Fall 2005 Business Climate Survey Results
Fall 2005 Keystone Business Climate Survey
Total Respondents: 206
1. Section I: Business Climate
1. In general, do you think business conditions in Pennsylvania are better, the same, or worse than they were SIX MONTHS AGO?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Better |
10.7%
|
22 |
| Same |
44.9%
|
92
|
| Worse |
43.9%
|
90
|
| No Opinion |
0.5%
|
1
|
| Total Respondents |
205
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
2. LOOKING AHEAD SIX MONTHS, do you think business conditions will be better, the same, or worse than they are now?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Better |
11.2%
|
23
|
| Same |
41.5%
|
85
|
| Worse |
46.3%
|
95
|
| No Opinion |
1%
|
2
|
| Total Respondents |
205
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
3. Are employment levels at your company higher, the same, or lower, than they were SIX MONTHS AGO?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Higher |
14.6%
|
30
|
| Same |
58.7%
|
121
|
| Lower |
25.2%
|
52
|
| No Opinion |
1.5%
|
3
|
| Total Respondents |
206
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
0
|
4. LOOKING AHEAD SIX MONTHS, do you anticipate that employment levels at your company will be higher, stay the same, or be lower?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Higher |
16.1%
|
33
|
| Same |
69.3%
|
142
|
| Lower |
13.2%
|
27
|
| No Opinion |
1.5%
|
3
|
| Total Respondents |
205
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
5. Have your company’s sales increased, stayed relatively the same, or decreased during the PAST SIX MONTHS?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Increased |
32.2%
|
66
|
| Same |
40%
|
82
|
| Decreased |
26.8%
|
55
|
| No Opinion |
1%
|
2
|
| Total Respondents |
205
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
6. Do you expect your company’s sales to increase, stay relatively the same, or decrease during the COMING SIX MONTHS?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Increase |
29.3%
|
60
|
| Same |
50.2%
|
103
|
| Decrease |
18%
|
37
|
| No Opinion |
2.4%
|
5
|
| Total Respondents |
205
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
7. At any point in the PAST SIX MONTHS has your company considered moving all or part of its Pennsylvania operations to another state?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Did move some operations |
2.5%
|
5
|
| Considered moving some operations |
4.9%
|
10
|
| Considered moving all operations |
10.8%
|
22
|
| Moved operations into Pennsylvania |
0.5%
|
1
|
| Didn’t consider any moves |
81.4%
|
166
|
| Total Respondents |
204
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
2
|
8. Do you foresee at any point in the COMING SIX MONTHS your company considering moving all or part of its Pennsylvania operations to another state?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| May move all operations |
6.4%
|
13
|
| May move some operations |
8.8%
|
18
|
| Not considering any moves |
84.8%
|
173
|
| May move operations INTO Pennsylvania |
0%
|
0
|
| Total Respondents |
204
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
2
|
9. In general, do you have a POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NO OPINION of the job performance of the following individuals?
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
No Opinion
|
Total
|
|
| President George W. Bush |
68% (140)
|
28% (57)
|
4% (8)
|
205
|
| Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan |
59% (121)
|
18% (37)
|
23% (46)
|
204
|
| U.S. Senator Arlen Specter |
34% (69)
|
42% (86)
|
24% (50)
|
205
|
| U.S. Senator Rick Santorum |
56% (114)
|
23% (46)
|
21% (43)
|
203
|
| Governor Ed Rendell |
8% (16)
|
80% (165)
|
12% (24)
|
205
|
| State Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr. |
13% (26)
|
32% (66)
|
55% (112)
|
204
|
| Attorney General Tom Corbett |
19% (38)
|
9% (19)
|
72% (147)
|
204
|
| Auditor General Jack Wagner |
8% (16)
|
9% (19)
|
83% (169)
|
204
|
| Total Respondents |
204
|
|||
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
10. In general, do you have a POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, or NO OPINION of the job performance of the following institutions?
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
No Opinion
|
Total
|
|
| United States Senate |
22% (46)
|
62% (127)
|
16% (32)
|
205
|
| United States House of Representatives |
31% (64)
|
55% (112)
|
14% (29)
|
205
|
| Pennsylvania Senate |
9% (18)
|
72% (148)
|
19% (39)
|
205
|
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives |
11% (22)
|
71% (145)
|
18% (37)
|
204
|
| Total Respondents |
204
|
|||
| (skipped this question) |
1
|
2. Section II: Issues
11. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the recent legislative pay raise?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Strongly Agree |
1.5%
|
3
|
| Somewhat Agree |
6.7%
|
13
|
| Somewhat Disagree |
18.5%
|
36
|
| Strongly Disagree |
73.3%
|
143
|
| Total Respondents |
195
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
10
|
12. Do you think the pay raise should be rescinded?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| YES |
83.3%
|
165
|
| NO |
9.6%
|
19
|
| NO OPINION |
7.1%
|
14
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
13. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with the practice of legislators taking a defacto pay raise during their terms of office through the use of “unvouchered expenses”?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Strongly Agree |
0%
|
0
|
| Somewhat Agree |
0%
|
0
|
| Somewhat Disagree |
8.2%
|
16
|
| Strongly Disagree |
88.7%
|
173
|
| No Opinion/Refused |
3.1%
|
6
|
| Total Respondents |
195
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
10
|
14. Do you expect the pay raise to be a major issue in next year’s gubernatorial and legislative elections?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| YES |
81.8%
|
162
|
| NO |
12.1%
|
24
|
| NO OPINION/REFUSED |
6.1%
|
12
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
15. Do you expect to see more incumbent legislators than usual losing their re-election bids as a result of the pay raise?
|
Response % |
Total
|
|
| YES |
62.6%
|
124
|
| NO |
12.6%
|
25
|
| DON’T KNOW |
23.2%
|
46
|
| REFUSED/NO OPINION |
1.5%
|
3
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
16. Do you think the size of the General Assembly, IE: the number of legislators, should be significantly reduced?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| YES |
57.6%
|
114
|
| NO |
14.1%
|
28
|
| DON’T KNOW/REFUSED |
28.3%
|
56
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
17. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that a state Constitutional Convention should be held to consider fundamental changes in the structure of state government?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Strongly Agree |
41.1%
|
78
|
| Somewhat Agree |
43.2%
|
82
|
| Somewhat Disagree |
12.1%
|
23
|
| Strongly Disagree |
3.7%
|
7
|
| Total Respondents |
190
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
15
|
18. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with a proposal currently before the General Assembly that would eliminate school district property taxes and reduce the state sales tax, then make up the revenue by extending sales taxes to food and clothing?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Strongly Agree |
34.8%
|
69
|
| Somewhat Agree |
26.8%
|
53
|
| Somewhat Disagree |
12.1%
|
24
|
| Strongly Disagree |
16.2%
|
32
|
| No opinion/refused |
10.1%
|
20
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
19. Most school districts in Pennsylvania oped not to participate in a tax reform plan that would lower property taxes and replace the revenue with proceeds from the new tax on slot machines. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that the issue should be put before voters in each school district via referendum?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Strongly Agree |
47.4%
|
92
|
| Somewhat Agree |
24.7%
|
48
|
| Somewhat Disagree |
12.9%
|
25
|
| Strongly Disagree |
14.9%
|
29
|
| Total Respondents |
194
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
11
|
20. If the election for United States Senator from Pennsylvania were held today, would you vote for Republican Rick Santorum or Democrat Bob Casey, Jr.?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Rick Santorum |
66.2%
|
131
|
| Bob Casey, Jr. |
16.7%
|
33
|
| No Opinion/Refused |
17.2%
|
34
|
| Total Respondents |
198
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
7
|
21. If you are a registered REPUBLICAN, and the Primary election for Governor of Pennsylvania were held today, would you vote for:
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Jeff Piccola |
6.4%
|
12
|
| Bill Scranton |
13.9%
|
26
|
| Lynn Swann |
24.6%
|
46
|
| Jim Panyard |
1.6%
|
3
|
| No Opinion/Refused |
53.5%
|
100
|
| Total Respondents |
187
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
18
|
22. Generally speaking, do you think things in Pennsylvania are headed in the right direction, or are they seriously off track?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| RIGHT DIRECTION |
8.2%
|
16
|
| WRONG TRACK |
71.8%
|
140
|
| DON’T KNOW/REFUSED |
20%
|
39
|
| Total Respondents |
195
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
10
|
23. General speaking, what do you think is the single most important problem/issue facing Pennsylvania today?
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Total Respondents | Responses |
150
|
| (skipped this question) |
55
|
24. In what part of Pennsylvania is your business located?
Response % Total
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Northwest PA |
11.2%
|
22
|
| Southwest PA |
16.2%
|
32
|
| Northcentral PA |
9.6%
|
19
|
| Altoona/Johnstown |
5.6%
|
11
|
| Southcentral/Harrisburg |
18.3%
|
36
|
| Southeastern PA |
23.4%
|
46
|
| Lehigh Valley |
5.6%
|
11
|
| Northeastern PA |
10.2%
|
20
|
| Total Respondents |
197
|
|
| (skipped this question) |
8
|
25. Please suggest to us questions you would like to see appear on our Spring 2006 survey.
|
Response %
|
Total
|
|
| Total Respondents | Responses |
35
|
| (skipped this question) |
170
|
