Ohio poll: Cut programs, don’t increase taxes

By Marc Kovac

The respondents said they liked Gov. Strickland’s stance on raising taxes.

COLUMBUS — Read their lips: No new taxes.

That was one of the messages from respondents to a new statewide survey released Thursday by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Given the choice between raising taxes to cover state budget-deficit issues or cutting programs, 62 percent chose the latter. Only 24 percent preferred raising taxes.

Additionally, 64 percent of those polled said they backed Gov. Ted Strickland’s position against raising taxes.

“Gov. Strickland has a 54 percent approval rating, and one reason he is popular is that he seems to understand how Ohioans feel,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the polling institute, said in a statement released to the press.

The poll was the second released this week by the institute, which regularly gauges Ohioans’ attitudes about candidates and issues.

It surveyed 1,468 Ohio voters over the past week about their personal finances and economic worries.

According to the results, 51 percent said their personal finances are OK, but 95 percent said the national economy is “not so good” or “poor.” Another 94 percent gave low marks to the state economy.

“There is no doubt that many, many Ohio families are in dire financial straits, and most say their finances have deteriorated in the last year,” Brown said. “But the difference between how people view their own situation and that of the rest of the state and country is striking.”

Additionally, 77 percent said the economy is the “most important problem facing Ohio today.” Twenty-four percent said it is likely that someone in their family will move out of the state in the next year.