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Monday, November 5, 2007
A poll! A poll! On the Speaker’s tax plan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After months of having his GREAT tax plan hammered by critics, House Speaker Glenn Richardson can take solace in a new poll suggesting Georgians like his proposal to eliminate property taxes.
Our colleague James Salzer learned a new poll commissioned by Richardson of 600 Georgians in late October showed 58 percent of respondents favor his plan to eliminate property taxes and replace the lost revenue with an expanded sales tax.
About 29 percent opposed it, and the rest hadn’t made up their mind.
The poll by American Viewpoint, an Alexandria, Va.-based public opinion research firm, was taken from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Richardson’s proposal, if approved by the General Assembly, would go before voters next November as a proposed constitutional amendment.
Here’s what those polled were asked:
“As you may know, the Georgia legislature is considering putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would eliminate all property taxes — including taxes on homes, commercial property and personal property items such as cars and trucks.
“This revenue would be replaced by eliminating nearly all sales tax exemptions, and make the 4% state sales tax include services. Knowing what you do, do you favor or oppose this constitutional amendment?”
Pollsters also asked people which tax they considered most “unfair.”
Their answer:
— 40 percent, property taxes;
— 24 percent, gas taxes;
— 20 percent, state income taxes;
— 8 percent, sales taxes;
— 3 percent, other;
— 3 percent, none;
— 2 percent, don’t know.
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