Rep. Williams: Q-Poll Results Reflect Views of 68th District on Spending Cuts vs Tax Hikes

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showing Connecticut residents overwhelmingly prefer reducing state spending to increasing taxes to resolve the state’s budget crisis also reflect the views of most 68th District residents who have contacted state Representative Sean Williams about the issue, Representative Williams said today. By a whopping 67 percent margin, citizens responding to the poll said spending cuts – not tax increases – should be used to balance the budget and eliminate a projected $1.35 billion deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30th and to wipe out an estimated $8 billion deficit over the next two years. The poll results are similar to the views expressed by most Oakville, Watertown and Woodbury residents who have contacted him about the budget crisis, said Representative Williams, R-68th District.

The Quinnipiac Poll results sharply contradicted the findings in an earlier poll commissioned and paid for by government employee unions – whose salaries and benefits are funded with taxpayer dollars and who want state taxes increased to eliminate the deficit.

“The recent Quinnipiac University Poll showed that most Connecticut residents agree with what I and other Republican legislators have been saying for months- that raising taxes in the middle of a recession is the worst possible way to resolve the state’s budget crisis,” Representative Williams said. “The fact that the Q-poll findings were so at odds with the union poll results indicates to me that the questions the union poll posed were clearly designed to elicit the responses they wanted. The Q-poll, which is widely respected for its accuracy and integrity, found that most Connecticut residents do not want their taxes raised to eliminate the state’s budget deficit.”

“Republican legislators like myself for months have been advocating responsible cuts in state spending that focus on streamlining state government by merging agencies that perform similar or overlapping functions and reforming or eliminating programs that are underperforming and wasting taxpayer dollars,” Representative Williams said. “The Q-poll clearly demonstrates that most people prefer resolving the state’s budget crisis through reductions in state spending rather than tax increases.”

The poll shows Democrats to be almost evenly divided on the issue, with 41 percent favoring tax increases and 47 percent supporting spending cuts. The data shows 89 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of unaffiliated voters support spending cuts to eliminate the deficit. In addition, nearly 70 percent of those polled said proposed budget cuts, including elimination of two dozen state agencies, are either appropriate or do not go far enough, Representative Williams said.

“I believe the Quinnipiac University poll findings accurately reflect the concerns of most middle class families in the 68th District and elsewhere in Connecticut,” Representative Williams said. “They are worried about losing their jobs and their homes. They are living on the edge and they are legitimately concerned about their eroding incomes. The last thing they need at this time in their lives is a major tax increase.”

The Q-Poll also found that:

· At least 82 percent of respondents say now is the time to shrink state government, a proposal Republican legislators have supported for months.

· 59 percent believe the state government employee workforce should be decreased even if it means layoffs or a reduction in services;

· 61 percent said no to tax increases, compared to 36 percent who said some taxes hikes should be considered.