AUSTIN, TEXAS (AP) -- Texas residents don't want to pay more in taxes, but they also want lawmakers to avoid big cuts to state services, according to a poll released Sunday.
Residents' desire to have it all when the state is facing a massive budget deficit doesn't bode well for elected officials, who will have to make some tough choices to address the state's financial problems when the legislative session begins Tuesday. The only area where the poll found people were comfortable with cuts was higher education.
The poll commissioned by the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Austin American-Statesman questioned 819 adults. It was done between Dec. 28 and Jan. 5 by Blum and Weprin Associates Inc. and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Experts estimate Texas could face a budget shortfall of up to $25 billion over the next two years, which is roughly equal to 25 percent of the state's discretionary spending. Republican representatives, who have a 101-49 supermajority in the Texas House, have promised not to raise taxes and to cut state spending instead.
More than 62 percent of poll respondents opposed any cuts to state health care programs and more than half opposed cutting spending on public education. Those are the state's two largest programs and the most likely targets for spending cuts. The poll split along party lines, with 78 percent of Democrats opposing health care cuts compared to 48 percent of Republicans.
More than half of those polled rejected raising the cigarette tax, and there was almost no support for raising any other tax. "They obviously don't want sales taxes, income taxes, gasoline taxes - the taxes that will raise the most money and affect the most people," pollster Mickey Blum told the Dallas Morning News.
"And the areas where Texas spends the most, people don't want to cut." Instead of raising taxes to make up the shortfall, the poll found 60 percent of Texans favored expanding gambling, either with casinos, slot machines or both. The state comptroller, however, has estimated gambling would only add $1 billion to the budget and could take years to get up to speed.
When asked if Texas was headed in the right direction, slightly more than half of those polled agreed. An overwhelming majority across all demographics - 72 percent - said they opposed allowing guns onto college campuses.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
