Poll Again Shows Wide Support For Taxing Drilling Companies

A new poll released today by Quinnipiac University again shows wide support for a tax on Marcellus Shale drilling companies-- 69 percent support, 22 percent oppose.

The same poll also gauged the public's support/opposition for budget cutting/saving measures--

-- Oppose 50 - 43 percent state worker layoffs;

-- Oppose 53 - 36 percent selling or leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike;

-- Support 64 - 28 percent selling state liquor stores;

-- Oppose 64 - 32 percent cutting state funding for state and state-related universities; and

-- Support 68 - 27 percent freezing the wages of state employees.

While 39 percent of Pennsylvania voters approve of the job Gov. Tom Corbett is doing, 37 percent disapprove, a statistical tie, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This is a big jump in his negative ratings from a 39 - 11 percent job approval rating in a February 16 survey.

Pennsylvania voters say 50 - 39 percent that Gov. Corbett's budget-cutting proposals are unfair to people like them, the independent Quinnipiac University survey finds.

There is a large gender gap as men say the cuts are fair 45 - 43 percent, a tie, while women say unfair 55 - 34 percent. Republicans say 59 - 27 percent the cuts are fair, but Democrats say unfair 69 - 22 percent and independent voters say unfair 47 - 41 percent.

Still, voters say 55 - 39 percent that balancing the state budget should be done by spending cuts only and not by a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts.

Detailed poll results are available online.