Survey: most businesses opposed to new road money
The results of a statewide survey released today show most Minnesota business leaders are opposed to new transportation funding sources.
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s 11
th
annual Minnesota Business Barometer Survey found that 57-percent of the 350 randomly sampled participants believe the state does not need to find new revenue to make needed investments in transportation. Thirty-two percent said new revenue should be identified.
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A strong 75 percent said the current highway and transit systems will serve the state’s needs for the next decade, and 61 percent said the state transportation system is better than it was four years ago in the areas they travel.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, who’s running for re-election, said earlier this week that business leaders need to support the passage of a transportation funding plan next year that would begin to address a multi-billion dollar backlog of projects. He said he’s open to several options for new revenue.
Dayton’s Republican challenger, Jeff Johnson, has said he thinks money for transportation can be found elsewhere in the state budget.
Here are some other survey highlights:
46% say the economy is getter better, while 11% say it’s worse and 43% say it’s about the same.
88% say the governor and Legislature play a role – 35% say a very important role – in determining the business climate. 41% say policy-makers have had mixed success in that role.
63% say legislators do not understand everyday business challenges.
44% say reforming the tax code is one of the two most important issues state government should address; next are improving access to affordable health care (33%) and reducing government spending (32%).