Majority of Virginians oppose gas-tax increase

A majority of Virginians oppose increasing the state's gasoline tax or adding tolls to pay for transportation but support privatizing the state's liquor stores.

Transportation ranks among Virginians' top priorities, but also lands at the top of places to cut the state budget, according to a Christopher Newport University statewide survey of 1,097 adults called between Dec. 14-19.

Transportation, ABC privatization and amendments to the state's two-year budget will be among the key issues as legislators return to Richmond on Wednesday for Gov. Bob McDonnell's second General Assembly session.

On McDonnell's effort to privatize the state's liquor monopoly, 52.2 percent of those surveyed favored the change regardless of how much money would be generated. An additional 38 percent opposed privatization.

After his first privatization plan stalled, McDonnell hired a consultant and sought a new approach for legislators to consider. The governor is expected to release his new plan Monday.

On transportation, the scrambled reaction underscores the complexity in crafting a statewide solution with a significant investment — which last occurred in 1986 under Gov. Gerald L. Baliles.

McDonnell has launched his latest attempt to raise money for roads, largely by borrowing billions with the state's credit card. Legislators will consider parts of his proposal during the session.

McDonnell opposes an increase in Virginia's gas tax, which is 17.5 cents per gallon.

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The phone survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, shows that 61.4 percent of those polled oppose an increase in the gas tax while 33 percent support it.

"I don't think we need to raise taxes, I think we need to cut spending," said David Sorrells, a mechanic from Waynesboro.

But Aaron Paolozzi , a federal employee who lives in the Chantilly section of Fairfax County, said a gas-tax increase would discourage driving while helping fix Virginia's roads.

Adding tolls to highways, bridges or tunnels was opposed by 54.1 percent and supported by 42.4 percent. Respondents appear most mixed on adding tolls to Interstates 85 and 95 on the North Carolina border — something McDonnell has requested federal permission to do — with 46.9 percent in support and 48.4 percent opposed.

Terry Wheeler, a retiree who lives in Virginia Beach, said he favors tolls because "if you use it, you pay for it."

Retired Richmonder Philip Thomas opposes any tax increase: "The more money you give to a politician, the more they are willing to spend it."

If more budget cuts must be made, 30.2 percent of the respondents think they should be made in transportation — the top-ranked choice among a series of options that also included public safety, education, health care and social services to low-income Virginians.

Cutting none of the areas ranked second, at 19.1 percent; followed by social services at 16.1 percent; and cutting all of the areas equally, 13.1 percent.

People surveyed in all regions of the state agree that transportation is a state responsibility and a shared expense.

While people may bristle at paying more for roads when asked directly about a tax increase or tolls, they elect leaders who promise transportation improvements, said Robert O. Chase, with the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance.

"The public elects its legislators to be knowledgeable on transportation and other matters and to respond based upon what they know to be the facts," he said. "Virginia's transportation program and highway network are falling into a state of disrepair and absent significant new funding, Virginia will not be able to attract and keep the jobs it needs to continue to be prosperous."

The poll revealed several areas where public opinion appears to diverge with the prevailing political agenda in Richmond. And many of these issues — felons' rights, gun rights and constitutional issues — await lawmakers again this year.

McDonnell is making higher education one of his priorities of this session. He wants to pump $50 million into an effort to revamp the funding formula for state schools, enroll more Virginia students in state colleges and have 100,000 more degrees awarded to Virginians in the next 15 years.

Despite that, those polled indicate that if they had to choose between budget cuts to higher education or K-12, 44.5 percent pick higher education, 2.1 percent chose K-12 and 42.2 percent want to see cuts shared equally between K-12 and higher education.

Those surveyed overwhelmingly support closing the so-called gun-show loophole, 84.6 percent to 14.1 percent.

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In Virginia, a person buying a gun from a licensed dealer must go through a criminal background check. A person purchasing a weapon from a private seller at a gun show, however, does not.

"That's where criminals get their guns," said Chip Barker, a lawyer from Abingdon.

In past sessions Democrats have tried to require everyone to undergo a background check, but Republicans have blocked the effort.

The poll's respondents shunned the "repeal" amendment pushed by Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford. The resolution would propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow two-thirds of the states to collectively repeal any federal law or regulation.

In the poll, 49.2 percent of those surveyed oppose the action, while 39.3 percent support the measure, which is being patroned this year by Sen. Ryan T. McDougle, R-Hanover.

McDonnell said in October at the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Convention in Richmond that he supports the repeal measure and would help push the resolution in the legislature. The governor said that over the past 60 or 70 years, there has been "a bipartisan trampling" of the 10th Amendment, which outlines states' rights.

Virginia is one of only two states that require a governor to restore civil rights to felons after they have completed their obligations to the state. Many Virginians are ready for a change, according to the poll.

Voting rights should be automatically restored upon completion of a felon's sentence, according to 49.5 percent of the respondents, compared with 45.8 percent who favor the current practice.

Del. Rosalyn R. Dance, D-Petersburg, has filed legislation that would allow for automatic restoration of voting rights.

The poll also found:

•The public would be willing to pay higher fees to clean up the Chesapeake Bay — 60.9 percent favored this, while 39 percent opposed it.

•By an overwhelming margin — 72.6 percent to 25.3 percent — the public favors allowing Virginia's governors to serve two terms. Virginia remains the only state that does not allow a governor to serve consecutive terms.

•The public has mixed feelings about expanding the number of charter schools in Virginia, another issue of interest to the governor. Currently, there are only three charter schools in the state. Of the respondents, 47.8 percent favored more charter schools, 39 percent opposed the idea and 13 percent were not sure.

omeola@timesdispatch.com

(804) 649-6812

twhitley@timesdispatch.com

(8040) 649-6780

Methodology:

This poll was designed and analyzed by Quentin Kidd of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. The results of this poll are based on landline telephone (82.5%) and cell phone (17.5%) interviews between Dec. 14 and Dec. 19 of adults age 18 and older who live in Virginia. Live interviewing and sampling was conducted by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. The final number of completed surveys in the sample was 1,097 with a resulting margin of error of +/- 3.0% at the 95% level of confidence. However, the margin of error for some sub groups (including Democrats and women) is larger due to smaller sample sizes. In addition to sampling error, the other potential sources of error include non-response, question wording, and interviewer error. The response rate for the survey was 31%. Ten callbacks were employed in the fielding process. The data reported here are weighted on sex, age, race and region of residence to reflect as closely as possible the demographic composition of adults 18 and older in Virginia. Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding.