Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nearly six in 10 want rebate of $300 million or more

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CARSON CITY -- Nearly six of every 10 Nevadans who responded to a poll commissioned by the Review-Journal and reviewjournal.com say they want the governor and the state Legislature to rebate to taxpayers $300 million or more of the state's $606 million surplus.

The Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. poll found 33 percent of Nevadans back the plan by Gov. Kenny Guinn to rebate $300 million.

But an additional 26 percent said more than $300 million should be returned to taxpayers; 37 percent said that instead of rebates, the money should be spent to improve state services and programs.

"Fifty-nine percent say rebate half or most of it (when you combine the percentages)," said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. "That is a pretty good majority."

He added on Tuesday that Nevadans tend to be moderate politically, and he is not surprised that a sizable number favor spending part of the surplus on state programs.

"They say we will take some of it back and put the rest to good uses," Coker said.

Besides the question on the surplus, Coker's staff asked Nevadans a closely related question. They were asked to name their top priority for the use of the surplus.

Rebating money to taxpayers shared the top spot among priorities with raising teacher pay, with 25 percent of respondents choosing each option.

Fourteen percent said funding mental health programs was their top priority, while 11 percent chose funding full-day kindergarten. Ten percent cited replenishing the state's rainy day fund and 9 percent want to fund the Millennium Scholarship program.

Regarding the varying numbers in the two polls, Coker said people who support Guinn's plan to rebate $300 million may have assumed the priorities question concerned only how they would spend the remaining $300 million of the surplus.

And the 25 percent who said rebating money to taxpayers was their top priority could be part of the 26 percent who, in response to the first question, said they want more than $300 million returned to citizens.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, and the Guinn administration all said the results show their efforts to return money to taxpayers has solid support.

"It verifies what we are trying do here," said Perkins, a likely candidate for governor in 2006. "Give it to people and let them do with it as they please. If they choose to give to education, we will let them do that."

Perkins wants to devise a mechanism to allow people who do not want a rebate to donate the money to education or other programs.

"These numbers show I am in tune with what most Nevadans want with my call for a rebate to taxpayers and with spending priorities I have been supporting throughout the session, including education and mental health," added Titus, also a likely gubernatorial candidate next year.

Guinn reviewed the survey results and was pleased by the support for the rebate, said Greg Bortolin, his spokesman.

"The poll underscores most people believe in the governor's agenda," he added.

Guinn proposes returning to taxpayers money they spent last year in registering their cars with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Some would get $300 per vehicle, others as little as $41 per car.

But Titus and Perkins have slightly differing plans to rebate to licensed drivers $150 to $200. None of the plans have been introduced in bills.

The focus on the rebate draws attention away from the fact state spending will increase 24 percent over the next two years, said state Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas. That is double the rate of population growth and inflation, he added.

Beers was the first legislator to propose a rebate of the state surplus.

Nevada State Education Association President Terry Hickman was not surprised that there was strong support for raising teacher pay.

"We have said all along that people thought education was the priority for this Legislature," he said. "Two years ago we had a big deficit. Now we have a big surplus."

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, also said the poll backs her view the people want some of the surplus spent on education.

"Many felt that education is underfunded and money should be allocated to those programs," she said.

In all, 625 registered Nevada voters were polled by telephone Thursday through Saturday. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.