No Title 776

Supplement to “What You Told Us”

In the center of the October Kentucky Living, readers were asked to fill out and mail in a reader opinion survey the magazine takes every four years. By the October 20 deadline, 8,063 readers sent in surveys. Following are the questions and the results of that survey, listing both the percentage as well as the raw number of people who gave each response.

1. In the year 2000, Kentucky voters approved a constitutional amendment changing the meetings of the Kentucky Legislature from every other year to every year. What is your opinion of this change? (Check one.)

63% (5,076)—Keep annual sessions of the legislature as they are now

23.1% (1,862)—Go back to the old system where the legislature met every two years

12.6% (1,018)—Undecided/No Opinion

1.3% (107)—No answer

2. What is your opinion of the decision to use the U.S. military to remove Saddam Hussein from political leadership in Iraq? (Check one.)

68.5% (5,524)—It was the correct decision

22.5% (1,813)—It was the wrong decision

8.2% (663)—Undecided/No Opinion

0.8% (63)—No answer

3. The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) is a state regulatory agency that sets electric rates and approves service standards for your local electric cooperative. In most other states, electric cooperatives are regulated by their consumer-elected boards of directors—not the PSC. The cost of PSC regulation and related legal costs associated with regulation adds up to about $5 a year to your electric bill. What is your opinion? (Check one)

55.1% (4,441)—Continue to pay for PSC regulation

42.6% (3,432)—Permit my local electric co-op board to set rates and standards

2.4% (190)—No answer

4. The city of Lexington recently passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking in most public buildings, including restaurants and bars. What is your opinion? (Check one.)

68.5% (5,525)—Restaurants and bars should be able to have a smoking section separate from the non-smoking section

28.8% (2,325)—Smoking should not be allowed at all in restaurants and bars

1.9% (153)—Undecided/No Opinion

0.7% (60)—No answer

5. Tobacco is grown under a federal quota system that restricts annual tobacco production in exchange for a guaranteed minimum price per pound. Congress is considering changes to this system that might modify or eliminate production controls and lower price safety nets in exchange for a one-time payment spread over five-six years to tobacco farmers. These payments might range from two to four times a farmer’s annual tobacco income. What best represents your opinion? (Check one.)

28.1% (2,266)—Congress should keep the tobacco program as it is

27.2% (2,197)—Congress should modify the production control/price support policy and provide the one-time payments to quota holders/growers

15.7% (1,269)—Congress should modify the production control/price support policy and NOT provide the one-time payments to quota holders/growers

27.7% (2,236)—Undecided/No opinion

1.2% (95)—No answer

6. Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio allow gambling on riverboats or in casinos and advertise in Kentucky to attract players. Should Kentucky legalize expanded gambling to keep the money spent on gambling in Kentucky? (Check one.)

55.3% (4,461)—Yes

39.4% (3,177)—No

4.6% (374)—Undecided/No Opinion

0.6% (51)—No answer

7. If you answered “No” to the previous question, would your opinion change if the state’s share of the gambling money was earmarked to be used for education only? (Check one.)

8.9% (284)—It would change my “No” to a “Yes”—in that case I would agree to allow gambling in Kentucky

90% (2,859)—It would not change my answer—I would still be opposed to gambling in Kentucky

1.1% (34)—No answer

8. If expanded gambling is allowed in Kentucky, it should be: (Check all that apply.)

28.5% (2,299)—Video slots at racetracks

36.1% (2,910)—Riverboat gambling

35.5% (2,866)—Land-based casinos

28.4% (2,292)—Undecided/No Opinion

5.3% (425)—No answer

9. In general, do you believe our system of education in Kentucky adequately prepares students for a good future in our society? (Check one.)

43.1% (3,476)—Yes

47.9% (3,866)—No

7.6% (610)—Undecided/No Opinion

1.4% (111)—No answer

10. How would you rate the degree of success our Kentucky public education system has had in the following educational and extracurricular activities areas? (Circle the number that best reflects your response for each area.)

(Highlighted decimal number in between the whole numbers represents the average value of the responses.)

Extremely….Somewhat….Moderately….Not Very….Not at all
Successful…Successful…Successful…Successful..Successful

Basic
Education 1……..2……..3..3.3….4………5

Social
Skills 1……..2……..3. 3.05…4………5

Moral
Values 1……..2..2.5..3………4………5

Preparing
Students
For
Employment 1……..2…2.9.3………4………5

Sports
Competition 1……..2……..3..…3.8.4………5

Club Activities 1……..2……..3…3.4…4………5

11. Do you favor the death penalty for murderers?

71.9% (5,801)—Yes

15.6% (1,254)—No

11.6& (934)—Undecided/No Opinion

0.9% (74)—No answer

12. Have you or someone you know been negatively affected by the Kentucky state budget cutbacks approved as a result of last spring’s legislative session? (Check one.)

41.2% (3,325)—Yes

57.4% (4,631)—No

1.3% (107)—No answer

13. The budget for Kentucky state government has been cut by almost a billion dollars over the last three years. Additionally, a deficit for the current year is projected to be around $274 million. Many say that the state is left with little choice but to raise taxes. Others say the state is not in that bad a financial condition or that we should reduce services and programs rather than raise taxes. What is your opinion? (Check one.)

14.4% (1,163)—We should raise taxes

74.3% (5,994)—We should not raise taxes

10.2% (824)—Undecided/No Opinion

1% (82)—No answer

14. If the Kentucky Legislature were to raise taxes, which of the following types of taxes would it be most responsible to raise, on a scale with 10 being the most responsible and 1 being the least responsible? (Circle the number that best reflects your response for each type of tax.)

(Highlighted decimal number in between the whole numbers represents the average value of the responses.)

Income tax increase on those with moderate and high
incomes.

1…..2…..3…..4…..5..5.3…6…..7…..8…..9…..10

Increase the sales tax.

1…..2…..3…3.6..4…..5…..6…..7…..8…..9…..10

Increase property taxes.

1…..2…2.5..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8…..9…..10

Increase cigarette taxes.

1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…6.4..7…..8…..9…..10

Increase the gasoline tax (which is used exclusively for road construction).

1…..2…..3…3.4..4…..5…..6…..7…..8…..9…..10

Provide local governments with the option of establishing local sales taxes.

1…..2…..2.9..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8…..9…..10

Establish taxes on various kinds of gaming activities (horse racing, slot machines, casino gambling, etc.).

1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8..8.1…..9…..10

15. In the May 2003 primary election fewer than 1 in 5 voters went to the polls. Which reason do you think comes closest to explaining why turnout was so low? (Check one.)

23.8% (1,920)—People are frustrated with incumbent officeholders

34.2% (2,760)—People don’t believe their single vote makes much of a difference

28.7% (2,317)—People are turned off by negative campaigning and media coverage

4.8% (386)—People are very busy and many just don’t have time to get to the polls

2.6% (209)—Undecided/No opinion

5.8% (471)—No answer

16. How important do you think this year’s governor’s race is to the future of Kentucky? (Circle one.)

71.7% (5,783)—Very important

19.7% (1,585)—Somewhat important

5.6% (450)—Not very important

2.5% (202)—Undecided/No Opinion

0.5% (43)—No answer

17. My voting status is: (Check one.)

89.3% (7,200)—Registered and plan to vote in November

3.8% (309)—Registered and will not vote in November

6% (480)—Not registered

0.9% (74)—No answer

18. Between the two leading candidates for governor of Kentucky, who do you plan to vote for in the November election? (Check one.)

27.6% (2,222)—Attorney General Ben Chandler, Democrat

39.1% (3,153)—Congressman Ernie Fletcher, Republican

24.5% (1,960)—Undecided/No Opinion

6.8% (547)—I do not plan to vote

2.2% (181)—No answer

19. President Bush recently advocated passage of a federal law prohibiting same-sex marriages. What is your opinion? (Check one.)

82.3% (6,636)—People of the same sex should not be able to get married

8.7% (698)—People of the same sex should be able to get married

8% ((643)—Undecided/No Opinion

1.1% (86)—No answer

20. What best describes the type of access you have to a personal computer? (Check one.)

46.5% (3,748)—I have a computer in my home

12.8% (1,031)—I do not have a computer in my home but have access to one at a library, work, or other place

14% (1,129)—I have access to a computer both at work and at home

24.5% (1,979)—I do not use a computer

2.2% (176)—No answer

21. Many Kentuckians have computer or other access to the Internet. How do you access the Internet? (Check all that apply.)

34.3% (2,768)—I do not use the Internet

8.2% (660)—I have a high-speed (cable, DSL, or satellite) connection to the Internet in my home

43% (3,468)—I have a dial-up modem connection to the Internet in my home

12.5% (1,007)—I access the Internet at a job outside my home

6.6% (536)—I access the Internet at a public library

4.1% (333)—No answer

22. If you use the Internet, which of the following describes how you use the services it offers? (Check all that apply.)

77.3% (4,095)—Educational research and information

44.4% (2,353)—Entertainment

36.6% (1,936)—Price and shopping information, but no on-line purchases

33.2% (1,759)—Purchasing items on-line with a credit card

27.1% (1,433)—Electronic information

8.1% (430)—Home-based business

5.6% (294)—No answer

23. Touchstone Energy is an alliance of electric cooperatives across Kentucky and the nation that have joined together to create a “brand” that identifies their electric services as being sold by a co-op utility. Please indicate your level of awareness/knowledge of Touchstone Energy.

38.9% (3,137)—Not at all aware

48.2% (3,889)—Somewhat aware

11.7% (940)—Very aware

1.2% (97)—No answer

24. What is your primary source of information about Touchstone Energy?

8.7% (703)—Television advertisements

1.7% (140)—Radio advertisements

2.8% (224)—Bill inserts

60.7% (4,897)—Kentucky Living magazine

4.8% (389)—Other

21.2% (1,710)—No answer

25. Considering all of your experiences to date with your local electric cooperative, how satisfied are you with it? (Please answer this question by circling a number of the 10-point scale below where 1 means “very dissatisfied” and 10 means “very satisfied.”)

(Highlighted decimal number in between the whole numbers represents the average value of the responses.)

1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8..8.3…..9…..10

26. Now assume that you could choose from among more than one utility company. How likely is it that you would choose your local electric cooperative again? (Please answer this question by circling a number on the 10-point scale below where 1 means “very unlikely” and 10 means “very likely.”)

(Highlighted decimal number in between the whole numbers represents the average value of the responses.)

1…..2…..3…..4…..5…..6…..7…..8..8.1….9…..10

To read the Kentucky Living January 2004 feature that goes along with this supplement, click here: What You Told Us