SOLID MAJORITIES SUPPORT CASINOS … OPPOSE NIKKI HALEY’S TAX PLAN
|| By FITSNEWS || By more than a 2-to-1 margin, South Carolina voters favor using gambling revenue – not gas tax revenue – to address the state’s infrastructure funding needs. And while this website maintains the Palmetto State has a spending problem – not a revenue problem – when it comes to infrastructure, the numbers are encouraging as it relates to the broader issue of legalizing gambling.
According to survey data from Public Policy Polling, big majorities of South Carolinians are on board with casinos – while even bigger majorities are opposed to governor Nikki Haley‘s proposed tax swap.
“South Carolina may be a GOP state but on the issue of how to pay for road repairs voters are siding with the Democrats,” the PPP pollsters noted. “By a 50/36 spread they support casinos in the state, and asked whether they’d rather road repairs were paid for by opening casinos or increasing the gas tax voters pick casinos by a 58/26 margin.”
That support cuts across party lines, too.
“There’s a bipartisan consensus for casinos over the gas tax with Democrats (63/22), independents (58/28), and Republicans (53/28) all strongly preferring it,” the pollsters noted.
Meanwhile a whopping 69 percent of voters oppose Haley’s plan … compared to only 20 percent who support it.
PPP is a Democratic firm based in North Carolina, but it has enjoyed a pretty solid record when it comes to accurately gauging the mood of South Carolina voters in recent election cycles.
Now … when will the “will of the people” translate into legislative action? Good question …
Former S.C. Rep. Boyd Brown filed legislation in 2012 to legalize casino gambling – per the approval of voters in a statewide referendum.
Brown’s bill also specifically stated “the revenue realized by the state and local jurisdictions to be used for operational purposes of government, including tax relief and school and infrastructure improvements.”
That bill went nowhere … although it’s clear momentum is building for similar legislation.
Which leads us to a bill sponsored this session by S.C. Rep. Todd Rutherford – the current Democratic leader in the S.C. House of Representatives.
“Allowing gaming and luxury casinos to do business in South Carolina would bring in billions in tax revenue which would enable us to fix our roads without raising a single tax,” Rutherford said. “Gaming in South Carolina would create thousands of jobs, attract tourists from all over the world, and stimulate our economy like nothing we’ve ever seen. If Republicans truly support individual freedom, personal liberty, and smaller government, they should stop trying to raise taxes on working families and support this plan to fix our roads and grow South Carolina’s economy.”
Again … as stated above the Palmetto State has a spending problem not a revenue problem, but beyond that it’s hard to argue with Rutherford’s logic.
For those of you keeping score at home, PPP surveyed 868 registered South Carolina voters from February 12-15. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
PPP SOUTH CAROLINA POLLING DATA (.pdf)
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68 comments
Never happen. Gambling is the work of the devil. Most South Carolinians would rather test their luck getting home without losing a tire in a pot hole than allow Satan into the State.
Maybe we should give Satan a chance to make his case.
Let’s see, Las Vegas or South Carolina… Yeah, you guys can keep your ban on gambling if you want.
South Carolina: We have billboards for Christ, Porn, and Liquor, but gambling isn’t in our repertoire!
Don’t forget fireworks.
We can sell this: We need a casino that carries liquor (obviously) has a chapel, includes a strip club, and sells fireworks in the gift shop. It would include a restaurant that serves smoked BBQ brisket.
They should also sell guns and and perform third trimester abortions
For a minute there I thought you were describing Dirty Myrtle and Gatlinburg, Tn. in the same sentence.
I went to a casino, firework, liquor store combo (and convenience store) on the way to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas last year. So this isn’t too far off.
Hard to find decent brisket down here. The rest, not so much.
Ya never know. When I moved here 16 years ago, they still had the blue laws in my county. It struck me as insane that I couldn’t go shopping till after 1pm. Of course, there was no buying liquor either. Eventually over the squeals of the church goers who predicted hell and damnation if the law changed …I can now shop on Sunday morning, have a drink with Sunday dinner at a restaurant and even at some convenience stores pick up a six pack.
Surely you are on the fast track to hell…
Ahh..Gambling the newest and greatest route to the Utopian Panacea…LMAO….
You want to gobble cash — no matter how you can slurp it…always promising IF YOU OPEN JUST ONE MORE VICE…all our dreams will come true…yet you are a canker-sore ridden, perpetual-rehabbing, liver-transplant candidate, drunk, slurring and disgusting preacher for all that you exalt…
You are not new under the sun….just stupid enough to think you can fool everybody w/ your ignorance…and greed…
Just one more fix, Lord that’ll do the trick…this time it’s gambling…
One H#!! of a way for your to get your kicks…
Oooooh, that smell!
Nice reference, GT.
SKYNNNNNNNNNYRD!!!!
*holds up lighter*
I love that song…TBG…RVS knew it way back when…
Whiskey bottles, brand new cars…oak tree you’re in my way….
*TBG/GrandTango’s “Rodney King” moment*
Who’s up for a rousing rendition of “Kumbaya”?
: )
RVS would certainly be a STAUNCH Conservative if he were alive today…
I’m just glad you acknowledge that even the very best of artists knew that Godless man will destroy himself if left to his own devices…
One thing about the true artist of the 70s; they had a connection to morality and good. Many were Christians, and straightened out and live that way now…
The modern-day liberal, and Liberal-Tarians…Hate God because He is the light to good and growth. And He despises the corruption for personal gain and evil…Too many Liberals and Liberal-Tarains seek, and dwell, in darkness, fueled by hate and self-loathing….
And so many of today’s artists – or what passes for artists – are just disgusting liberals…following the marching orders of their GREEDY manipulators…They have no talent, character or wisdom…
Casinos: will the far right, conservative, Christian political base be on board? I doubt it, and as much as I favor legalized gambling, how realistic is a proposal such as this? Are capable of rising above stupid in order to actually do something that might a.) make our state a more popular tourist destination, b.) have significant profits going towards state revenue that might actually trickle down to fix our infrastructure, and fund social programs, or c.) actually have somewhere where we can have fun, as adults, without an overlord of holier than thou politicians telling us it’s against their beliefs?
The answer to all your questions is, unfortunately, “no.” But hey, it’s still a great day in South Carolina.
So we could be just like Vegas – Yuck! A bunch of tacky Yankees coming to SC to gamble and go to high class strip clubs. Oh and all that cash floating around would also add to the drug problem.
Wouldn’t be far off from the current “Yankees” that already spend billions of dollars a year being tourists here in Myrtle, Charleston, Greenville, or Columbia. Unfortunately the “drug problem” is never going away, and it wasn’t a problem for thousands of years until they were criminalized. Wars were never fought over drugs. They were only ever over religion, and money much like today.
Wars were never fought over drugs.
We’ve been fighting the losing “War on Drugs” for most of TBG’s life.
They were never over drugs…WERE. Not until 1915-1970 did drugs become illegal on a widespread scale and including a vast spectrum of natural and chemical substances.
Oh and all that cash floating around would also add to the drug problem.
You are kvetching about the chance of “all that cash floating around” SC?
Really?
Some people feel like they have to live in poverty to be doing the “right thing”.
The only way way gambling would gain any traction is if the people of Iowa decided to embrace it, as that is who ‘our’ representatives Nikii and Lindsey really serve. Its all about doing well in the next straw poll.
Iowa has already bought it. They have river casinos.
A Sin Tax……. those who sin, pay the tax.
Being on welfare,healthy and under/unemployed routinely is a sin and why I approve of the gas tax.
Everybody has skin in the game and pays their fair share.
The people who pay gas taxes are the ones driving to work you leftist asshole
When people say “they say” I always ask “who is they?”. For some reason this always pisses off that person but nobody has ever been able to tell me who “they” is. Polls are a version of “they”.
when will Will post this?
http://www.wistv.com/story/28161485/officials-release-dash-cam-video-of-lt-govs-chief-of-staff-dui-arrest
Old news.
Haley and Republicans kicked your ass…get over it
You may want to look into a mirror, yours got kicked too.
What the fuck, Rocky.You going back to Deo Vindice?
Who is Rocky ?
yeah, cause the Chief of Staff for the Lt Gov arrested for DUI while driving on the wrong side of the road is not news.
Its just another example of the behavior of the law and order / Bible / moral majority party.
When people say “they say” I always ask “who is they?”.
Bet you’re fun at parties!
Of course, TBG does the same thing….
These polls have become meaningless. Sure when their is an election around the corner, they use stringent procedures and can still mess up like they did this past November.
I looked at the downloads for this poll. Why are they asking questions about Leon Lott? Why questions about Jim Hodges? I thought he was dead. I downloaded the presidential poll by PPP linked in yesterday’s article. 62%(Republicans) said they favor Christianity being made the state religion and now a day later 56% favor casino gambling. Now what is the likelihood of majorities favoring both. I don’t think a real voting majority favors either. I don’t believe people thoughtfully answer the questions. They are just annoyed by the phone call, but to polite to hang up. I never respond to any polls because there is no assurance of privacy.
They poll elderly people. Most people in late middle age, or early octogenarians still have house phones, as cell phone numbers aren’t listed. So, when they call they usually get a weird range of results like these. Most elderly people would love to go gambling, not have to worry about other people’s religions, and are probably a majority Republican because they aren’t capable of assimilating into a new age of technology. And honestly, they just don’t care.
Q28 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to 45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 13%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 25%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 35%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 26%
And I guarantee you that most of those people press 2, or 3 because they still have landlines, and that’s all they know.
When liberals get desperate, they go to Polls…you are exactly right…
I liked the Poll Result from Nov. 4. But FITS hated it…Now let’s do what the voters said…That’s the only poll that matters…
Biased Poll
If you look at the survey cover page and questions, it looks like they are trying to find someone to run against Tim Scott, but in all match ups Scott wins by 20% or more.
Also, you notice they ask about the gas tax increase and never asked about the income tax cut. I search the word “tax” in the poll and it appeared 35 times. Every time referred to the gas tax increase. Is that biased or what? The poll never informed you that Haley prerequisites at income tax cut with the gas tax increase.
Just look what a great deal New Jersey got from casino gambling. How could we lose?
Let’s legalize prostitution too. Think of how much tax money we could get from that!
And what about the other form of CRACK, too…must be billions in that…(:
And hereon. And an added benefit would be more jobs for Rehab Center workers and Addiction Counselors.
And hereon.
Here! Here!
Damn. TBG can’t even use his “Xena:Warrior Princess” reference like usual when y’all try to spell “heroin”.
Xena had great tits, which would be easier to enjoy on heroin if the heroine had any around.
Nah. We already have legalized prostitution. It’s called “politics.”
We already have legalized prostitution. It’s called “politics.”
TBG wants, nay… DEMANDS better looking (and higher class) hookers!
“Hollywood for ugly people.”
Wow…trump up a Gigantic Tax bill based on liberals’ and a corrupt media’s demands….then propose one of the most-STUPID gas taxes EVER to pay for the myth-based government money grab…
And when the people finish vomiting from Option A…give them an immoral, decadent Option B…with the idea they’ll jump all over it…because it’s less repulsive than Option A…
I have to LMAO when I see The State newspaper trying desperately to prove how bad our roads are…and all they can come up w/ for a photo op is a patched-over pothole as evidence that needs $48 billion, on the backs of people suffering the worst economy since Jimmy Carter…
We have a traffic problem that can be fix w/ millions. And I-95 needs another lane. The total cost should be 1 or 2 billion. Put up a toll road for out-of-staters on I-95..and you’ll pay for its widening in a relatively short period…
True dat. More importantly, what happened to the line item in the budget that reads “Road Maintanance”?
Yes, our roads are great, no improvements are needed.
You must not get out much.
To TAX the H#!! out us to the tune of $48 Billion, just because a gaggle of consultants, attorneys and lobbyists want to get their hands on the mountain of money is LUDICROUS…
You F*#king Liberal…you CREATE A crisis, then tell us we have to pay for it, based on how much you can stuff in your GREEDY pockets…
You lying, A$$hole THIEF…you are not fooling anyone with your CONCERN for the roads..
You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talking… you talking to me?
Yep, I’m all for the gambling angle. That way the “sin” tax takes care of me, since I don’t gamble this way. You have to remember, the house always wins.
Come on! How legitimate can a poll be that asks about the gas tax increase in three questions and never mentioned the co-requisite income tax cut as proposed by Haley.
Just about ALL polls have become PUSH POLLS to promote liberal ideology and Democrats….
They are losing the battle to indoctrinate the America people because of their astounding level of failure…from ObamaCare and energy to ISIS and unemployment…they can do NOTHING right…
Obama – and liberal policy – have been WRONG about EVERYTHING.
And look at the voting results of Nov. 4 to see if the people are listening to Obama and FITS and his push polls…LMAO…
Inside info for u…a powerful former state legislator and lobbyist once told me that there will NEVER be legalized gambling AGAIN in the state of South Carolina- in our lifetime.
Legalized gambling issue is just another way to beat Haley up over the gas tax-despite the fact she is lowering state income taxes.
I hate taxes however ‘user fees’ on things EVERYBODY consumes is the only way to get those riding the perpetual welfare train to pay just a little of their ‘fair share’ for infrastructure in our communities.
I am for a ‘user’ fee on abortions, gas,cigs, booze,lottery tickets and EBT food purchases (tax the total spent).
I don’t disagree about the user fee…but to TAKE ALL that money from the people…and PRE-Dump it into an alleged-Panacea….is RIDICULOUS…
Cut property taxes and incomes taxes w/ a Gas Tax…but to buy into $48 Billion for roads is Bull-S#!t….They just think they can persuade a majority the roads are that bad…and milk us dry…before they milk us again…down the road…The tax is REAL…the Promises are Bull-S#!t…based in Bull-S#!t…
Agree with you about roads.Been driving the Robert KKKKKK Byrd West Virginia Turnpike for 30 years and the toll one way is $6.00 (was $3.00) and it is a horrible drive in bad weather or during ‘peak’ driving. Where does the money go-the Clinton Foundation?
The universe of those polled obviously did not include the Upstate.
So now gambling the newest and greatest route to the Liberal-Liberal-Tarain Utopian Panacea…LMAO….
You want to gobble cash — no matter how you can slurp it…always promising IF YOU OPEN JUST ONE MORE VICE…all our dreams will come true…yet you are a canker-sore ridden, perpetual-rehabbing, liver-transplant candidate, drunk, slurring and disgusting preacher for all that you exalt…
You are not new under the sun….just stupid enough to think you can fool everybody w/ your ignorance…and greed…
Greedy, greedy g’ment. Always and forever trying to skim from any and all money streams …
This state is far past lost, bring in casinos, horse racing, video poker, bingo, and anything else that will cause rednecks to hand over their entire paycheck.