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National Poll: 60 percent more likely to buy during sales tax holidays

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Illinois
Polls

* Keep in mind that this is a national Rasmussen poll, and that the “40 percent Yes” answer to the first question is way off the mark. But, it might give you an idea of what Illinoisans think about the sales tax holiday…

* Does your state briefly suspend sales taxes at this time of year to encourage back-to-school shopping?
40% Yes
43% No
17% Not sure

* Do you favor or oppose so-called sales tax holidays?
62% Favor
22% Oppose
16% Not sure

* Are you more likely to buy things during a sales tax holiday or less likely to buy things during a sales tax holiday?
60% More likely
14% Less likely
23% No impact
3% Not sure

* From the pollster…

Fifty-two percent (52%) of all adults favor a school ban on the sales of sugar snacks and soft drinks.

Sixty-three percent (63%) oppose a full-year school calendar. Just as many oppose a four-day school week as a possible budget saver.

Most adults nationwide (55%) believe bullying in schools is a bigger problem today than it was in the past.

After students graduate from high school, 68% say every American should attend a post-secondary school.

* Methodology…

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 2-3, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.

* In other polling news, the Tribune sat on some polling results for almost a month…

The telephone poll of 800 heads of households across the six-county Chicago region July 8-14 found that 57 percent of the respondents did not want police to seek illegal immigrants for deportation.

Almost half of those polled, 48 percent, said they believed that illegal immigrants snatched jobs and resources, taking away from society and the economy.

Nearly all of those who responded, 87 percent, believed that some sort of legal status should be offered to the nearly 11 million people in the country illegally, provided that the immigrants aren’t dangerous felons, that they learn English and that they pay fines and back taxes.

Opinions about immigration in the suburbs are slightly different than in Chicago, whose immigrants from around the world have helped define the city. In some collar-county communities that have only recently seen new immigration, there is more support for police enforcement and a more negative view of illegal immigrants. On the question of offering legal status, 84 percent of those in the collar counties said they would support such a program, compared with 90 percent in the city.

* And Bill Brady recently talked about a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and promoting legal immigration…

Speaking to a group of Hispanic business leaders at Chicago’s Navy Pier Friday morning, State Senator Bill Brady called on the federal government to reform immigration laws and to secure America’s border.

Brady said increasing legal immigration would boost economic growth. He said our current birth rate is too low.

“The birth rate in this country will not allow us to grow at a rate we need to grow at, and we need to bring real reform to immigration policy and open the doors so we can see a growth rate in this country of four percent or greater,” Brady told the group.

When asked how many legal immigrants he proposed to admit, neither Brady nor his campaign spokeswoman would respond. Later — responding to reporters’ questions — Brady said
officials should “negotiate” over proposals that would penalize current illegal immigrants, but allow them to remain in the U.S.

* Related…

* Quinn defends sales tax holiday: The governor predicted that waiving the 5 percent state sales tax will result in more revenue for the state because it will entice more shoppers into stores. Once there, those shoppers will spend on items such as electronics and sports equipment that aren’t covered by the tax holiday. Shoppers still will have to pay the local portion of the sales tax, which is 4.75 percent in Chicago.

* If sales tax holiday works, Brady says he’d consider permanent sales tax cut

* Back-to-school shoppers stock up as state sales-tax holiday begins

* Editors Roundtable: Sales tax holiday

* Quinn continues tour to tout sales tax holiday

* Quinn touts sales tax holiday in Marion

* Tax free holidays make their way around the Tri-States

* Illinois Sales Tax Holiday Continues Through Sunday

* Sales boost seen from tax holiday

* Mixed response to sales tax holiday

* Sales Tax Holiday Confusion

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 8:27 am

Comments

My wife bought all our kids supplies on Thursday the 5th (day BEFORE the tax holiday). We spent $10 on sales tax.

Had the pick of the store, and all supplies were in.

Went on Saturday to get some other things at Target. School supplies were OUT. I mean…everything. No pens, paper, folders, etc.

Parents were complaining, the store staff was frazzled, it was a real mess.

The $10 was well spent considering we got everything we needed…and didn’t have to deal with the headache of everything being sold out.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 8:53 am
speaking of immigration- did anybody see randy ramey’s clip on wgn last night, calling getting rid of all illegals a “jobs” bill? unreal.

Comment by bdogg Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 9:32 am
I do believe that tax holidays stimulate the economy, and for that reason alone I support them and encourage more. When people shop for one thing, they just can’t resist buying other items, especially with the psychological advantage of having just saved some wee amount of money.

What shocks me is that only 52% of parents support a ban of sugar snacks and soft drinks in schools. Hasn’t the word gotten out about sugar diets, poor concentration, childhood obesity and future health problems?

And about Ramey’s “jobs bill”: I think Ramey is a cynical immigration opportunist. He introduces a couple of these unthinkably cruel bills every year, and then uses them in his reelection campaigns to show he is tough on immigrants. Doesn’t matter that he can’t pass them, his conservative district loves him for trying.

Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 9:45 am
tax holidays just shift consumption to days without taxes, rather than boosting consumption - people need to buy school supplies regardless; this is just a good way to avoid paying taxes. awful policy, but great politics.

Comment by Robert Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 9:58 am
I drove across the bridge to Missouri where I recieved a real sales tax holiday. These little eighthand quarter of a cent items along with various zone taxes have a way of being almost 5% here. While I was there I filled up with gasoline that was 20 cents a gallon cheaper as well. Imagine all the taxes we pay and yet the state is broke. Plenty of money in the TIF bank accounts though. What a joke

Comment by Sueann Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 10:00 am
The sales tax holiday is a gimmick. It has nothing to do with stimulating the economy, it’s all about politicians in an election year acting like sugar daddies, just piling more debt on the moutain we’re already not paying.

For those who think illegals are taking away jobs from American citizens, I encourage you to head to Michigan. It’s blueberry and peach harvest time, and you’re welcome to venture out in the fields and start filling baskets. The pay’s lousy, the hours are long and the work is backbreaking, but at least you’ll be keeping those undocumented Mexican dads, moms, and yes, children, from stealing “our” jobs. Eat a peach, Greg Allman.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 10:41 am
What would have thrilled me about the tax holiday is if the stores were to have had out fall clothing. Racks full of clearance summer clothes and/or short sleeve ‘September’ type clothing did not interest me.

Got boring PE shoes, socks, and the undie stuff for my daughter but the jeggings and tops I’d have liked to purchase are not in stores yet.

Comment by Cindy Lou Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 10:54 am
The only thing that the sales tax holiday was designed to stimulate is Pat Quinn’s reelection campaign. Like all plans of this administration, it is failing too.

Comment by davE Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:02 am
One-shot tax “holidays” and “rebates” (which are not tax cuts, no matter what anyone says) are at best one of the least efficient methods to promote job creation. No smart businessman would hire full-time staff or ramp up production for anything that comes and goes as quickly as these things do.

No more Cash for Clunkers, Cash for Caulkers, Homebuyers Rebates and other similar programs. Only programs that provide long-term stability will lead to long-term growth which leads to long-term increases in employment.

All this “Tax Holiday” did was decrease the State’s ability to pay its bills while providing Quinn a shot in the arm politically.

While I congratulate any person who saved dollars during this “Tax Holiday” (After all, consumers act in their own best self interest.), the “Tax Holiday” did nothing other than highlight Quinn’s bankrupt vision for this bankrupt state.

Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:14 am
Cincinnatus, you and I both commented on the wrong thread, so allow me a repost as well…

I think what you’re missing here is that the savings rate is way up. People with jobs are hoarding as much cash as they can.

So, demand is way down. Retailers are absolutely desperate to get shoppers into their stores, hoping maybe beyond hope that once the customers do show up, they’ll spend money on other stuff.

This sales tax holiday was pushed hard by IRMA. If it was useless, I doubt very much that IRMA would have bothered. That’s one of the smartest groups under the Dome.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:18 am
==If it was useless, I doubt very much that IRMA would have bothered. ==

As Gov Quinn points out, if you get people into the stores, they will make impulse buys. The trouble is that, in order for the sales tax holiday to increase revenues to the state, the impulse purchases have to exceed the back-to-school purchases.

For the retailer, however, ANY impulse buy puts him in the black, since he’s not out-of-pocket for the sales tax on the back-to-school purchases.

Comment by Pat Robertson Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:31 am
Rich,

HAHAHAHA. Monkey see, monkey do!!!! You should delete us both from the other thread so that at least this idiot no longer posts there.

My reply to you from the other thread:

Rich,

Consumer saving reinforces what I have been saying. Businessmen are not the only people who are making decisions based on the instability of the economy, and on the economic policies they see. Just like the corporations who are sitting on an approximate $3T in cash while they watch to see what kind of economic/regulatory environment shakes out, consumers are sitting on $725B in savings (which is up over the past few years, but still significantly less on a per capita basis than most developed counties), most probably worried about the employment situation and if it will hit them too.

The businesses and consumers are ultimately linked by the same concerns.

As far as IRMA being behind the tax holiday, does that surprise you? This is, after all, just another lobbying group. Certainly, were I running the IRMA, I’d be behind it too since it would drive consumers into my members’ stores, increasing sales and contributing to profits. It would be interesting to see a statement from IRMA about its interpretation on the effects of long term employment and the contribution of the sales tax holiday to the Illinois budget deficit.

Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:39 am
I need another cup of coffee. LOL. You got me good. Trickster, eh? Reposted…

Cincinnatus, right now a lot of those store owners are just hoping to make it through next month.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:41 am
Im posting this only here:

“Cincinnatus, right now a lot of those store owners are just hoping to make it through next month.”

Which still makes my point that the tax holiday really doesn’t help in a macroeconomic sense. What’s Quinn’s new bright idea for next month? How about the month after that?

I refuse to by into this Keyensian argument since it would then bespeak of new such initiatives, ad infinitum. Neither do I fully buy into a supply side argument which say that long term tax breaks are a panacea.

Cut spending and close deficits. It works (c.f. Indiana).

Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:59 am
We needed a poll to find out that people want to benefit from a discount? Oi!

The gamble from the State’s perspective is whether this temporary measure will unlock the pent up demand which the state would capitalize if the spending would continue past the end of the tax holiday.

I bet that people do not want to spend money because of the economic conditions. Job security, tax uncertainty, income uncertainty…

Until these issues are addressed, the tax holiday is more a stunt than substance.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 12:22 pm
Wordslinger I like your comment but I lived in Michigan for 21 years and never saw a peach orchard. Lots of apples, blueberries and cherries (which they would be picking right about now)but I think it’s a little far north for peaches.

Comment by girllawyer Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 3:38 pm
So, Quinn, through his tax holiday, has basically proven what republicans have traditionally said about taxes: they (taxes)do more harm than good to the economy.

So, if Illinois had no tax at all people would be shopping more, which helps businesses, which hire people, because they would have more money to spend. Did Quinn mean to prove this point?

If I could ask Quinn one question, I would ask him why he is running for governor?

Comment by Will County Woman Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 8:45 pm
Taken out-of-context, which Brady’s comments like, it sounds like he’s proposing some sort of modern day slavery.

“The birth rate in this country will not allow us to grow at a rate we need to grow at, and we need to bring real reform to immigration policy and open the doors so we can see a growth rate in this country of four percent or greater,”

What the heck?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Aug 9, 10 @ 11:37 pm
- So, if Illinois had no tax at all people would be shopping more, which helps businesses, which hire people, because they would have more money to spend. -

It would be difficult for them to get to those businesses without roads. Are you really this dumb?

Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 8:16 am
Girllawyer, there are loads of peach orchards along the Lake Michigan coast, especially in Berrien and Oceana counties. I was up in Mason County last week and the Red Havens were coming in. Lots of Mexican families picking them, too.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 8:29 am