2017 Spring Business Climate Survey: Response Summary
Respondents: 325 of 325
Section I: Issues
1 The 2017-2018 state budget faces a nearly $3 billion shortfall. To close that budget gap should legislators and the governor:
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
CUT SPENDING | 66.77% | 215 |
ENACT BROAD-BASED TAX HIKES (Sales, Personal Income Tax) |
1.86% | 6 |
ENACT TARGETED TAX HIKES (Severance Tax, Specific Services, etc.) |
4.97% | 16 |
COMBINATION OF SPENDING CUTS AND TAX HIKES | 25.16% | 81 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 1.24% | 4 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
2 Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that Pennsylvania should legalize on-line gaming as a means of generating additional tax revenue?
STRONGLY AGREE | 10.28% | 33 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 30.84% | 99 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 17.45% | 56 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 38.01% | 122 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 3.43% | 11 |
Answered | 321 | |
Skipped | 4 |
3 Do you AGREE or DISAGREE with state government charging municipalities that do not have a local police force a per capita fee for state police protection?
STRONGLY AGREE | 37.27% | 120 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 31.06% | 100 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 14.29% | 46 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 14.29% | 46 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 3.11% | 10 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
4 Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that state government should enact targeted business taxes such as a severance tax on natural gas drillers, expanding sales taxes to cover accounting and legal services, etc.
STRONGLY AGREE | 9.01% | 29 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 20.50% | 66 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 18.63% | 60 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 48.14% | 155 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 3.73% | 12 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
5 Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should legalize marijuana for recreational use and apply a tax to the product to help balance the state budget?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
STRONGLY AGREE | 23.60% | 76 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 23.60% | 76 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 8.07% | 26 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 40.99% | 132 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 3.73% | 12 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
6 Given the decline in gasoline prices in recent years to you AGREE or DISAGREE that state government should reduce its transportation subsidies to local school districts, even if that means an increase in local real estate (property) taxes?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
STRONGLY AGREE | 10.31% | 33 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 16.88% | 54 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 28.44% | 91 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 35.94% | 115 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 8.44% | 27 |
Answered | 320 | |
Skipped | 5 |
7 Question Withdrawn
8 Does the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s unfunded pension liabilities in any way alter plans you might have to further invest/expand your business in this state?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
YES | 33.33% | 107 |
NO | 48.91% | 157 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 17.76% | 57 |
Answered | 321 | |
Skipped | 4 |
9 Pennsylvania has an abundant supply of natural gas, but additional pipelines are needed to get that gas to market. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE that this resource should be developed and more pipelines built?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
STRONGLY AGREE | 61.68% | 198 |
SOMEWHAT AGREE | 27.10% | 87 |
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE | 3.12% | 10 |
STRONGLY DISAGREE | 7.17% | 23 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 0.93% | 3 |
Answered | 321 | |
Skipped | 4 |
10 Would your business benefit from more/easier access to natural gas products?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
MAJOR BENEFIT | 12.77% | 41 |
SOMEWHAT BENEFIT | 28.04% | 90 |
WE UTILIZE NATURAL GAS, BUT NO BENEFIT | 23.68% | 76 |
WE DO NOT UTILIZE NATURAL GAS, SO NO BENEFIT | 33.96% | 109 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 1.56% | 5 |
Answered | 321 | |
Skipped | 4 |
11 Does your business rely on skilled tradesmen (carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc.)?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
YES | 51.86% | 167 |
NO | 47.20% | 152 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 0.93% | 3 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
12 If you answered "YES" to the previous question, has a lack of available skilled tradesmen impacted your ability to expand your business?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
YES | 42.68% | 102 |
NO | 33.05% | 79 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 24.27% | 58 |
Answered | 239 | |
Skipped | 86 |
13 Does the prospect of significant reform to the federal tax code make your MORE or LESS optimistic about the future for your business?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
SIGNIFICANT MORE OPTOMISTIC | 29.91% | 96 |
SOMEWHAT MORE OPTOMISTIC | 44.24% | 142 |
SOMEWHAT MORE PESSIMISTIC | 10.90% | 35 |
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PESSIMISTIC | 6.54% | 21 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 8.41% | 27 |
Answered | 321 | |
Skipped | 4 |
14 When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, do you favor:
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
COMPLETE REPEAL AND REPLACE | 62.42% | 201 |
TARGETED CHANGES TO SECTIONS THE LAW | 33.23% | 107 |
NO CHANGE AT ALL | 2.48% | 8 |
REFUSED/NO OPINION | 1.86% | 6 |
Answered | 322 | |
Skipped | 3 |
Section II: Business Climate
15 In general, do you think business conditions in Pennsylvania are better, the same, or worse than they were SIX MONTHS AGO?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Better | 26.60% | 83 |
Same | 50.32% | 157 |
Worse | 19.55% | 61 |
No Opinion | 3.53% | 11 |
Answered | 312 | |
Skipped | 13 |
16 LOOKING AHEAD SIX MONTHS, do you think business conditions will be better, the same, or worse than they are now?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Better | 35.67% | 112 |
Same | 41.72% | 131 |
Worse | 18.15% | 57 |
No Opinion | 4.46% | 14 |
Answered | 314 | |
Skipped | 11 |
17 Are employment levels at your company higher, the same, or lower, than they were SIX MONTHS AGO?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Higher | 17.25% | 54 |
Same | 65.50% | 205 |
Lower | 15.34% | 48 |
No Opinion | 1.92% | 6 |
Answered | 313 | |
Skipped | 12 |
18 LOOKING AHEAD SIX MONTHS, do you anticipate that employment levels at your company will be higher, stay the same, or be lower?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Higher | 27.56% | 86 |
Same | 67.31% | 210 |
Lower | 4.17% | 13 |
No Opinion | 0.96% | 3 |
Answered | 312 | |
Skipped | 13 |
19 Have your company’s sales increased, stayed relatively the same, or decreased during the PAST SIX MONTHS?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Increased | 26.60% | 83 |
Same | 48.72% | 152 |
Decreased | 24.36% | 76 |
No Opinion | 0.32% | 1 |
Answered | 312 | |
Skipped | 13 |
20 Do you expect your company’s sales to increase, stay relatively the same, or decrease during the COMING SIX MONTHS?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Increase | 47.10% | 146 |
Same | 43.87% | 136 |
Decrease | 8.71% | 27 |
No Opinion | 0.32% | 1 |
Answered | 310 | |
Skipped | 15 |
21 In general, do you have a POSITIVE, NEGATIVE or NO OPINION of the job performance of the following individuals?
Individuals | Positive | Negative | No Opinion | Response Count |
President Donald J. Trump | 69.55% 217 |
23.08% 72 |
7.37% 23 |
312 |
Fed Chairman Janet Yellen | 36.13% 112 |
24.19% 75 |
39.68% 123 |
310 |
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey | 52.41% 163 |
28.30% 88 |
19.29% 60 |
311 |
U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. | 21.22% 66 |
58.84% 183 |
19.94% 62 |
311 |
U.S. Treasury Steven Mnuchin | 25.97% 80 |
12.99% 40 |
61.04% 188 |
308 |
Governor Tom Wolf | 16.40% 51 |
75.56% 235 |
8.04% 25 |
311 |
Attorney General Josh Shapiro | 17.74% 55 |
18.71% 58 |
63.55% 197 |
310 |
Auditor General Eugene Depasquale | 20.32% 63 |
11.94% 37 |
67.74% 210 |
310 |
State Treasurer Joe Torsella | 11.07% 34 |
12.38% 38 |
76.55% 235 |
307 |
Answered | 313 | |||
Skipped | 12 |
22 In general, do you have a POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, or NO OPINION of the job performance of the following institutions?
Institutions | Positive | Negative | No Opinion | Response Count |
United States Senate | 22.48% 69 |
67.75% 208 |
9.77% 30 |
307 |
United States House of Representatives | 24.76% 76 |
68.40% 210 |
6.84% 21 |
307 |
Pennsylvania Senate | 29.64% 91 |
54.72% 168 |
15.64% 48 |
307 |
Pennsylvania House of Representatives | 32.25% 99 |
52.44% 161 |
15.31% 47 |
307 |
Answered | 307 | |||
Skipped | 18 |
23 Which category best describes your position at the business in which your work:
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
OWNER | 82.32% | 256 |
CEO/COO/CFO | 13.50% | 42 |
STATE MANAGER | 0.64% | 2 |
LOCAL MANAGER | 1.61% | 5 |
NO ANSWER/REFUSED | 0.00% | 0 |
Other | 1.93% | 6 |
Answered | 311 | |
Skipped | 14 |
24 In what part of Pennsylvania is your business located?
Answer Choices | Response Percent |
Response Count |
Northwest PA | 9.39% | 29 |
Southwest PA | 17.48% | 54 |
Northcentral PA | 11.97% | 37 |
Altoona/Johnstown | 3.24% | 10 |
Southcentral/Harrisburg | 18.77% | 58 |
Southeastern PA | 25.57% | 79 |
Lehigh Valley | 3.24% | 10 |
Northeastern PA | 10.36% | 32 |
Answered | 309 | |
Skipped | 16 |