying more for trash collection now than they were two years ago.
Respondents also ranked attracting new jobs and business, making health care affordable, reducing taxes, improving schools, and fighting crime and drugs as more important priorities in Pennsylvania than the environment.
"The PWIA poll shows that attracting new jobs and business is a top priority of voters in Pennsylvania, but it's clear these same voters don't think raising taxes is the way to get it done," said Gene Barr, the Pennsylvania Chamber's vice president for political and regulatory affairs.
Jim Panyard, president and CEO of PMA, said, "We're not surprised by the finding that voters across party and regional lines say taxes are too high. It backs up our view that the heavy tax burden on Pennsylvania employers is slowing the growth of jobs and wages. In this kind of climate, it just doesn't make any sense to increase taxes on trash and add new taxes on legal manufacturing emissions."
"This poll clearly shows that the public understands what these new and increased taxes mean to them -- increased costs -- and they have strongly voiced their concern with the health of Pennsylvania's economy," said Pam Witmer, President of the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council.
