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Options draw little enthusiasm
Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal

Kentuckians overwhelmingly oppose cuts in funding for public schools, Medicaid and health insurance for teachers and state employees, according to The Courier-Journal's latest Bluegrass Poll.

And even if lawmakers must cut programs to balance the state budget, a majority of those surveyed were still hesitant to cut other areas. Most said they favored "only a little" in cuts or none at all to state parks, prisons, courts and business development.

Ninety-two percent would either oppose cuts in schools or favor only a little; 89 percent in Medicaid; and 85 percent in public employee health insurance. Smaller majorities opposed any cuts or favored only a little in higher education (81 percent) and state police (84 percent).

The newspaper interviewed 801 people for the poll conducted Feb. 3-9. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Percentages are rounded and may not total 100 percent.

Sherita Lynch, 26, of Radcliff, a poll respondent who agreed to a follow-up interview, said she believes it's especially important that the state not cut education or Medicaid, the federal-state health plan for the poor, disabled and low-income elderly in nursing homes.

Some programs, she said, "could probably use an overhaul. But I don't think education or health care should be one of them."

Lynch, who described herself as a smoker and a drinker, said she doesn't oppose a tax increase on tobacco or a new one on alcohol to help avoid cuts. "I'm definitely open to generating more revenue," she said.

Some lawmakers struggling to devise a budget said the poll's findings reflect what they're hearing -- people don't like cuts to services even though many don't want to pay increased taxes.

"Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die," said state Rep. Steve Nunn, R-Glasgow, who recently renounced an anti-tax-increase pledge he signed in 1990. "Without more revenue, we're going to continue to cut services and programs that nobody wants to cut."

Nunn is among some lawmakers who oppose Gov. Ernie Fletcher's "revenue-neutral" tax-overhaul proposal as not being adequate to meet needs, especially in the area of human services. Fletcher has said that while his plan would raise some taxes, it lowers others, making it "revenue neutral."

Lola Billings, 62, of Fern Creek, a poll respondent and retired teaching assistant, said she strongly opposes any cuts to education or Medicaid -- which helps provide health care for poor children.

"I don't think they should cut any of that," she said. "They seem to have money for everything except what we really need it for."

Billings said she isn't sure about paying more taxes but she added: "I don't think they should cut taxes any more. They've been cut enough."

Fletcher's proposal provides flat funding or slight increases for many public school programs but offers additional money in areas of teacher recruitment and training and early reading initiatives.

Of poll respondents who are parents of Kentucky public school children, 89 percent were opposed to any cuts in primary and secondary education programs.

Fletcher is proposing a significant increase for Medicaid over the next 17 months to deal with the program's chronic budget shortfalls; his budget seeks $254 million to attract another $578 million in federal money.

Administration officials say they want to avoid cutting anyone from Medicaid, which serves nearly 700,000 Kentuckians.

The poll found little variation among respondents on most questions, taking into account income levels, education and whether they were from urban or rural Kentucky.

The poll found the highest support for a great deal or a fair amount of cuts to state prisons (39 percent), state courts (38 percent), business development programs (36 percent) and parks and tourism (33 percent).

Nunn said he's not sure people would be so supportive if the state actually cuts those programs. "The reality hasn't sunk in to most people," he said.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050213/NEWS0104/
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