Colorado political contenders on both sides of the aisle beware: Voters are cautious and looking for security and stability, not sweeping change and innovative fixes, according to a statewide poll released today by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Cost concerns surrounding health care, as well as economic anxieties, top the list of concerns voiced by state voters. Those pocketbook worries and lack of consumer confidence show voters are hesitant about change.
“While they care about clear substantive points like health care,” said Republican consultant David Hill, who conducted the poll, “the bigger issue is that people are not in the mood to move into a new direction.
“They aren’t buying or selling. They’re holding.”
The results of Hill’s poll may also be an early indication of what ballot measures the chamber may be eyeing for next year. In 2005, the chamber used Hill’s data to forge a bipartisan compromise supporting Referendum C & D to help fix the state budget shortfall. Referendum C, which allows the state to keep for 10 years all revenue beyond constitutional limits, was passed by voters.
Rick Reiter, a Colorado political consultant, said voters aren’t open to tax increases right now. Both Gov. Bill Ritter’s administration and the state legislature are studying issues involving education, health care, and transportation that may involve tax increases.
As many as 17 different tax proposals have been mentioned for consideration on the 2008 ballot.
“The governor has been looking at the possibility of adding one tax issue on the 2008 ballot,” said Reiter, a Colorado ballot issues consultant. “This is a tax-sensitive state. It would be very difficult for anyone else to put another tax issue on the ballot.”
The poll of 602 active Colorado voters during Aug. 4 to Aug. 7 shows that voters believe that environment and water, pre-K-12 education, affordable education, and government spending are “extremely” important issues.
Illegal immigration is also at the top; however, Hill said like others issues, voters’ concern about illegal immigration is concentrated on cost ramifications, not the legal and ideological questions.
Environmental groups this afternoon challenged one of the poll’s findings — that respondents solidly back Roan Plateau drilling, especially if tax revenues are used to fund higher education. Sixty-percent approve and 31 percent disapprove.
The groups point out that the question posed to respondents — whether they support drilling on the Roan to reduce dependency on foreign oil imports — is leading. Roan drilling would be for natural gas, and would would have no impact on oil supplies.
“Natural gas is very much a different substance than oil,” said Deborah Frazier, communications director for the state Department of Natural Resources. “Oil you can run your car off of, natural gas we tend to equate with home heating and energy needs.”
The poll, which has a margin of error of four percentage points, also shows:
— 44 percent of voters think they are economically worse off than a year ago. Thirty-two percent say they are better off and 22 percent say they are the same.
— Fifty-eight percent of voters support spending tax dollars to bring new employers and jobs to the state. Thirty-eight oppose it.
— Voters rejected organized labor’s priorities. Seventy-percent of those polled said they would not not change current law so non-union workers must pay dues if benefitting from union negotiations.
— Acceptable ways of raising revenue are: casino revenue taxes, liquor sales, sales taxes and increased penalties and fines.
— Gov. Ritter has a 57 percent approval rate and a 19 percent disapproval. Nearly a quarter had no opinion.
— The state legislature has a 41 percent approval rating and a 36 percent disapproval. Nearly a quarter had no opinion.
Karen Crummy: 303-954-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com
