Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Poll: People like public employees, don’t like governor’s unwillingness to compromise, want to tax banks, mining

Those are the findings of a poll conducted within the last week for the public employee advocacy group, Nevadans for Nevada. The survey of 500 registered voters (4.4 percent margin of error) was released in Carson City this morning – I have posted the polling memo and full instrument at right.

First things first: Yes, this was paid for by a union group and Grove is a Democratic pollster. But she is well respected, even by Republicans in the business, and has done extensive work in Nevada. Her findings on tax issues, especially, are not much different from other surveys, including one taken for the conservative Retailers Association of Nevada by GOP expert Glen Bolger.

Let’s look at some of the findings.

First, on Gov. Brian Sandoval.

The polling memo says: “Voters give Governor Sandoval net negative job performance ratings, and disapprove of the Governor’s refusal to compromise on a budget solution that includes raising some taxes…”

The first part is a bit too pejorative, mainly because of the choices given: Excellent, good, fair, poor. Some pollsters use those four choices; others will not, especially because “fair” is more of a neutral word than a negative one. I don’t think it reveals much.

Sandoval’s percentages– 8(excellent)-29(good)-34(fair)-14(poor) – reveal only that small minorities think he is doing a really awful or really wonderful job, that between a third and a quarter believe he is doing a good job and that the rest (about a third) are tepid. We don’t know if those who chose "fair” feel more negatively or positively, so that’s why I don’t think the polling memo is – what’s the word I want? – fair.

The second part requires looking at the question’s wording:

“Right now, Nevada is facing a ONE-POINT FIVE billion dollar budget shortfall. Governor Brian Sandoval has refused to consider any compromise that includes raising some taxes – even if that means deep cuts to local schools. Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Sandoval’s position.”

57-31, disapprove. See details at right.

On its face, the question is fine. There’s a deficit -- $1.5 billion is not the number I would have used but it’s as good as some – the governor has refused to consider a tax increase and his cuts are, by most reasonable measures – deep.

Some might reasonably argue that the use of the phrase “refused to consider” may slant the question, despite its accuracy. And perhaps the results are more reflective of the public’s disapproval; with Sandoval’s inflexibility than support for taxes. Perhaps.

On the issue questions, read them for yourself at right, but the main points are these:

----They are simplistically phrased, and do not include potential consequences of doing or not doing what is suggested. That could affect the numbers.

----People have no problem taxing mining or banks. Three-quarters of the respondents are fine with it, in fact.

----Public employees are not hated. Quite the contrary. This is quite the empirical proof of the failure of a certain “newspaper” and conservative think tank to demonize them. Epic fail, as the youngsters say.

So what happens?

My guess: The Democrats tout the results, the Republicans dismiss or ignore them and Gov. Brian Sandoval remains resolute.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy