2017 Spring Business Climate Survey: Response Summary

Member Group : Lincoln Institute

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7 Question Withdrawn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