Utahns split over how well lawmakers did, poll shows

It was a tough budget year for state legislators, and a new poll shows Utahns are split over the job lawmakers did on spending — with a majority not liking their actions.

However, three things are clear from the new Deseret News/KSL-TV survey by Dan Jones & Associates:

 Utahns wanted the cigarette tax increased to offset program and employee cuts — and legislators didn't do that during the recently adjourned annual session.

 Utahns didn't want any general tax raised — and lawmakers listened and didn't reimpose the sales tax on food, as some legislators wanted.

 Utahns want Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and state lawmakers to take the $1.7 billion in federal stimulus money, which lawmakers and the governor did — even though some conservative lawmakers complained about the money and passed a resolution criticizing Congress' spending programs.

In a survey completed this week of 400 adults, Jones found that 54 percent disapproved of the job legislators did in balancing the 2009-10 budget, which takes effect July 1.

Only 45 percent approved of lawmakers' budget actions. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

It may not be a surprise that so many Utahns didn't like the budget lawmakers adopted, since it includes serious program reductions with some likely employee layoffs and unpaid furloughs.

But even minority Democrats in the House and Senate said they were pleased overall with the budget outcomes, considering early budget numbers showed a $1.5 billion tax revenue shortfall over two years with the possibility of more than 3,000 state and higher education employee layoffs and 15 percent cuts in programs.

In the end, with only a $20 increase in the vehicle registration fee, and with more than $500 million in federal stimulus money, legislators were able to balance next year's $10.6 billion state budget with a few layoffs, some unpaid furloughs and 9 percent cuts to most programs.

Still, more than a few legislators wanted to increase the state's cigarette tax by around $1.30 per pack. But legislators refused to do that.

And Jones found that 65 percent of Utahns didn't like that decision. They preferred that the tax go up to lessen employee and program cuts.