A Wesleyan SurveyLab CT Poll released Monday offers ammunition to both sides of the fiscal debate in Connecticut: Democratic legislative leaders and advocacy groups who insist the state can afford greater spending in limited areas, and the governor who counters that the recent string of surpluses must be used prudently by a state with high per-capita debt.
Fifty-one percent of survey respondents prefer that the budget surplus, which is projected to approach $3 billion this year, be used to cut taxes, compared to 25% who prefer paying down long-term debt, and 16% who prefer increasing spending in areas such as education and healthcare.
The results are based on a survey designed by Wesleyan and conducted by YouGov, which draws from a proprietary pool of 1.8 million U.S. residents who have agreed to participate in online polls. A survey of 611 Connecticut voters was conducted from April 3 to 17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.13%.
Read more: Poll: Voters like Lamont and tax cuts, open to higher spending