Public Radio Poll Shows Oregonians Wary Of Kicker Reform
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Oregonians want to hang on to their kicker checks, at least for now. That's one finding in a public radio poll released Wednesday.The survey is a collaboration of the Northwest Health Foundation, pollsters Davis, Hibbitts and Midghall, and Northwest public radio stations, including OPB. The researchers found that less than 40 percent of respondents favored a plan to divert some kicker refund money into a state savings account. Chris Lehman reports.
On the first day of the February special session, Democratic leaders called a press conference to tout their goals for the month-long gathering of lawmakers. Senate President Peter Courtney first took the podium. Peter Courtney: “Okay. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Thank you for coming. I've never seen this many media people in the legislature for a long, long time.”But after Courtney and other head Democrats outlined their plans, reporters peppered them with questions about something that wasn't on their agenda: A recent and very public push by Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski to revise the state's kicker law. That's the one-of-a-kind policy that sends greater-than-expected income tax revenue back to taxpayers. The governor and some other policymakers want to send part of that money into a state rainy day fund. The kicker is in the constitution, meaning any changes would have to be approved by voters. But legislative leaders like Courtney weren't sure that kicker reform would win at the ballot this year. Peter Courtney: “I just am still not convinced in my tummy that all the forces are there together at this time.”The prognostication abilities of Senator Courtney's mid-section are correct, according to a new poll by Davis, Hibbitts and Midghall. Four hundred Oregonians were surveyed during the last two weeks of February. Just 39 percent of respondents supported diverting part of the kicker into a rainy day fund. Ed Parker of Canyonville is one of the 48 percent of respondents who did not support changing the kicker. The retired banker says he wants to see state government reign in spending first:Ed Parker: “I think that if the state needs to create a rainy day fund, what they need to do is cut some of their unnecessary expenses and create it with that money. They don't need to take more of the citizens' money away from them.”Web marketer Brenda Parrish of Portland does support putting some kicker money into a rainy day fund, even if it means she'll give up part of a future kicker check from the state.Brenda Parrish: “If that means that those kickers are put away for the future, that's just basic financial planning.”More than half of those surveyed responded that Oregon is headed in the wrong direction.Pollster Adam Davis says that's not surprising considering the state's prolonged double-digit employment rate. Adam Davis: “In terms of the impact the recession is having on the average individual, quite frankly I think Oregonians are feeling more pain right now than residents in other states.”Opposition to diverting kicker money was strong in all geographic regions across Oregon. Older people tended to be more supportive of kicker reform, as did those with college degrees. The survey has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.© 2010 Northwest News Network
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