FDU PublicMind - January 13, 2006 Release

Gas Tax is a Slow Starter

New Jersey voters are not ready to embrace a new gas tax. According to the most recent results of Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind poll, nearly three-quarters of New Jersey's registered voters (74%) object to raising the gas tax, while only 18% say it should be raised, and 8% are not sure.

Asked how much they've heard or read about a higher gas tax, voters split with half (50%) saying they've heard some or even a great deal, but the other half (50%) saying they've heard just a little or nothing at all.

“Raising the gas tax will take some explaining,” said Peter Woolley, director of the poll. “In a state where people have seen their property taxes rise sharply, they have become sensitive to other taxes as well.”

A quarter of Democrats say the state needs to raise the tax, but only one in ten Republicans agree. A quarter of men say the tax should be raised but only about one in ten women agree. Those with incomes over $150,000 are three times more likely to say the tax needs to be raised than those with incomes under $50,000.

“Gas taxes are fair in the sense that people who consume the most pay the most,” said Woolley. “But the tax is also regressive because it tends to take a bigger percentage from people with less income.”

The PublicMind poll of 707 registered voters statewide was conducted by telephone from January 3 through January 10 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Poll Analysis

Contacts:

Peter Woolley 973.670.3239
or
Krista Jenkins 973.443.8390

Radio actuality line: (201) 692-2846.

For more information, please call (201) 692-7032.