ALLEGHENY COUNTY PULSE POLL October 2000
Q1 – Do you support Mayor Tom Murphy’s plan to create a new retail marketplace at Fifth & Forbes in downtown Pittsburgh?
21% SUPPORT
49% OPPOSE
38% DON’T KNOW
2% REFUSED
Q2 – If SUPPORT: “Would you continue to support Mayor Murphy’s plan to create a new retail marketplace at Fifth & Forbes in downtown Pittsburgh if you knew that $150 million in tax money would be used to help pay for the project?
13% STILL SUPPORT
5% OPPOSE
4% DON’T KNOW REFUSED
Q3 – Do you think the City of Pittsburgh should be able to use Eminent Domain (or the forceful taking of property from private landowners) to acquire property for the construction of the new retail marketplace at Fifth & Forbes?
8% YES
77% NO
14% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q4 – Now that PNC Park and the new Steeler Stadium are under construction, do you think it was appropriate to use tax dollars to help fund construction of those facilities?
16% YES, USE OF TAX DOLLARS APPROPRIATE
78% NO, TAX DOLLARS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED
6% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q5 – In January, a new Home Rule Charter took effect in Allegheny County. Do you think Allegheny County government has been more efficient or less efficient under the new system?
25% MORE EFFICIENT
17% LESS EFFICIENT
39% TO EARLY TO TELL
18% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q6 – Do you have a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE opinion of the job Jim Roddey has been doing as Allegheny County Executive?
53% POSITIVE
14% NEGATIVE
33% NO OPINION/REFUSED
Q7 – Do you have a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE opinion of the job the new Allegheny County Council is doing?
27% POSITIVE
22% NEGATIVE
50% NO OPINION/REFUSED
Q8 – Do you have a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE opinion of the job Tom Murphy is doing as Mayor of Pittsburgh?
43% POSITIVE
40% NEGATIVE
16% NO OPINION/REFUSED
Q9 – Generally speaking, do you think your local municipality is on the right track and doing a good job when it comes to meeting the needs of your community, or is it seriously off on the wrong track?
64% RIGHT TRACK
27% WRONG TRACK
9% NO OPINION/REFUSED
Q10 – Do you think the number of municipal governments, that is, the cities, townships and boroughs in Pennsylvania should be reduced through mergers, or should municipalities maintain their independence?
27% REDUCED THROUGH MERGERS
62% MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE
11% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q11 – Do you think YOUR municipality, that is, YOUR city, township or borough, should merge with a surrounding municipality or should it remain independent?
21% MERGE
72% REMAIN INDEPENDENT
7% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q12 – Which level of government do you think operates most efficiently: (ROTATE) the Federal, state, county, or local level of government?
13% FEDERAL
17% STATE
8% COUNTY
38% LOCAL
24% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q13 – Do you feel the property tax-based system currently utilized by local governments in Pennsylvania is fair and equitable to most segments of your community?
25% YES
57% NO
17% DON’T KNOW
1% REFUSED
Q14 – If local property taxes had to be replaced with another tax, would you favor a local earned income tax, a local sales tax, or a combination of earned income and sales taxes?
17% INCOME TAX
25% SALES TAX
37% COMBINATION
13% NEITHER/OTHER
7% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q15 – Do you think the Regional Assets District or RAD Tax should be repealed?
58% YES
29% NO
13% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q16 – Do you support the concept of a “living wage” or “minimun wage” of $10.60 per hour for all Allegheny County employees or contract employees doing business with the county regardless of their skill level of job requirements?
20% YES
68% NO
12% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q17 – Do you support construction of the Mon-Fayette Expressway linking downtown Pittsburgh with the Mon Valley and I-?? In West Virginia?
59% YES
21% NO
21% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q18 – Do you support construction of the Southern Beltway which would run through parts of southern Allegheny County and Washington County to create a network of highways or beltway around the City of Pittsburgh?
66% YES
18% NO
16% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q19 – Would you be willing to pay a toll to travel on a beltway around Pittsburgh if toll revenue were needed to fund construction of such a highway?
55% YES
37% NO
8% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q20 – Do you support the construction of a high speed Maglev train which would run from the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport through the City of Pittsburgh to Greensburg?
55% YES
35% NO
10% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q21 – Would local records show you to be registered as a Democrat, Republican, or Independent?
66% DEMOCRAT
29% REPUBLICAN
5% INDEPENDENT
Q22 – What is your age please?
5% 18-34
18% 35-44
26% 45-54
26% 55-64
49% 65+
Q23 – When it comes to politics, do you consider yourself to be a CONSERVATIVE, A MODERATE, or a LIBERAL?
44% CONSERVATIVE
42% MODERATE
12% LIBERAL
2% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED
Q24 – What is your current household income?
7% BELOW $15,000
19% $15,000 – $30,000
20% $30,000 – $50,000
14% $50,000 – $75,000
6% $75,000 – $100,000
5% OVER $100,000
Q25 – What is your main ethnic heritage or background?
92% WHITE or CAUCASIAN
3% AFRICAN AMERICAN
1% HISPANIC
1% ASIAN or PACIFIC ISLANDER
– NATIVE AMERICAN
2% OTHER
2% REFUSED
Gender (by observation)
46% MALE
54% FEMALE
