After reader Larry Gross referred to the AAA “Pockets of Pain” survey in comments on a couple of previous posts, I decided I ought to take a look. I found a summary of the survey in a press release but could not find the details of the survey itself. But even the pro-tax AAA’s spin on the data should deliver a sober warning to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who has been stumping the state in favor of a tax increase and wants to elevate taxes and transportation to a defining issue in the 2007 General Assembly races.
For all the angst and maelstrom about traffic congestion, the AAA reports, transportation is far from the public’s top priority. “When respondents were asked to rank a list of national priorities, transportation did not fare well.” In order of importance the respondents produced the following ranking:
(1) Healthcare (26% rated most important)
(2) National Security (25%)
(3) Education (24%)
(4) Social Security (12%)
(5) Energy Independence (9%)
(6) Transportation (3%).
Further, stated the report, the public is far more receptive to the idea of paying tolls, particularly for new projects, than to raising taxes.
When respondents were asked to choose from a number of funding options, the public did not favor using general purpose revenues. In fact, the most frequent choice – 52% – was some form of toll option to help raise money to fund our transportation system. The most popular options are those that add tolls to only new roads and highway lanes (39%).
In focus groups, people made it quite plain why they don’t like the idea of higher taxes.
“In previous surveys and focus groups, we’ve seen more reluctance to increasing funding for transportation,” said Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA president and CEO in a speech given at the National Conference of State Legislatures Transportation Leaders meeting in San Antonio, Texas. “Common responses used to be ‘I already pay enough,’ or ‘existing funds aren’t invested efficiently,’ or ‘I don’t trust my state DOT to do the right thing.’…
Those national responses track very closely to polls conducted earlier this year showing that Virginians have very little appetite for raising taxes. (For details, see our October post on the Survey USA poll and our August post on a Richmond Times-Dispatch poll.)
While the business and political elites tend to favor taxes, the public clearly does not. If Gov. Kaine wants to make taxes and transportation the signature issue of the 2007 campaign season, I say, “Bring it on!”
