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Southerners Poll: Cut state waste, but not under-used or expensive state facilities

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* From the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s new poll of southern Illinoisans, we find 62.8 percent of southerners agree with this statement…

The state takes in plenty of money to pay for public services, but wastes it on unnecessary programs. We can fix the problem by cutting waste and inefficiency in government.

* But then they were asked this question…

Another proposal to save money for the state is to close state facilities such as mental health centers, state prisons, and juvenile facilities that are under-used or too expensive to maintain.

A whopping 70.3 percent of southerners said they opposed closing “under-used” government facilities or facilities that are “too expensive to maintain.” Just 21.3 percent said they supported such a plan.

79 percent opposed closing the Tamms “super max” prison, while 70 percent were against closing Murphysboro’s Illinois Youth Center.

* The southerners weren’t so duplicitous when it came to consolidating schools. About 49 percent favored saving money by “consolidating school districts in lightly populated areas.” And 48 percent favored “consolidating the school district you live in with a neighboring district.”

* On pension reform, 58 percent favored replacing “future state workers’ defined-benefit plan with a 401(k)-style, defined-contribution plan, similar to what many private businesses have for their employees.” 25 percent opposed.

45 percent favored increasing pension contributions by employees, while 42 percent were opposed.

47.5 percent wanted retirees to contribute to the cost of their state health insurance plan, while 46.5 percent were opposed.

And 54 percent of southerners opposed to “having local school districts make their teachers’ pension contributions,” while 31 percent favored it.

* Methodology…

The poll of 400 registered voters covered the 18 southernmost counties in Illinois: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Washington, White, and Williamson. Live phone interviews were conducted February 23-28. The sample of 400 has a margin of error of 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the result would be within plus or minus 4.9 percentage points from the results obtained here. We also included a special sample of cell phone users to ensure greater accuracy.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:05 pm

Comments

How did these people know to believe in Magic Beans when they live outside the primary circulation area for Chicago Tribune editorials?

Comment by The Captain Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:13 pm
The Internet, TC.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:14 pm
This is one of those classic cases of polling that conflates two items that aren’t really the same and then you don’t really get an answer. The question of closing an underutilized prison is totally different than the question of fixing a prison that is full. Are the Paul Simon people unable to see the difference?

Comment by Polling Falacies Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:19 pm
The phrase “not in my backyard” comes to mind…

Comment by Stones Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:22 pm
PF, they ask that first question as part of a series of options in every budget poll I’ve seen them do. The second question is separate. Try clicking the link before you go off half-cocked, please. Thanks.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:26 pm
I wouldn’t beat up on the Southerners–this is a problem State-wide and nation-wide.

Comment by champaigndweller Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:26 pm
- I wouldn’t beat up on the Southerners–this is a problem State-wide and nation-wide. -

I’m not in favor of beating up on them, but look at the areas demanding cuts the loudest, and then look at where most of these under-used and too expensive to maintain facilities are located. People need to understand what the hand that feeds them is attached to.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:31 pm
Noticed that the pension questions had no background or explanation associated with them. So we have to assume we are getting the “man in the street” / “off the cuff” opinion as opposed to a somewhat informed opinion.

I wounder how many would have voted for the 401K option if, as part of the question, they had been told it would actually cost more than the current pension system?

Or how they would have voted on more employee contributions if it had been noted the major problem was lack of State employer contributions over the past 40 years?

Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:57 pm
The Southerners are no different than the those living up north; in fact they are no different than the entire country.

Everybody wants cuts in government spending so long as it does not affect them.

Nothing new, and I am not surprised by the results of this poll.

Comment by MOON Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 3:57 pm
Rich, not sure what you’re talking about. Under used and too expensive to maintain are in the same question. They are two different issues.

Comment by Polling Falacies Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 4:01 pm
In dovetailing Fallacies point: “unnecessary programs” has a much different meaning than “under-used” and “too expensive to maintain.” It could very well be that the respondents felt that the Budget should contemplate additional use of “under-used” juvenile facilities and reduction in costs rather than elimination of prisons that are “too expensive to maintain.”

With all due respect, saying that something someone feels is unnecessary is the same as what that person believes is “under-used” or “too expensive to maintain” is a pretty big leap in logic.

Comment by Inconsistent Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 4:15 pm
PF, in one question, 68.2% favored cutting unspecified government waste. In the follow-up, when the waste was specified, 70.3% disagreed with the cuts.

This is an example of cognitive dissonance.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 4:16 pm
*I will add that I’m not from southern Illinois, nor do I work at or have any stake in either the poll or any of the facilities that are on the chopping block. Just observing. Thanks.

Comment by Inconsistent Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 4:18 pm
This is also like the judge who famously said:

“I may not be able to define obscenity, but I know it when I see it.”

Government waste is in the eye of the beholder.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Mar 9, 12 @ 4:32 pm