Survey Results

Survey results continue to come in. I sent out over 12,000 surveys and have received hundreds of responses. Below are the unscientific results. Thanks to everyone who filled out and returned the survey. This helps me as I deliberate over legislation in the General Assembly.

TRANSPORTATION

 

1. Do you believe the Hampton Roads region needs additional major roadways as identified by the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization which include: a connection from I-64 to the Monitor Merrimac Tunnel through the port area and Craney Island with an additional tube to the peninsula, construction of the Southeastern Parkway and improvements to Dominion Boulevard in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, construction of another tube for the Midtown Tunnel and extension of the Martin Luther King Expressway in Portsmouth, improvements to US 460 to create an "interstate-quality" highway, and finally a widening of I-64 on both the Peninsula and Southside Hampton Roads (two projects)?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

319

66%

No

64

13%

Undecided

98

20%

Total Responses:

481

100%

 

 

2. As listed in the previous question, the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization has identified six regional transportation projects considered essential to alleviating congestion in our region. No single source of revenue (e.g. tolls or gas tax) can generate enough funds to pay for these projects alone. If you agree that these projects are essential, please rank the funding mechanisms you would most prefer.

 

 

[Rate 1 = Most Preferred, 8 = Least Preferred, 9 = No Answer]

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

No Ans

Pay tolls

16%

79

8%

39

7%

32

7%

35

9%

45

5%

24

6%

31

22%

108

18%

89

Higher state gas tax

18%

86

5%

24

8%

37

6%

30

5%

26

6%

28

8%

37

23%

111

20%

97

Increased vehicle titling tax at time of purchase

6%

29

7%

31

10%

46

8%

40

12%

59

16%

75

9%

44

9%

44

23%

107

Increase car registration fees

5%

24

4%

20

7%

31

8%

37

11%

50

14%

68

15%

69

15%

69

23%

108

Increase fines paid by drivers who repeatedly earn moving violations

37%

181

18%

90

12%

58

8%

40

3%

17

3%

13

1%

6

2%

12

14%

70

Increase the Hotel Occupancy Tax

14%

67

9%

45

13%

61

10%

48

9%

43

8%

36

7%

34

9%

44

21%

99

Charge a fee to area businesses

9%

41

5%

25

7%

34

8%

37

9%

44

9%

44

13%

61

15%

73

24%

114

More efficient use of money through private partnerships and VDOT reform

33%

159

16%

79

9%

45

10%

48

6%

27

4%

19

2%

9

4%

19

16%

79

 

 

PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY

 

3. Should local governments be allowed to place red-light cameras at intersections to monitor and cite drivers that run red lights so long as the citation does not add demerit points to the driver's license and a process in place to challenge the citation if the vehicle's owner was not the driver?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

382

77%

No

90

18%

Undecided

26

5%

Total Responses:

498

100%

 

4. How serious of a problem is gang violence and gang-related crime in your local community or neighborhood?

 

Count

Percent

Very Serious

69

14%

Somewhat Serious

168

34%

Not a problem

257

52%

Total Responses:

494

100%

 

5. Do you believe local governments need more resources to prevent late night violent behavior at area bars and nightclubs?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

278

55%

No

123

24%

Undecided

103

20%

Total Responses:

504

100%

 

6. Do you support allowing state troopers and local police officers in Virginia to detain and hold illegal aliens for deportation when they are pulled over for a traffic violation or arrested for another crime?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

441

87%

No

34

7%

Undecided

31

6%

Total Responses:

506

100%

 

EDUCATION

 

7. Should Virginia require that public schools dedicate at least 65% of state education funding exclusively for items related to classroom instruction?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

324

64%

No

49

10%

Undecided

132

26%

Total Responses:

505

100%

 

 

 

 

HEALTH

 

 

 

8. Do you believe Virginia should pass a law to ban smoking in bars and restaurants?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

325

64%

No

142

28%

Undecided

38

8%

Total Responses:

505

100%

 

9. Should Virginia also ban smoking at all indoor locations accessible to the public such as offices, shopping malls and hotels

 

Count

Percent

Yes

348

69%

No

126

25%

Undecided

32

6%

Total Responses:

506

100%

 

TAXES

 

10. Do you support placing restrictions on the ability of local government to increase what you pay in real estate taxes?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

376

74%

No

84

17%

Undecided

48

9%

Total Responses:

508

100%

 

11. When originally approved by the General Assembly in 1998, the car tax was scheduled to be eliminated by 2004 on the first $20,000 of a vehicle's valuation, provided state revenues met certain growth targets. Although these revenue targets were exceeded by 2005, the phase out of the car tax has been halted. Should the phase-out of the car tax be resumed?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

333

66%

No

128

25%

Undecided

45

9%

Total Responses:

506

100%

 

12. Do you support amending the Constitution of Virginia to prevent local governments from taking away a person's property or home through the use of eminent domain - and using that seized property for private commercial development - strictly for the purposes of increasing tax revenues to the locality?

 

Count

Percent

Yes

410

81%

No

75

15%

Undecided

23

5%

Total Responses:

508

100%

 

13. Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay continues to be a priority and a serious challenge for Virginia. Do you support imposing a "flush tax" on homeowners, which would be an additional fee on sewer rates and septic systems, to pay to cover the cost of improving sewer systems?