2009 General Assembly Survey Results
1. Virginia is currently facing a budget shortfall of at least $3 billion due to the nationwide recession. How do you think the General Assembly should address this budget shortfall? [Please rank your responses: 1 = First Course of Action, and 5 = Last Resort.]
(250 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Average |
| Institute long-term structural budget reforms | 46 (17.97%) | 111 (43.36%) | 57 (22.27%) | 26 (10.16%) | 4 (1.56%) | 2.31 |
| Take money out of the state's Rainy Day savings fund | 22 (8.59%) | 29 (11.33%) | 40 (15.63%) | 95 (37.11%) | 51 (19.92%) | 3.52 |
| Raise general taxes (sales, income, and/or personal property) | 5 (1.95%) | 9 (3.52%) | 13 (5.08%) | 30 (11.72%) | 184 (71.88%) | 4.57 |
| Cut wasteful spending and eliminate earmarks | 204 (79.69%) | 35 (13.67%) | 35 (13.67%) | 1 (0.39%) | 3 (1.17%) | 1.26 |
| Use bonds instead of cash for certain capital projects | 24 (9.38%) | 44 (17.19%) | 101 (39.45%) | 54 (21.09%) | 16 (6.25%) | 2.97 |
2. Do you support awarding Virginia's good teachers with merit or bonus pay
based on student achievement rather than the current practice of tying pay to length
of service?
(258 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 165 | 64.0 |
| No | 58 | 22.5 |
| Undecided | 35 | 13.6 |
| Total: | 258 | 100.0 |
3. Should children of illegal immigrants be eligible for in-state tuition at Virginias public universities?
(256 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 27 | 10.5 |
| No | 214 | 83.6 |
| Undecided | 15 | 5.9 |
| Total: | 256 | 100.0 |
4. If you believe transportation requires additional funding, are you willing to: [Please rank your responses. 1 = Strongly Agree, and 5 = Strongly Disagree.]
(252 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Average |
| Pay tolls that would vary during rush hours to ensure smooth traffic flow | 39 (15.18%) | 28 (10.89%) | 55 (21.40%) | 58 (22.57%) | 71 (27.63%) | 33.7 |
| Pay higher state gas taxes, the primary means of funding the current system | 38 (14.79%) | 21 (8.17%) | 31 (12.06%) | 48 (18.68%) | 108 (42.02%) | 3.68 |
| Use money designated for other expenses for state transportation | 23 (8.95%) | 27 (10.51%) | 44 (17.12%) | 45 (17.51%) | 104 (40.47%) | 3.74 |
| Build roads with more partnerships between government and the private sector | 65 (25.29%) | 89 (34.63%) | 46 (17.90%) | 20 (7.78%) | 29 (11.28%) | 2.43 |
| Reform VDOT and streamline its bureaucracy to achieve savings | 183 (71.21%) | 183 (71.21%) | 16 (6.23%) | 6 (2.33%) | 7 (2.72%) | 1.47 |
5. Do you support the exploration of natural gas off the coastal water areas of Virginia?
(256 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 190 | 74.2 |
| No | 42 | 16.4 |
| Undecided | 24 | 9.4 |
| Total: | 256 | 100.0 |
6. Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay continues to be a priority and a serious challenge
for Virginia. Do you support imposing a flush tax on homeowners, which would be a
fee on sewer rates and septic systems, to help pay the cost of improving sewer systems?
(258 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 81 | 31.4 |
| No | 133 | 51.6 |
| Undecided | 44 | 17.1 |
| Total: | 258 | 100.0 |
7. Do you support increasing regulations on businesses so they adhere to strict
environmental standards in an effort to reduce carbon emissions even though
increased regulations may cause job losses?
(256 Responses)
See Table Below
| Option | Count | Percent |
| Yes | 124 | 48.4 |
| No | 89 | 34.8 |
| Undecided | 43 | 16.8 |
| Total: | 256 | 100.0 |
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