KAET-ASU Poll

Thursday, June 26, 1997
CONTACT: Dr. Bruce Merrill: (602) 965-7051

KAET POLL:

STRONG SUPPORT FOUND
FOR MASS TRANSIT IN PHOENIX;
VOTERS SUPPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL CAMERAS/OPPOSE PHOTO-RADAR

A poll co-sponsored by KAET-TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University found that 70% of all registered voters living in Phoenix said they would vote to raise the city sales tax one-half of one percent to support mass transit. Nineteen percent (19%) would vote against the measure and 11% said they didn't know enough about the issue to have an opinion. According to the poll director, Dr. Bruce Merrill, "This is unusually strong support for a ballot issue. Support for mass transit cut across all demographic groups we looked at. Unless opposition develops from a credible group in the community with strong access to the media, I would be surprised if this issue fails this fall."

In order to measure whether or not the potential ending of the quarter cent sales tax currently being used for the baseball stadium would affect people's vote, one-half of those interviewed were asked a slightly different question. The wording of the questions and the results follow:

"This fall, Phoenix voters will vote on a mass transit proposal which will raise the sales tax in Phoenix one-half of one percent to expand local bus service, improve traffic flow in the City, and begin planning for a light rail system. If you were voting today, would you vote in favor of or against the mass transit plan?"

"This fall, Phoenix voters will vote on a mass transit proposal which will raise the sales tax in Phoenix one-half of one percent to expand local bus service, improve traffic flow in the City and begin planning for a light rail system. Since the one-quarter cent sales tax which was imposed to build the baseball stadium will be expiring, the net increase in sales tax will be one-quarter percent. If you were voting today, would you vote in favor of or against the mass transit plan?"

Overall results (the combined questions) were 70% favorable, 19% opposed and 11% no opinion.

The poll of 713 registered voters living in the city limits of Phoenix was conducted June 7 - 10 at the KAET-TV studios in Tempe. The margin of error for the survey when the proportion giving an answer of 50% is plus or minus 3.7%.

The poll also found Phoenix voters evenly split, 46% for and 46% against with 8% undecided, over the question of uising photo-radar to catch speeders.

"Do you favor or oppose using photo-radar to issue citations to people who driver higher than the speed limit?"

Registered voters in Phoenix did give strong support for using cameras at intersections to "catch" people who run red lights.

"Do you favor or oppose using cameras at intersections to issue citations to people who 'run red lights' or 'run through' red left turn signals?"

In other results 88% of all registered voters with an opinion approved of the job Mayor Rimsza is doing as mayor of Phoenix. Sixty-four percent (64%) approved, 9% disapproved and 27% didn't know enough about the mayor to offer an opinion.

The Phoenix city council also fared well as 73% of all registered voters with an opinion approved of the job they were doing. Fifty-one percent (51%) approved, 19% disapproved and 30% offered no opinion.