State and National Public Survey, February 1994

February 10, 1994

Februrary 6-9, 1994 Survey
N=489 Registered Voters
Margin of Error: +/- 5%

If the November elections were being held right now and the candidates for U.S. Senate were Democrat Linda Kushner and Republican John Chafee, would you vote for: 23% Kushner, 49% Chafee, 28% don't know or no answer

If the November elections were being held right now and the candidates for governor were Democrat Bruce Sundlun and Republican Ron Machtley, would you vote for: 20% Sundlun, 61% Machtley, 19% don't know or no answer

If the November elections were being held right now and the candidates for governor were Democrat Bruce Sundlun and Republican Lincoln Almond, would you vote for: 27% Sundlun, 53% Almond, 20% don't know or no answer

What are the chances that you will vote in this year's Democratic primary -- are you almost certain to vote, will you probably vote, are the chances 50-50 that you will vote, or don't you think that you will vote? (likely primary voters defined as almost certain to vote or probably will vote)

(Likely primary voters only) If the candidates for the Democratic gubernatorial primary were Bruce Sundlun and Myrth York, would you vote for: 29% Sundlun, 29% York, 4% Other, 38% don't know or no answer

(Likely primary voters only) If the candidates for the Democratic gubernatorial primary were Bruce Sundlun, Myrth York, and Robert Weygand, would you vote for: 26% Sundlun, 14% York, 26% Weygand, 2% Other, 32% don't know or no answer

(Likely primary voters only) If the candidates for the Democratic gubernatorial primary were Bruce Sundlun, Myrth York, Robert Weygand, and Frank Flaherty, would you vote for: 20% Sundlun, 8% York, 18% Weygand, 25% Flaherty, 2% Other, 27% don't know or no answer

Generally speaking, would you say things in Rhode Island are going in the right direction or have they gotten off on the wrong track? 26% right direction, 64% wrong track, 10% don't know or no answer

Would you say that over the past year, Rhode Island's economy has gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse? 13% gotten better, 42% stayed about the same, 42% gotten worse, 3% don't know or no answer

What about the next 12 months or so? Do you expect the Rhode Island economy to get better, stay about the same, or get worse? 34% get better, 42% stay the same, 20% get worse, 4% don't know or no answer

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you (and your family living there) are: 38% better off, 35% worse off financially than you were a year ago, 27% don't know or no answer

Now looking ahead--do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be: 32% better off financially, 9% worse off, 53% just about the same as now, 6% don't know or no answer

Now turning to business conditions in the state as a whole--do you think that during the next twelve months we'll have: 35% good times financially, 45% bad times, 20% don't know or no answer

Looking ahead, which would you say is more likely--that in the state as a whole: 31% we'll have continuous good times during the next five years or so, 49% that we will have periods of widespread unemployment or depression, 20% don't know or no answer

About the big things people buy for their homes--such as furniture, a refrigerator, stove, television, and things like that. Generally speaking, do you think now is a: 62% good, 26% bad time for people to buy major household items, 12% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bill Clinton is doing as president? 7% excellent, 47% good, 34% only fair, 10% poor, 2% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job John Chafee is doing as U.S. Senator? 6% excellent, 45% good, 32% only fair, 8% poor, 9% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Claiborne Pell is doing as U.S. Senator? 7% excellent, 40% good, 36% only fair, 11% poor, 6% don't know or no answer

How would you rate the job Bruce Sundlun is doing as governor? 2% excellent, 22% good, 41% only fair, 33% poor, 2% don't know or no answer

Is your opinion of Patrick Kennedy favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough yet to have an opinion? 25% favorable, 19% unfavorable, 20% undecided, 36% not heard enough

As far as you are concerned, what is the most important problem facing the state of Rhode Island today? open-ended responses coded as: 36% unemployment/jobs, 18% the economy, 10% crime, 8% ethics and corruption, 4% government trust/performance, 4% business climate, 3% education, others mentioned were under 3% each

Would you favor or oppose a ban on the sale of all handguns except those issued to law enforcement officers? 70% favor, 25% oppose, 5% don't know or no answer

Should there be mandatory life jail sentences for individuals convicted of three violent felonies? 89% yes, 6% no, 5% don't know or no answer

Should the state discontinue the $200 clothing allowance given welfare mothers enrolled in job training programs or actively seeking work? 20% yes, 70% no, 10% don't know or no answer

Should the state require mothers under 18 years of age to live with a parent in order to qualify for public assistance? 55% yes, 33% no, 12% don't know or no answer

It has been proposed that recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children get no additional benefits for children born after their families go on public assistance. Do you support or oppose this proposal? 67% support, 21% oppose, 12% don't know or no answer

How many times in the past 6 months have you gone shopping in the city of Providence? 58% never, 17% once or twice, 5% three or four times, 17% five times or more, 3% don't know or no answer

How would you currently evaluate Providence as a place to shop? 1% excellent, 12% good, 27% only fair, 39% poor, 21% don't know or no answer

There has been a proposal to build a new shopping mall in downtown Providence as part of the Capital Center development project. How much have you heard about this proposal? 21% a lot, 23% some, 47% not very much, 9% don't know or no answer

Would you favor the construction of this new shopping mall if it were financed entirely by private investment? 75% favor, 18% oppose 7% don't know or no answer

Would you favor the construction of this new shopping mall if it required some public investment? 26% favor, 64% oppose, 10% don't know or no answer

Would you favor the construction of this new shopping mall if it required a public investment of as much as $100 million, to be repaid with property tax revenues from the shopping center? 20% favor, 69% oppose, 11% don't know or no answer

Under one proposal, the city of Providence would contribute $47.25 million to build a new parking garage by issuing bonds which would be repaid over time from property tax revenues from the shopping center. Would you favor this proposal? 34% favor, 55% oppose, 11% don't know or no answer

The state would provide property needed for the mall facility along with $47.25 million it hopes to get from the federal government? Would you favor this action on the part of the state? 38% favor, 49% oppose, 13% don't know or no answer

Should the investment by the city and state be put to building this shopping mall or devoted to other purposes? 13% build mall, 77% other purposes, 10% don't know or no answer

This proposal would have the city and state lease air rights to the private development company for $1.5 million a year for 50 years, or a total of $75 million. Is this charge to the development company: 17% too high, 22% just about right, 7% too low, 54% don't know or no answer

The success of this project would be dependent on the longterm financial soundness of rent-paying occupants, the use of downtown land by private developers, and a move in the current downtown location of the College of Continuing Education of URI. Under these circumstances, would you favor the construction of this shopping mall? 37% favor, 46% oppose, 17% don't know or no answer

How much do you think this new shopping mall would benefit the Rhode Island economy? 13% a lot, 33% some, 47% not very much, 7% don't know or no answer

Do you believe this proposal should be subject to approval by voters in a referendum? 92% yes, 7% no, 1% don't know or no answer

Regardless of how you vote, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else? 12% Republican, 26% Democrat, 53% Independent, 6% Other, 3% don't know or no answer

Do you consider yourself a liberal, moderate, or conservative? 26% liberal, 42% moderate, 26% conservative, 6% don't know or no answer