FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan








March 31, 2015







Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org

POLL: Top Reason for Opposition to Proposal 1 Voters Believe Middle Class Already
Paying Their Fair Share
Opposition to Safe Roads Ballot Proposal Not Driven by Anti-Tax Electorate

LANSING Progress Michigan today released results of a Google Consumer Survey showing opposition to
Proposal 1 is largely driven by voters sentiment that the current proposal may be asking too much of middle
class families, not opposition to taxes. Respondents largely rejected education cuts to pay for road repairs.

Overall, 58.8 percent of respondents indicating a No vote stated their vote was driven by a belief that middle
class families were already paying their fair share and corporations should pay more to fix roads.

Unfortunately, in December the legislature opted to kick the can down the crumbling road rather than making
the tough choices their constituents put them in office to make, said Lonnie Scott, executive director of
Progress Michigan. Michigan voters know we need to invest more in our states infrastructure and are willing
to pay their fair share, but for middle class families who have been asked time and again to pay more while
wealthy corporations get billions in unaccountable tax giveaways, voters may be saying its time for someone
else to cover the bill.

According to the Progress Michigan/GCS survey, opposition to the proposal amongst voters who said they were
very likely to vote in May was at 44.1 percent; after presented with the ballot language raising the sales tax by
1 percent, opposition moved to 52.4 percent. Despite this opposition, many undecided voters remain up for
grabsparticularly amongst voters less likely to turn out.

Figure 1: Support for Proposal 1 Amongst 'Very Likely' Voters

How would you vote for a statewide

ballot proposal increasing the state's
sales and gas tax to pay for road and
bridge repairs?

How would you vote on the following

proposal? A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE
CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM
SALES TAX RATE FROM 6% TO 7%

44.1
52.4

32.4

18.8

23.5

26.7

Yes

Unsure

No

20.6
Yes

27
Unsure

No

Of those stating they were likely to vote in May, 43.7 percent indicated a No vote and 33.3 percent indicated
they were undecided. Amongst voters who were unsure if they were voting, 48.6 percent indicated they were
undecided and 42.2 percent indicated they were a no vote.

When asked why they were a No or undecided vote for the Safe Roads ballot proposal, the majority of
respondents indicated they believed middle class families were already paying their fair share and that
corporations should pay more to fix our roads. This belief was strongest amongst No voters, with undecided
voters largely indicating they did not have enough information.
Reasons for No Vote
39.4

Middle Class Already Paying Their Fair

Corporakons Should Pay More To Fix
Not Enough Informakon
Hesitant to Amend State Consktukon
Generally Ank-Tax
Should Cut Educakon Funding to Fix Roads

19.4
14.1
13.5
12.7
2.9
0

10

15 20

25 30

35 40

Reasons for being Undecided

41.2

Not Enough Informakon

Middle Class Already Paying Their Fair
Corporakons Should Pay More To Fix
Hesitant to Amend State Consktukon
Generally Ank-Tax
Should Cut Educakon Funding to Fix Roads

19.7
12.5
8.7
5.2
2
0

10 15 20 25 30 35 40

At the end of their survey, Progress Michigan asked No voters why they believed someone would vote against
the Safe Roads proposal; a large majority of these responses indicated a lack of trust that the money raised
would in fact go towards road repair and school funding.

We need to fix our roads and to do so takes needed investments, not further cuts to education or critical state
services, Scott continued. If Proposal 1 is in fact defeated in May, we hope the legislature understands their
constituents expect a comprehensive solution that involves asking wealthy special interests to pay their fair
share.


Editors Note: The Progress Michigan/GCS survey was fielded March 16-19, 2015 of 2,876 Michigan residents 18 and over (+/- 1.8). Of
voters indicating they were either very likely, likely, or unsure if they were voting in May, the sample represents 1,253 responses (+/-
2.8), all others were screened out of the survey. Of those indicating they were very likely to vote, the sample represents 707 responses
(+/- 3.4). Only no/undecided voters (n=871, +/- 3.2) were asked follow-up question related to the reason of their vote.