UWM Economic Scorecard 2014 3rd Quarter

Wisconsin Economic Scorecard Q3 2014: Page 0
RESEARCH BRIEF
Q3 2014

Joseph Cera, PhD
CUIR Survey Center Director

Atiera Coleman
Research Supervisor

Kristina French
Research Supervisor

The Wisconsin Economic
Scorecard is a quarterly poll of
Wisconsin residents conducted by
the UWM Center for Urban
Initiatives and Research, in
cooperation with WUWM and
WisBusiness.com.

Applied Research
Technical Assistance
Community Initiatives

Contact us:
Phone (414) 229-5916
Fax (414) 229-3884
Web http://cuir.uwm.edu/
WISCONSIN ECONOMIC SCORECARD
The Wisconsin Economic Scorecard is a quarterly poll of Wisconsin residents
conducted by the UWM Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR), in
cooperation with WisBusiness.com and Milwaukee Public Radio (WUWM 89.7).
This tracking poll measures perceptions of the health of Wisconsins economy,
personal economic circumstances of Wisconsin residents, and public opinion
regarding important state economic issues.
The Q3 2014 Wisconsin Economic Scorecard was a random digit dial (RDD)
landline/mobile telephone survey of 427 Wisconsin residents, conducted by the CUIR
Survey Center at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee from September 22-27.
The sampling margin of error was 4.7% at the 95% confidence level.
MAJOR FINDINGS:
About 73% of registered voters* in Wisconsin support an increase in the
minimum wage. When asked to specify an ideal minimum wage rate,
Wisconsin voters are most likely to say $10.00/hour.

When it comes to covering a large projected shortfall in the state
transportation fund, there is no clearly-preferred option; tax/user fee
increases (preferred by 31%), introduction of toll roads (30%), and delaying
major construction projects (31%) all enjoy similar levels of support.
However, delaying major construction projects provokes the least intense
opposition.

71% of registered voters would oppose a specific proposal to increase the
state gasoline tax by five cents per gallon.

Just 39% of state voters support expanding the states taxpayer-supported
private school voucher program; most would prefer the program either be
eliminated or stay as-is.

About 53% of Wisconsin voters would prefer that the state prioritize
assistance to established manufacturing, while 34% would like to see
incentives go to new start-up technology firms.

While evaluations of personal financial situations have improved, views of
the wider state economy and the overall direction of the state have
worsened slightly. About 53% of Wisconsin residents now say the state is
headed in the right direction, down from 63% last quarter.

*N=393, margin of error = 4.9%


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Personal Financial Circumstances Page 2

Perceptions of Wisconsins Economy Page 5

The Direction of the State Page 10

FEATURES

Support for an Increase in the Minimum Wage in Wisconsin Page 12

Preferences Regarding the Projected Transportation Fund Shortfall Page 15

Opinion Regarding Changes to the Statewide School Voucher Program Page 17

Constraints on WEDC Efforts to Attract Business Page 18


PERSONAL FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The economic perceptions of Wisconsin residents are grounded in their personal experiences and
circumstances. Residents were asked to evaluate their current personal financial situations; Figure 1 shows
that a slim majority of residents describe their financial situations in positive terms; either good (42%) or
excellent (12%). Another 30% refer to their finances as fair, while 16% call their financial situations
poor. This quarter marks the first time since late 2012 that residents have expressed a net positive opinion
of their personal financial circumstances.

Figure 1: Evaluation of Current Personal Financial Situations

Among working-age Wisconsin residents, there is an unsurprisingly strong relationship between evaluations
of personal financial situations and household income. Figure 2 shows that a large majority of residents who
come from households bringing in less than $40,000 per year describe their finances in negative terms (fair
or poor), while most residents from households bringing in over $60,000 per year evaluate their financial
circumstances positively (good or excellent). Those from households earning between $40,000 and
$60,000 annually are evenly split when it comes to positive or negative evaluations of their economic
situations.

Figure 2: Evaluation of Current Personal Financial Situation, by Household Income (Non-Retired Persons)

16%
30%
42%
12%
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"excellent" current personal
financial situation
"good" current personal
financial situation
"fair" current personal
financial situation
"poor" current personal
financial situation
85%
64%
50%
29%
22%
12%
10%
15%
36%
50%
71%
78%
88%
90%
<$20K
$20-40K
$40-60K
$60-80K
$80-100K
$100-120K
>$120K
current financial situation
"poor" or "fair"
current financial situation
"good" or "excellent"

Figure 3 shows the distribution of household income among non-retired Wisconsin residents, as well as how
residents in each income category are likely to feel about their respective financial situations. The median
working-age Wisconsin resident is likely to live in a household with an annual income between $40,000 and
$60,000, and is most likely to report that their current financial situation is either fair or good.

Figure 3: Self-reported Pre-tax 2013 Household Income (Non-retired persons)

Residents were also asked about their expectations regarding their personal finances over the coming year.
Figure 4 shows that a slight majority of residents (52%) expect their personal economic circumstances to
stay about the same. About 39% expect their personal finances to get better, while just 9% think their
circumstances will get worse.

11.7%
19.9%
22.0%
17.5%
12.7%
5.8%
10.3%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
<$20K $20-40K $40-60K $60-80K $80-100K $100-120K >$120K
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
<$20K $20-40K $40-60K $60-80K $80-100K $100-120K >$120K
current financial situation "excellent"
current financial situation "good"
current financial situation "fair"
current financial situation "poor"

Figure 4: Over the next year, do you expect your personal finances to

Another battery of questions asked residents about their recent experiences with a variety of common
significant personal financial problems. Figure 5 shows that the proportions of residents reporting significant
financial problems (maintaining employment, getting loan or credit, affording housing and/or utilities, saving
for retirement) are comparable to measurements from last quarter, and are not significantly different from
measurements taken at this time last year.

Figure 5: Incidence of Recent Significant Personal Financial Problems

In terms of spending on non-necessities like entertainment, restaurants, and vacations, Wisconsin residents
continue to be most likely to report static levels of recent spending; about 51% of residents say spending on
non-necessities has stayed about the same over the last six months. While 11% say they have recently
increased spending on non-necessities, 38% of residents say they have recently decreased their spending on
recreation and entertainment. Figure 6 shows that the proportion of those who report decreased levels of
recreational spending continues to fluctuate slightly after steadily declining throughout 2013.
39%
52%
9%
get better
stay about the same
get worse
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
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problems affording
rent or mortgage
problems keeping job
problems getting loan
or credit
problems
saving/paying for
retirement
problems paying for
utilities

Figure 6: Spending on Non-Necessities (Entertainment, Restaurants, Vacations) Over the Past Six Months

PERCEPTIONS OF WISCONSINS ECONOMY
While Wisconsin residents are, on balance, slightly more positive than negative about their personal financial
situations, aggregate perceptions of the wider state economy continue to be negative. This quarter, about
63% of Wisconsin residents describe the performance of the state economy in negative terms, while just 37%
report positive evaluations of Wisconsins economic performance (Figure 7). While the trend over the last
two years has been one of incrementally increasing optimism, this quarter sees a slight increase in the
proportion of Wisconsin residents that say the state economy is poor.
Despite a net negative balance of opinion regarding Wisconsins economy, current aggregate judgment of the
states economic performance is not likely to translate into serious electoral trouble for the incumbent
administration heading into the November elections. In states where opinion polls show incumbent
governors consistently trailing, economic sentiment tends to be much more negative than it is in Wisconsin
currently.
1

Figure 7: Evaluations of Wisconsins Current Economy

1
Source: Gallup 2014 U.S. Midterm Elections State Scorecards
38%
51%
11%
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increased
stayed about the same
decreased
19%
44%
33%
4%
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WI economy "excellent"
WI economy "good"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "poor"

Figure 8 shows that personal financial situations remain a core driver of state economic evaluations. Those
who are struggling are overwhelmingly likely to say the state economy is poor or fair, while those who
evaluate their personal economic circumstances positively are just as likely to say the state economy is good
or excellent as they are to describe it in negative terms. This quarter sees a significant increase in the
proportion of negative economic evaluations among those with poor personal finances, as well as a
significant increase in positive evaluations of the state economy among those who with excellent financial
situations.
Figure 8: Evaluations of Wisconsins Current Economy, by Personal Financial Situation
Personal Financial Situation:

Poor Fair Good Excellent

Figure 9: Evaluations of Wisconsins Current Economy, by Party Identification
Party Identification:
Democrats Independents Republicans

35%
46%
44%
43%
17%
10%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
17%
25%
58%
54%
24%
22%
1%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
7% 8%
38%
39%
47%
49%
8%
4%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
8%
10%
38%
37%
48%
37%
8%
16%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
23%
34%
59%
54%
17%
11%
1%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
17% 16%
44%
46%
35%
33%
5% 5%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"
3% 3%
37%
28%
50%
64%
10%
6%
Jun '14 Sept '14
WI economy "poor"
WI economy "fair"
WI economy "good"

Figure 9 shows a concurrent increase in political polarization regarding evaluations of the state economy as
we approach the November gubernatorial elections. Since last quarter, Democrats have become significantly
more likely to describe the recent performance of the state economy as poor, while Republicans have
become much more likely to describe it as good over the same period. Meanwhile, economic evaluations
have remained steady among political independents, suggesting that recent changes in economic evaluations
of the state economy are at least partially attributable to partisan cheerleading.

In terms of expectations regarding the future performance of the state economy, the two-year trend has
featured incremental increases in the proportion of residents expecting stability rather than positive or
negative change; it seems as though Wisconsin residents are more and more likely to see the current state of
the state economy as normal. However, the last two quarters has seen a break in that trend; Figure 10
shows a slight but sustained increase in the proportion of residents expecting things to improve since Q1.

Figure 10: Expectations Regarding Wisconsins Economy over the Next Year

Figures 11 and 12 show that there is a continued strong association between what residents are currently
experiencing or feeling and what they think will happen in the near future. Financially poor resident and
those who thing the current economy is performing poorly are much more likely to express pessimism about
future economic performance in the state, while residents with excellent personal financial situations and
those who think Wisconsins economy is strong are considerably more optimistic.

13%
46%
41%
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get better
stay about the same
get worse

Figure 11: Expectations for WI Economy over Next Year, by Personal Financial Situation

Figure 12: Expectations for WI Economy over Next Year, by Perceptions of Current WI Economy

31%
14%
8% 7%
38%
54%
44%
41%
31% 31%
49%
52%
Personal
finances "poor"
Personal
finances "fair"
Personal
finances "good"
Personal
finances
"excellent"
WI economy will "get better"
over next year
WI economy will "stay about the
same" over next year
WI economy will "get worse"
over next year
27%
17%
3%
55%
54%
31%
18%
30%
66%
Current WI econ
"poor"
Current WI econ
"fair"
Current WI econ
"good/excellent"
WI economy will "get better"
over next year
WI economy will "stay about the
same" over next year
WI economy will "get worse"
over next year

Residents were also asked about their level of satisfaction with the pace of job creation in the state. Figure 13
shows that residents are split on the issue; 53% express satisfaction, while 47% are dissatisfied. However,
those who are very dissatisfied outnumber those who are very satisfied 22% to 10%. This pattern of
opinion has not changed substantially since last quarter.

Figure 13: Satisfaction with the Pace of Job Creation in Wisconsin

June 2014 September 2014

Figure 14 shows that opinion regarding the pace of job creation is strongly linked to party identification.
Republicans are likely to approve, while democrats are likely to disapprove; political independents are split
on the issue. Republicans have become slightly more likely to express satisfaction with the pace of job
creation in the state since last quarter.

Figure 14: Satisfaction with the Pace of Job Creation in Wisconsin, by Party Identification


9%
45%
26%
20%
Very
satisfied
Somewhat
satisfied
Somewhat
dissatisfied
Very
dissatisfied
10%
43%
25%
22%
Very
satisfied
Somewhat
satisfied
Somewhat
dissatisfied
Very
dissatisfied
34%
21%
5%
34%
27%
17%
31%
44%
61%
8%
17%
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
41%
20%
3%
30%
27%
9%
27%
41%
71%
2%
12%
17%
Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied

THE DIRECTION OF THE STATE

When asked about the direction in which Wisconsin is headed, 53% of residents say the state is headed in
the right direction, while about 47% say the state is headed on the wrong track. Figure 15 shows a
significant decrease in the proportion of residents willing to describe the states direction in positive terms
since last quarter, when 63% of residents were more likely than not to express optimism about the direction
of the state.

Figure 16 shows that evaluations of the recent performance of the state economy are a core driver of opinions
regarding the overall direction of the state. Virtually every resident who describes the state economy as
poor thinks Wisconsin is on the wrong track, while all residents responding to this wave of the survey
who said the state economy is excellent also said Wisconsin is headed in the right direction. Partisanship,
however, biases both economic evaluations and general impressions about the states overall direction;
Figure 17 shows that this quarters negative shift in opinion is almost exclusively driven by increasing
negativity among Democrats, likely prompted by the approaching election. It is important to note, though,
that Democrats who express more positive views about the state economy are also relatively more positive
about the direction of the state, and Republicans that are not satisfied with the current state economy are also
relatively less optimistic about where the state is headed overall. Partisanship colors, but does not override,
the economic experiences which inform public opinion about the wider state of the state.

Figure 15: Perceived Direction of the State of Wisconsin

23%
24%
29%
24%
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right direction - strongly
right direction - somewhat
wrong track - somewhat
wrong track - strongly

Figure 16: Wisconsin Right Direction/Wrong Track, by Evaluations of Current State Economy

Figure 17: Perceived Direction of the State of Wisconsin, by Party Identification

Party Identification:

70%
20%
2%
28%
41%
5%
1%
31%
42%
20%
7%
51%
80%
Economy "poor" Economy "fair" Economy "good" Economy
"excellent"
right direction -
somewhat
25%
41%
46%
37%
22%
40%
34% 32%
11%
4% 5%
2%
Mar '14 Jun '14 Sept '14
16%
20%
18%
30%
18%
25%
36%
42%
34%
17% 20%
23%
3%
5%
1%
9%
8%
5%
50%
38%
42%
38%
49%
52%

FEATURE: SUPPORT FOR AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE IN WISCONSIN

Wisconsin is one of 29 states where the minimum wage is set at or below the lowest level allowed by federal
law, $7.25 per hour. Residents that indicated they are registered to vote
2
were asked whether they would
support or oppose in increase in the minimum wage in Wisconsin. Figure 18 shows that 73% of registered
voters in the state would support a minimum wage hike, while just 26% would oppose such a change.

Figure 18: Support for an Increase in the Minimum Wage in Wisconsin
(registered voters)

Figure 19 shows a significant decrease in support for a minimum wage hike among Republican voters since
last quarter; while 61% formerly expressed support, Republicans are now split on the issue. Their rising
opposition is balanced by a slight increase in support among independents, yielding a slight aggregate
decrease in aggregate support for a higher minimum wage in the state.

Figure 19: Support for an Increase in the Minimum Wage in Wisconsin, by Party Identification
(registered voters)

Registered voters were also asked about support for tying future increases in the state minimum wage to the
rate of inflation; 69% said they would support such a policy, while 25% expressed opposition and 7% were
undecided.

2
393 respondents reported being registered to vote, yielding a margin of error of 4.9% at the 95% confidence level.
76%
1%
23%
support
no
opinion/don't
know
oppose
73%
1%
26%
support
no
opinion/don't
know
oppose
6%
27%
38%
3%
1%
94%
70%
61%
support
no
opinion/don't
know
oppose
7%
25%
51% 1%
2%
93%
74%
47%
support
no
opinion/don't
know
oppose

Although several state-wide polls have indicated wide support for an increase in Wisconsins minimum wage,
there is still wide disagreement among policymakers as to what an appropriate increase might be. This
quarter, we asked Wisconsin voters an open-ended question about the minimum wage. Respondents were
informed that the current state minimum wage in Wisconsin is $7.25 per hour, and then asked the following
question:
In your opinion, what should the minimum wage be in Wisconsin?
Answers were recorded verbatim. The results are presented visually in Figure 20 in histogram form:
Figure 20: Wisconsin Voter Opinions Regarding the Ideal State Minimum Wage (registered voters)

16.5%
3.5%
0.0%
10.7%
2.1%
6.4%
0.0%
12.4%
0.3%
1.6%
0.0%
27.2%
2.2%
2.0%
0.0%
1.0%
0.0%
0.5%
0.0%
3.6%
0.0%
0.2%
0.0%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
4.9%
0.5%
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
<$7.25/hr (includes "no min wage")
$7.26-$7.50/hr
$7.51-$7.75/hr
$7.76-$8.00/hr
$8.01-$8.25/hr
$8.26-$8.50/hr
$8.51-$8.75/hr
$8.76-$9.00/hr
$9.01-$9.25/hr
$9.26-$9.50/hr
$9.51-$9.75/hr
$9.76-$10.00/hr
$10.01-$10.25/hr
$10.26-$10.50/hr
$10.51-$10.75/hr
$10.76-$11.00/hr
$11.01-$11.25/hr
$11.26-$11.50/hr
$11.51-$11.75/hr
$11.76-$12.00/hr
$12.01-$12.25/hr
$12.26-$12.50/hr
$12.51-$12.75/hr
$12.76-$13.00/hr
$13.01-$13.25/hr
$13.26-$13.50/hr
$13.51-$13.75/hr
$13.76-$14.00/hr
$14.01-$14.25/hr
$14.26-$14.50/hr
$14.51-$14.75/hr
$14.76-$15.00/hr
>$15.00/hr

Figure 20 shows that the modal (or most common) category was $9.76-$10.00/hour; 27.2% of Wisconsin
voters (up from 24.2% last quarter) gave responses which fell into this category. The median response was
$9.00/hour. Relatively large proportions of respondents chose $8.00/hour (about 11%) or suggested that the
minimum wage should remain at its current level (about 14%). Just 2.5% indicated opposition to a
government-set minimum wage, while 5.4% indicated support for a minimum wage of $15.00/hour or higher.

Interestingly, 41.9% of those who indicated opposition to a general minimum wage increase on the closed-
ended question chose ideal minimum wage levels higher than $7.25/hour on the open ended question;
among these minimum wage increase opponents, $8.00/hour was the most common response to what do
you think the minimum wage should be in Wisconsin? It is possible that many opponents actually have a
preferred rate that is higher than the current one, but register opposition to an unspecified increase when
asked because they see the most common proposals (such as $10.10/hour floated by Democratic groups) as
too high.

Figure 21 shows the different distributions of responses to the open-ended question about the minimum
wage across political groups. The popularity of each individual response is represented by the area of the
circle centered on its respective dollar amount.

Figure 21: Wisconsin Voter Opinions Regarding the Ideal State Minimum Wage, by Party Identification
(registered voters)

The most common ideal minimum wage among Democrats and political independents is $10.00/hour, while
the modal response among Republicans is the current rate of $7.25/hour. However, the vast majority of each
group prefers a minimum wage rate higher than the current rate. The median response among Democrats
was $10.00/hour; among independents, $9.25/hour, and $8.00/hour among Republicans. It is notable that
the distribution of preferences among independents is much closer to that of Democrats than it is to that or
Republicans.

$7.00 $8.00 $9.00 $10.00 $11.00 $12.00 $13.00 $14.00 $15.00
Democrats Republicans Independents

FEATURE: PREFERENCES REGARDING THE PROJECTED TRANSPORTATION FUND SHORTFALL
Registered voters were asked about their preferences regarding several possible solutions that could be used
to address a large projected shortfall in the state transportation fund. A series of questions aimed at
measuring support for specific proposals that was put to respondents last year indicated wide opposition to
every proposal. In order to provide guidance to policymakers, for the last two quarters we have asked
respondents to specify their most- and least-preferred options.

Registered voters were asked to state their preference from among four options; tax and user fee increases,
delaying major road construction projects, introducing toll roads, and borrowing money. Figure 22 shows
that since last quarter, there has been a notable decrease in support for introducing toll roads, which had
been the most-preferred option for a plurality of Wisconsin voters. Now, tax/user fee increases, delaying
major road construction projects, and toll roads are all about equally preferred. Figure 23 shows that
tax/user fee hikes are most popular among Democrats, while delays are the preferred option among
Republicans and independents.

Figure 22: Most-Preferred Options for Addressing the Projected Transportation Fund Shortfall
(Q2 2014 vs. Q3 2014 comparison, registered voters)

Figure 23: Most-Preferred Options for Addressing the Projected Transportation Fund Shortfall, by Party
(registered voters)

27%
31%
28%
31%
38%
30%
8% 8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Q2 2014 Q3 2014
tax and user fee
increases
delaying major road
construction projects
introducing toll roads
borrowing money
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
All Registered Voters Democrats Independents Republicans
tax and user fee
increases
delaying major road
borrowing money

Figure 24 shows that toll roads and borrowing money are now tied for least-preferred option. Meanwhile,
opposition to tax and user fee increases has softened since last quarter; just 26% say it is their least-preferred
option, compared to 33% a few months ago. Figure 25 suggests that borrowing money is the least-preferred
option among Democrats, while toll roads are the least desirable option for independents and Republicans.

Figure 24: Least-Preferred Options for Addressing the Projected Transportation Fund Shortfall
(Q2 2014 vs.Q3 2014 comparison, registered voters)

Figure 25: Least-Preferred Options for Addressing the Projected Transportation Fund Shortfall, by Party
(registered voters)

In addition to the questions that asked voters to rank their preferences, voters were asked specifically about a
proposal to increase the gasoline tax by 5 cents per gallon. Figure 26 shows that such an option would only be
supported by about 26% of Wisconsin voters.

33%
26%
16%
13%
26%
30%
24%
30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Q2 2014 Q3 2014
tax and user fee
increases
delaying major road
borrowing money
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
All Registered Voters Democrats Independents Republicans
tax and user fee
increases
delaying major road
borrowing money

Figure 26: Support for Raising the Gasoline Tax by Five Cents per Gallon
(registered voters)

FEATURE: OPINIONS REGARDING CHANGES TO THE STATEWIDE SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM
Wisconsin lawmakers are considering expanding the state's parental school choice program, which uses tax
dollars to subsidize private school tuition for some students from low-income households. (The statewide
program does not impact students in Milwaukee or Racine, which have separate school choice programs.)
Currently, participation in the statewide program is capped at 1000 students. Registered voters were asked if
the statewide program should be expanded, maintained as-is, or eliminated. Figure 27 shows that just 39%
support expanding the program; most Wisconsin voters would prefer that the statewide voucher program be
either maintained as-is (27%) or eliminated outright (28%).

Figure 27: Should the Statewide School Choice Program be
(registered voters)

72%
26%
2%
oppose
support
don't know
28%
27%
39%
6%
eliminated
maintained as-is
expanded
don't know

FEATURE: CONSTRAINTS ON WEDC EFFORTS TO ATTRACT BUSINESS

Over the past year, actions taken by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), a public-
private partnership helmed by the Governor and tasked with augmenting economic growth, have come under
scrutiny as some firms receiving state incentives have not implemented promised development or job
creation. State voters were asked two questions intended to provide policymakers some guidance when it
comes to public preferences regarding disbursement of state incentives aimed at businesses.
First, respondents were asked whether or not firms that receive state funds should be allowed to use those
funds to create jobs out-of-state. Figure 28 shows a great deal of support for placing that constraint upon
firms that receive state incentive money; 71% said firms should be barred from applying those funds to
development out-of-state. About 25% said such practices should not be blocked, and 4% were unsure.

Figure 28: Should Firms that Receive State Funds be Barred from Using Those Funds to Create Jobs Out-of-State?
(registered voters)

Next, respondents were asked to state their preference when it comes to the type of firms eligible for state
incentive assistance. When asked to prioritize incentives for new technology start-up firms versus incentives
for established manufacturing, 53% chose the latter, while 34% favored new tech firms (Figure 29).
Figure 29: Should the state focus its efforts on encouraging new start-up tech firms, or supporting established
manufacturing?
(registered voters)

25%
71%
4%
no yes don't know
34%
53%
13%
new start-up tech
established
manufacturing
don't know

UWM Economic Scorecard 2014 3rd Quarter

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