The survey also showed 65 percent support to build 50 more miles of light rail, in response to a favorably-worded question.
But Sound Transit heard bad news, too. Only 23 percent thought sales taxes — the agency’s largest source of money — are a good way to pay for transportation. Car-tab fees, tolls and gas taxes were more acceptable.
More at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004041565_transpopoll29m.html
My thoughts:
I really don’t go off the results of these surveys anymore simply because the number of people are so low. If we went by these small polls each and every time, we wouldn’t need any real elections other than to make it “official” This is based on only 1,013 people…when I start seeing numbers of 5 to 6,000 people surveyed then I would take it a bit more creditable.
Yes, we are taxed out here to death in regards to sales tax. I would be comfortable paying a State Income Tax and reducing the Sales tax to say, 2.5% from it’s current 9.4% and I also would not mind using Toll or HOT lanes to fund transportation and maintenance projects.
We need leadership in this State however to get us moving and not crawling along on our knees. We should have had a light-rail system going by now and in the process of expanding it. We should have had plans to replace the trolley barn that was destroyed to make room for a park. It is a shame that our leaders are too self absorbed to not think ahead and let things go to waste before it’s time to replace them (86 year old ferries ring a bell?)
Something needs to change and I’m really starting to see that it isn’t the public attitude but our older leaders that no longer have a vision of keeping us going and what makes him/her look good to the people that support them. Look at Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas, Charlotte, New York, Washington DC, that all are in the process of great, huge transportation projects…then look at us…It’s a sad comparison.