aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South
Friday, October 05, 2007
SCHIP and the tobacco tax in GA
[L]et us remind you of a pair of Georgia polls that the Phillip Morris Legislative Action Center put out in July. The surveys were conducted in the 8th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Jim Marshall, and the 12th District, represented by Democrat John Barrow.
(Marshall voted against the SCHIP expansion. Barrow voted for it.)
The main purpose of the surveys — a total of 11 districts were polled nationwide — was to test arguments for opposition to the SCHIP plan. Real-life “Thank You for Smoking” stuff.
Just one example:
“The U.S. Congress, in Washington, is considering raising the federal government’s tax on a pack of cigarettes by 156 percent to $1 per pack. That would be an increase of 61 cents per pack over the current rate of 39 cents per pack to help pay for expansions of a federal program. Would you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this tax?”
In Barrow’s district, 53 percent said they would support it. [And in Marshall’s district support was 51 percent, the MOE is 4.9 percent]
Here’s another question from the survey:
“The money raised from this increase in the federal cigarette tax is supposed to pay for an expansion in a national health care program that provides health care to uninsured children whose families qualify based on their income level. First of all, do you believe that IF Congress raises the federal cigarette tax up to one dollar per pack that this money will actually be spent as promised to provide health care to uninsured children?”
In Barrow’s district, 72 percent said no. Which was the answer the question demanded. [Marshall’s district had the exact same percentage.]
I’m no pollster but what I’m seeing is the same answers from Marshall and Barrow’s districts. Was that the point?
I don’t get how this impacts or informs their differing votes. I might have expected some significant difference from Macon, home to Marshall and former home to a big Brown and Williamson cigarette factory.
Instead, I see Marshall outscores Barrow in controlling spending and positive opinion (questions 5 & 6) and a number of other areas that I’d have thought would lead him to have more support for a yea vote than Barrow.
