Survey: Dedicated revenues make tax proposals more attractive in La.

Louisiana citizens are more likely to support new tax proposals when the revenue generated by them is dedicated to the state’s infrastructure, according to new findings of the Louisiana Survey, conducted annually by LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab. “While the common perception is that there will never be public support for a tax increase, this is not always true. Given the right circumstances, and the right tax, Louisiana residents will favor certain tax increases,” says Michael Climek, PPRL operations manager. “This shows that lawmakers do not need to avoid tax increases altogether; they just need to find the right tax increase and the right justification.” While just 9% of survey respondents say they support a gas tax, that number jumps to 54% when it’s specified that the revenue would be dedicated to infrastructure improvements. Also in the survey:
• 75% support increased taxes on casino gaming;
• 67% support increased taxes on alcohol;
• 63% support increased taxes on cigarettes;
• 76% support raising taxes on those earning more than $500,000 annually;
• 64% support raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000 annually;
• 36% support raising taxes on those earning more than $50,000 annually;
• 35% say state sales taxes are too high.
Sponsored by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, the Louisiana Survey aims to serve as a barometer of statewide public opinion. The overall survey included 731 randomly selected respondents, who were polled via phone. Further results and the survey methodology can be found here. Read a Daily Report article from Tuesday about survey results pertaining to public education here.