March 19, 2004

Push Poll Update

Dr. Ken Blake, the Middle Tennessee State University professor whose poll showing support for an income tax in Tennessee is being criticized by people who oppose the creation of a state income tax, is addressing the concerns of critics who note that the questions in the poll seem designed to generate responses supporting the income tax.

Responding to an email I sent to Dr. Blake (and published here), he writes...

The results we reported are the results we got from a randomly selected, representative sample of the general public when we asked the questions we asked. Nobody "cooked" them or tilted them in one direction or another during the analysis. The analysis was done objectively using standard, transparent statistical procedures replicable by anyone who cares to download the data and repeat the analysis. I'm pretty sure we agree on that point, but I just want to reinforce it.

But you're quite right in asserting that the results address only one aspect of the income tax issue rather than the issue's full scope, including the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. There's no conspiracy afoot, here. It's a big issue, and until you, no one has bothered to suggest we do otherwise. Income tax opponents have simply dismissed us as quacks and liars. So we have dismissed them in return.

But your request is reasonable, and I'll certainly consider expanding the battery to include questions on the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, assuming it hasn't already passed by Fall 2004, when we'll be fielding our next poll.

What we're most concerned about is the poll questions you currently are
using do not include the information that the sales tax reduction that seems
to make so many people favorable to the Income Tax could be only a temporary reduction. Our guess is that if they understood that, support in the poll for the income tax would decline.I'll keep you posted... Meanwhile, there is lots of material on the proposed Taxpayers Bill of Rights amendment to the Tennessee constitution here, including a post explaining Five Reasons Liberals Should Support The Taxpayers Bill of Rights