CITY OF PITTSBURGH Pulse Poll – May, 2001

Columnist : Lincoln Institute

1.) Are you currently registered as a Republican, Democrat, or as something else?

10%    REPUBLICAN
90%    
DEMOCRAT
OTHER

2.) And how likely is it that you will be voting in next week’s Primary Election?

78%    DEFINATE
22%    VERY LIKELY
SOMEWHAT LIKELY

Ask only of registered Democrats

3.) If the election for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh were held today, would you vote for Tom Murphy, Bob O’Connor, Earl Jones Jr., Joshua Pollock, or Leroy Hodge? (ROTATE)

39%    MURPHY
35%    O’CONNOR
1%      JONES
1%      POLLOCK
1%      HODGE
23%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

4.) If the Primary election for Governor of Pennsylvania were held today, would you vote for Robert P. Casey, Jr. or Edward Rendell?  (ROTATE)

35%    DEFINATE CASEY
13%    LEAN CASEY
48%    TOTAL CASEY
10%    DEFINATE RENDELL
4%      LEAN RENDELL
15%    TOTAL RENDELL
35%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

5.) Mayor Tom Murphy has used or threatened to use eminent domain, the city’s power to take private property, to make land available for new development.  Are you MORE LIKELY or LESS LIKELY to vote for him in the upcoming Primary Election because of this?

11%    MUCH MORE LIKELY
7%      MORE LIKELY
18%    TOTAL MORE LIKELY
31%    MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
17%    SOMEWHAT LESS LIKELY
26%    MUCH LESS LIKELY
43%    TOTAL LESS LIKELY
9%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

6.) Mayor Tom Murphy was a prime mover behind the use of tax dollars to help fund construction of PNC Park and the new Steeler’s Stadium.  Are you MORE LIKELY or LESS LIKELY to vote for him in the upcoming Primary Election because this?

14%    MUCH MORE LIKELY
6%      SOMEWHAT MORE LIKELY
20%    TOTAL MORE LIKELY
33%    MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
16%    SOMEWHAT LESS LIKELY
23%    MUCH LESS LIKELY
40%    TOTAL LESS LIKELY
7%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

Ask only of registered Republicans

3b.) If the election for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh were held today, would you vote for James Carmine or Mark Rauterkus?  (ROTATE)

21%    CARMINE
4%      RAUTERKUS
2%      OTHER
73%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

4b.) If the Primary election for Governor of Pennsylvania were held today, would you vote for Michael Fisher, Barbara Hafer, or William W. Scranton, III?  (ROTATE)

29%    FISHER
31%    HAFER
15%    SCRANTON
25%    DON’T KNOW

Ask of ALL registered voters: 

7.) Now that PNC Park is completed, do you think was appropriate to use tax dollars to fund the construction?

38%    YES
54%    NO
7%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

8.) Do you think the expanded Pittsburgh Convention Center will be a major economic benefit to the City?

71%    YES
17%    NO
11%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

9.) Do you think control of Pittsburgh city schools should be turned over to a state Board of Control to correct academic and financial problems?

24%    YES
57%    NO
19%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

10.) Do you believe that low quality schools are a cause of people moving out of the City of Pittsburgh

55%    YES
36%    NO
9%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

11.) Do you believe that teacher unions are contributing to the inability of the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh School District to provide high quality services at low cost?

28%    YES
52%    NO
20%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

12.) Do you believe that high taxes are a cause of people moving out of the City of Pittsburgh.

73%    YES
19%    NO
8%      DON’T KNOW

13.) Generally speaking, do you APPROVE or DISAPPROVE of the job Tom Murphy is doing Mayor of Pittsburgh?

24%    STRONGLY APPROVE
31%    SOMEWHAT APPROVE
55%    TOTAL APPROVE
17%    SOMEWHAT DISAPPROVE
19%    STRONGLY DISAPPROVE
36%    DISAPPROVE
8%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED|

14.) Generally speaking, do you think Pittsburgh City Council is on the right track or the wrong track?

47%    RIGHT TRACK
19%    WRONG TRACK
23%    NO OPINION
10%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

15.) Would you say you APPROVE or DISAPPROVE of the job Jim Roddey is doing as Allegheny County Executive?

28%    STRONGLY APPROVE
35%    SOMEWHAT APPROVE
63%    TOTAL APPROVE
10%    SOMEWHAT DISAPPROVE
13%    STRONGLY DISAPPROVE
23%    TOTAL DISAPPROVE
14%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

16.) Generally speaking, do you think the Allegheny County Council is on the right track, or the wrong track?

42%    RIGHT TRACK
18%    WRONG TRACK
28%    NO OPINION
13%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

17.) Which level of government do you think operates most efficiently?

14%    FEDERAL
19%    STATE
7%      COUNTY
19%    LOCAL
29%    NONE
12%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

18.) Do you think the local one percent sales tax, which is commonly referred to as the Regional Assets District Tax or RAD Tax should be repealed?

52%    YES
37%    NO
11%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

19.) Which do you think should be a higher priority, development of Pittsburgh’s downtown, or investment in the city’s neighborhoods?

14%    DEVELOP DOWNTOWN
58%    INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOODS
25%    BOTH
2%      DON’T KNOW

20.) Would you rate city services in your neighborhood as good, fair or poor?

42%    GOOD
44%    FAIR
13%    POOR
1%      DON’T KNOW

21.) What is your age?

3%      18-29
12%    30-44
28%    45-59
56%    60 or OLDER
2%      REFUSED

22.) On most issues, do you consider yourself to be CONSERVATIVE, MODERATE, or LIBERAL?

27%    CONSERVATIVE
53%    MODERATE
17%    LIBERAL
3%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

23.) What is your approximate household income?

11%    Under $15,000
21%    15 – $30,000
19%    30 – $50,000
16%    50 – $75,000
7%      Over $100,000
26%    DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

24.) Which of the following do you consider to be your main ethnic heritage or background?

85%    WHITE/CAUCASIAN
11%    AFRICAN AMERICAN
*         HISPANIC
1%      ASIAN
*         NATIVE AMERICAN
1%      SOMETHING ELSE
2%      DON’T KNOW/REFUSED

25.) Gender

46%    MALE
54%    FEMALE