Press Release: State of the Mountain State Poll, General Economic Outlook

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 14th, 2018

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Amanda Kieffer, Communications Associate at The Cardinal Institute for WV Policy
PHONE: (304) 541-9551 |  EMAIL: [email protected]

Charleston, WV – Today the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy released the third installment in its 2018 “State of the Mountain State” poll in which it examines statewide attitudes on general economic outlook in West Virginia.

The poll found that 51% of West Virginians believe that the state is headed in the wrong direction while 42% believe it is on the right track. In addition to this finding, 70% of respondents were not confident that there would be adequate job opportunities in the state in the next 15 years.

“I think it’s pretty clear from the survey that West Virginians are uneasy about our state’s long-term economic prospects, and why wouldn’t they be given the state’s economic history,” said Garrett Ballengee, executive director of the Cardinal Institute. “If we’re going to achieve a West Virginia economic miracle, we need to continue the good work that’s been done over the last few years but also reform critical institutions such as our K-12 education system,” Ballengee continued.

Respondents were further asked questions regarding specific economic issues important to them and policies that they believed could improve the state’s economic outlook. 21% of respondents stated that improving the states K-12 education system would have the most impact while only 6% thought spending more tax dollars to promote tourism in the Mountain State would have the most positive impact on West Virginia’s job market and economy.

Additionally, 24% of those surveyed believe that the natural gas industry has the greatest potential to create jobs in the state within the next 5 to 10 years.

To schedule an interview, contact Amanda Kieffer at 304-541-9551 or [email protected].

About the Cardinal Institute
The Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit founded in 2014 dedicated to research, develop and communicate effective free market economic public policies for West Virginia.

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General Economic Outlook Questions:

Do you believe things in West Virginia are headed in the right direction or do you believe things have gotten off on the wrong track?

(42%) Right Track
(51%) Wrong Direction
(6%) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR)

I’d like to read a list of economic issues that some people have said are important for their government leaders in West Virginia to deal with, please tell me which of these issues is most important to you in determining who you would vote for.

(6%) Lowering Taxes
(31%) Creating Jobs
(15%) Stopping drug abuse
(16%) Improving West Virginia roads and infrastructure
(8%) Improving education
(4%) Raising taxes on the wealthy
(5%) Eliminating the income tax on all West Virginia workers
(7%) Controlling government spending
(4%) Protecting the environment
(4%) Other
(2%) Unsure

Thinking specifically about the state’s economy, which of the following measures do you believe would have the most positive impact on our job market and economy?

(13%) Reforming the state tax code
(29%) Improving the state’s roads, highways, and other infrastructure
(12%) Reducing the number of government regulations on businesses
(21%) Improving the state’s K-12 education system
(16%) Increasing government funding for small and start up business grants and loans
(6%) Spending more tax dollars to promote tourism in West Virginia
(3)% Dk/Na/Rf (DNR)

How confident are you that children in West Virginia will have adequate job opportunities in the state during the next 15 years or so?

(5%) Very confident
(25%) Somewhat confident
(43%) Not very confident
(27%) Not at all confident
(1%) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR)

Of the following industries, which do you believe has the greatest potential to create jobs in our state during the next 5 to 10 years or so?

(11%) The Tourism Industry
(24%) The Natural Gas Industry
(14%) The Coal Industry
(2%) The Automotive Industry
(2%) State and local governments
(17%) The High Tech Industry
(16%) Manufacturing
(5%) Agricultural and Farming
(4%) Other
(5%) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR)

Survey Note:
The survey was sponsored by the Cardinal Institute for WV Policy to better understand the perceptions and opinions of 405 West Virginia registered voters on a host of public policy issues. It was conducted by MBE, LLC. Some totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding. The survey was conducted via online panel sampling during September 2018. Respondents self-identified as:
(42%) Democrat; (33%) Republican; (25%) Independent/other