Contact: Tom Diehl (608) 963-9630
Survey Shows Public Would Embrace Budget Solution This Year
[WISCONSIN DELLS, WI] Tourism is one of the three key pillars of Wisconsin’s economy along with agriculture and manufacturing. According to data released today by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, more than 94% of all visitors to Wisconsin travel by car, truck, motorcycle or RV. The Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attraction (AWTA) released new survey results showing this morning strong public support for infrastructure investments even if it means paying a little more to fix our crumbling roads and bridges.
“The public gets it; our roads and bridges are in bad shape and getting worse. They understand how important good roads are to a strong economy and are willing to pay a little more to improve local roads, bridges, and state highways to reduce vehicle repair costs and improve pavement quality statewide,” said Tom Diehl, President of the AWTA. “Voters support increasing the gas tax if it is offset by repealing the minimum mark up. A plurality of voters also supports indexing the gas tax, to maintain purchasing power over time. Fuel based taxes are user fees. If you don’t drive, then you don’t pay them. Visitors will pay their fair share to get safely and efficiently to the tourism destination of their choice,” said Diehl.
Among the poll’s findings:
Three quarters of voters support increasing the state’s transportation fund to make local and statewide improvements
Most voters think Wisconsin’s roads have gotten worse in the last five years
More than nine-in-ten voters think Wisconsin’s infrastructure and public transportation are important to economic development and job growth; two-thirds says it’s very important
Three quarters of all voters oppose the minimum markup law mandated by the state with the knowledge that none of that money goes to fixing roads and bridges
Over half of voters would support increasing the gas tax by eight cents if it included repealing the minimum markup charged at the pump
Nearly six-in-ten voters would be willing to pay an extra four dollars a month to create an immediate solution to fix the roads
About the poll: Public Opinion Strategies conducted this statewide survey of 500 likely voters in Wisconsin from March 3-5, 2019. The poll surveyed land line and cellular phone users and has a margin of error of±4.38%. The survey was paid for by Wisconsin Infrastructure Investment Now, Inc. (WIIN), a member of AWTA.
About POS: Public Opinion Strategies is a national political and public affairs research firm. Founded in 1991, we have conducted over nine and a half million interviews with voters and consumers in all fifty states and over two dozen foreign countries. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, our nationwide presence is achieved through a strategically sited office in Colorado, with eleven partners and one Vice President leading research efforts. They have been conducting survey research in Wisconsin for nearly 20 years.
