Increasing Health Care Costs and Taxes Top Concerns
MADISON – Wisconsin voters are generally optimistic about the future of their personal finances and the state’s economy, but increasing health care costs and high taxes are top concerns, a new poll from WMC has found.
“Clearly, pocketbook issues are big concerns for Wisconsin voters,” said WMC Senior Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley. “But, people are seeing higher health care costs, and continue to be concerned with the state’s high income tax and property tax. People oppose new federal global warming regulations that will kill factory jobs and drive up energy bills.”
WMC, Wisconsin’s chamber of commerce, commissioned the poll of 500 voters Dec. 14 through Dec. 16. The poll was conducted by the Tarrance Group of Washington, D.C. and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.
Manley cited key findings:
- The vast majority of Wisconsinites saw their health care costs go up in 2015. Some 63 percent saw rising health care costs, while only 5 percent saw health care costs go down. These numbers are likely driven by cost increases from Obamacare.
- When asked if voters would support global warming policies even if they would result in the loss of thousands of factory jobs in Wisconsin, 57 percent were opposed and only 33 percent were in support.
From a partisan standpoint, 83 percent of Republican voters said they would oppose the global warming polices that killed factory jobs, while the exact opposite was true of Democrats, who said they were willing to sacrifice middle class factory jobs in the name of global warming policies by a margin of 55 percent to 33 percent. - When asked if voters would support a $50 hike in their energy bills to pay for global warming policies, voters were opposed by a 2-to-1 margin, at 64 percent to 30 percent.
- In terms of higher education, 74 percent of voters said lawmakers should put as high a priority on technical education as they do college education, and 95 percent said high school students should have access to hands-on technical training as part of their course work.
- We know Wisconsin is a high tax state, but voters are evenly split on which tax should be reduced, with 39 percent favoring income tax relief, and 39 percent favoring property tax relief.
Related Material:
Slide presentation of survey results
For Further Information Contact:
Scott Manley, (608) 258-3400
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