From State Rep. Mike Tryon:
Each year I survey the constituents of the 66th Legislative District to gauge their opinions on key issues affecting the State. This year’s survey was promoted through my E-Newsletter and also posted on my web site and Facebook page. I appreciate those who took the time to complete the survey.
When reviewing the responses, I was pleased to know that my votes in Springfield have been pretty consistent with the wishes of the community residents I represent. Here is a summary of the data collected:
Do you support the roll back of the 2011 income tax increase?
Do you support a new graduated income tax?
Do you support a stand-alone minimum wage increase?
Would you support a minimum wage increase if it was tied into cost saving reforms, especially for small businesses, such as workers’ compensation?
Would you support a new sales tax on the service industry in Illinois?
Do you support moving away from state funded pensions and toward an independent 401k system?
Do you support the decriminalization of marijuana?
Do you support a new capital bill in Illinois for improvements to the commuter rail system (Metra)?
Do you support taking the legislative map-drawing process out of the hands of politicians?
Do you support gaming expansion in Illinois as an alternative to raising taxes?
In which area would you support cuts so that the budget can be balanced (please pick one)?
Do you support the consolidation of units of government to save money (please pick one)?
It was very interesting to see several extended answers provided to the question above about where cuts should be made in order to balance the budget.
Several respondents said the budget areas of education, Medicaid and human services should not be touched, while many suggested that a renewed effort be taken to remove fraud and abuse from the Medicaid system and that the threshold for qualifying for Welfare be strengthened.
Many people felt the size of government should be reduced and that wages should be frozen or decreased for state workers, including lawmakers.
A good number of people pointed to wasteful spending and pork projects as areas where reductions could occur, and some felt strongly that once reforms and reductions have been made that the State needed to find additional revenue sources.
Again, I value all of the input that was provided and appreciate the guidance. Your opinions really do matter to me, as they help me properly represent the people of the 66th District.
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No indication was given to the number of people who replied to the survey.
I call B.S.! On so many levels!
Mike Tryon, exemplifies all that is wrong in the Republican party and why it wouldn’t matter if the R’s controlled Springfield…
All politics – No principles!
What was the sample size of the poll (how many people answered the questions).
May be skewed in that it’s not truly random, the special interest groups could email their buddies to take the poll.