St. Cloud State University SURVEY

STATEWIDE SURVEY OF MINNESOTA ADULTS

FALL 2007

12-7-07

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Substantive Findings

link to questionnaire-methodology

Annual St. Cloud State University Survey

Fall Statewide Survey

Direction of the State

Most Important Problem

Which Party Can Better Fix the Problem

Roads, Bridges and Taxes

Immigration

Global warming

Minnesota Smoking Ban

Minnesota Vikings

Feeling Thermometer

Stephen I. Frank

Professor, Department of Political Science

Co-Director, SCSU Survey

College of Social Sciences

St. Cloud State University

Steven C. Wagner

Professor and Chairperson, Department of Political Science

Co-Director, SCSU Survey

College of Social Sciences

St. Cloud State University

David H. Robinson

Professor, Department of Statistics and Computer Networking

Co-Director, SCSU Survey

College of Science and Engineering

St. Cloud State University

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/scsusurvey.

Roads, Bridges and Taxes

Table 4 Next we are going to ask you to rate the responses of different people and organizations to the 35W bridge collapse. After each choice, please respond with one of the following: Excellent, Pretty Good, Poor or Unacceptable. (questions randomly rotated)
The first responders, such as police, fire fighters, divers and hospital emergency people?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Excellent	477	78
Pretty Good	110	18
Poor	6	1
Unacceptable	0	0
Don’t Know	18	3
Total	609	100%
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Excellent	98	16
Pretty Good	329	54
Poor	85	14
Unacceptable	41	7
Don’t Know	56	9
Total	608	100%
Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Excellent	40	7
Pretty Good	202	33
Poor	148	25
Unacceptable	80	13
Don’t Know	135	22
Total	604	100%
Federal Agencies such as the Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Excellent	69	11
Pretty Good	333	55
Poor	104	17
Unacceptable	31	5
Don’t Know	70	12
Total	607	100%

Table 5 Generally speaking, do you think the condition of bridges in Minnesota is a major problem, minor problem or not a problem at all?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Major Problem	221	36
Minor Problem	303	50
Not a Problem at all	48	8
Don’t Know	39	6
Total	611	100%

TAXES

Table 6 Would you support or oppose a “five cent-ten cent” increase in the state’s gas tax if it is used solely to increase the building and maintenance of roads and bridges in your area of the state?
	Five Cent		Ten Cent
Response	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent
Support	326	53	169	28
Oppose	258	42	418	68
Don’t Know	28	5	24	4
Total	612	100%	611	100%

Table 7 Do you support or oppose a one-half cent increase in the Twin Cities metro areas sales tax for expanding Light Rail in the Twin Cities metro area?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Support	330	54
Oppose	222	36
Don’t Know	59	10
Total	610	100%

Table 8 Several counties in Minnesota charge a five dollar fee, called a wheelage tax, to help pay for building and maintaining their county roads and bridges. This fee is collected when you pay your vehicle license tabs. Do you support or oppose your county charging a wheelage tax of five dollars a year to build and maintain your county roads and bridges?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Support	391	64
Oppose	196	32
Don’t Know	24	4
Total	610	100%

Table 9 Which of the following Minnesota state or local government taxes do you believe is the least fair?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Sales Tax	65	11
Property taxes on home, businesses and apartments	263	43
Income Tax	222	37
Don’t Know	55	9
Total	605	100%

Table 10 Do you feel you pay more than your fair share in state income taxes, less than your fair share, or is the amount you pay about right?
Response	Frequency	Percent
More Than Fair Share	252	42
Less Than Fair Share	19	3
Pay About Right	312	52
Don’t Know	22	4
Total	605	100%

Table 11 Do you support or oppose an income tax increase on the highest 2% of Minnesota’s income earners if the increase was used for property tax relief?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Support	350	57
Oppose	224	37
Don’t Know	37	6
Total	610	100%

Table 12 Some states tax food and clothing but allow lower income families to completely deduct their tax payments on food and clothing. If lower income families could deduct their tax payments, do you support or oppose a sales tax on CLOTHING in Minnesota if the increase in revenue was used for property tax relief?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Support	194	32
Oppose	384	63
Don’t Know	32	5
Total	611	100%
If lower income families could deduct their tax payments, do you support or oppose a sales tax on FOOD in Minnesota if the increase in revenue was used for property tax relief?
Support	163	27
Oppose	425	70
Don’t Know	22	3
Total	611	100%

Table 13 Do you support or oppose holding constant property taxes on the homes of low income disabled and retired individuals?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Support	361	60
Oppose	194	32
Don’t Know	47	8
Total	604	100%

Immigration

Table 14 For you personally, what, if any, are the benefits from allowing immigrants into the United States? (Answer Options Read; Multiple Responses Allowed)
RESPONSE	FREQUENCY	PERCENT OF RESPONSES
No Benefit-volunteered	48	3%
The provide cultural diversity	249	17%
They take jobs Americans don’t want	172	17%
They are low cost labor	153	10%
They are hard working	254	17%
They strengthen the economy	139	9%
The history of this county is based on immigration	243	16%
They appreciate America	177	12%
Other	17	1%
Don’t Know	35	3%
Total	1,489	100%

Table 15 For you personally, what, if any, are the negative consequences from allowing immigrants into the United States? (Answer Options Read; Multiple Responses Allowed)
RESPONSE	FREQUENCY	PERCENT OF RESPONSES
No Negative impact-volunteered	69	4%
They work for low wages so wages of Americans are lowered	159	10%
They take jobs from Americans	127	8%
They cause crime	145	9%
They use government welfare	232	15%
They increase diversity	118	8%
They don’t speak English	230	15%
They don’t pay taxes	210	13%
They threaten our national security	109	7%
They crowd our schools	123	8%
Other	26	2%
Don’t Know	37	2%
Total	1,585	100%

Table 16 How important is the issue of illegal immigrants to you? Is it extremely important, very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Extremely Important	142	23
Very Important	287	47
Not Too Important	133	22
Not At All Important	45	7
Don’t Know	5	1
Total	612	100%

Table 17 In terms of illegal immigration in the United States, what actions would you like to see happen? (Answer Options Read; Multiple Responses Allowed)
RESPONSE	FREQUENCY	PERCENT OF RESPONSES
Nothing-volunteered	26	2%
Building a wall or fence along the Mexican border	118	9%
Building a wall or fence along the Canadian border	54	4%
Use military to stop illegal immigrants at the border	169	13%
Fine those who hire illegal workers	298	23%
File criminal charges against those who hire illegal workers	209	16%
Capture and send back all illegal immigrants	191	15%
Allow illegal immigrants to stay but pay a fine	133	10%
Other	39	3%
Don’t Know	42	3%
Total	1,280	100%

MULTIPLE RESPONSE-RESPONDENTS COULD RESPOND TO EACH OF THE CATEGORIES

MULTIPLE RESPONSE-RESPONDENTS COULD RESPOND TO EACH OF THE CATEGORIES

MULTIPLE RESPONSE-RESPONDENTS COULD RESPOND TO EACH OF THE CATEGORIES

Global warming

Table 18 What do you think is causing global warming? Do you think it is caused more by human activities, such as driving cars and burning fuel, or is it caused more by natural changes in the climate, or both?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Human Activities	194	32
Natural Changes	91	15
Both Human and Natural Changes	282	47
Not a Problem-volunteered	11	2
Don’t Know	29	5
Total	608	100%

Table 19 In your view, is global warming a very serious problem, somewhat serious, not too serious or not at all a problem?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Very Serious	262	44
Somewhat Serious	203	34
Not Too Serious	81	14
Not at all a Problem	44	7
Don’t Know	7	1
Total	597	100%

Minnesota Smoking Ban

Table 20 Do you approve of the statewide ban on smoking in all public places such as restaurants and bars?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Yes	429	70
No	174	28
Don’t Know	10	2
Total	612	100%

Table 21 As a result of the smoking ban, do you think you’ll be going out to restaurants and bars more often, less often or about the same?
Response	Frequency	Percent
More Often	130	21
Less Often	63	10
About the Same	413	68
Don’t Know	4	1
Total	611	100%

Table 22 Are you a smoker?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Yes	117	19
No	492	81
Total	609	100%
No answer respondents skipped next question

Table 23 Do you think the effects of the law may: [choices read, only one response accepted]
Response	Frequency	Percent
Force you to quit	6	5
Have no effect on your smoking	70	60
Reduce your smoking	34	30
Don’t Know	6	5
Total	117	100%

Table 24 Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statement, “The smoking ban is a violation of a smoker’s rights to smoke”
Response	Frequency	Percent
Strongly Agree	77	13
Agree	156	25
Disagree	225	37
Strongly Disagree	136	22
Don’t Know	16	3
Total	610	100%

THIS QUESTION ASKED OF SMOKERS ONLY N=117

Minnesota Vikings

Table 25 How important is it to you personally to keep the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota? Is it very important, somewhat important, not important, or not at all important?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Very Important	52	8
Somewhat Important	194	32
Not Important	194	32
Not at all Important	158	26
Don’t Know	12	2
Total	611	100%

Table 26 It is widely suggested that the long-term presence of the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota is not possible without a new football stadium. If a new stadium is built, do you personally think the stadium should be funded by: (choices read; only one response accepted)
Response	Frequency	Percent
The private sector only, such as the team owner	276	45
The State of Minnesota only	1	0
Local government only	6	1
A combination of private funds and state and local governments	192	32
The current stadium is fine	117	19
Don’t Know	18	3
Total	609	100%

Demographics

This section shows the demographic information we collected from all respondents.

Table 30: Gender
Response	Frequency	Percent
Male	304	50
Female	308	50
Total	612	100

Table 31: Age
Response	Frequency	Percent
18-24	77	13
25-34	110	19
35-44	135	23
45-54	108	18
55-65	66	11
65+	96	16
Total	592	100

Table 32: Employment
Response	Frequency	Percent
Working Now	390	65
Laid Off	10	2
Unemployed	17	3
Retired	98	16
Disabled	13	2
Household Manager	38	6
Student	36	6
Total	602	100

Table 33: Combined Household Income
Response	Frequency	Percent
Under $10,000	27	5
$10,001-$15,000	17	3
$15,001-$20,000	20	4
$20,001-$25,000	13	3
$25,0001-$30,000	44	8
$30,001-$40,000	41	8
$40,001-$50,000	55	11
$50,001-$100,000	104	20
$100,000+	167	32
Don’t Know	29	6
Total	517	100

Table 34: Do you own or rent your primary residence?
Response	Frequency	Percent
Own	446	74
Rent	145	24
Don’t Know	10