Massachusetts voters appear set to give themselves a $1.2
billion tax cut and mandate universal health care in the state, despite well-funded TV ad blitzes against the measures, a
Boston Globe poll indicates.
But they are divided on the heated question of whether to
ban greyhound racing. And an initiative to give drivers a tax credit for tolls, while attracting some support, appears to
concern voters who worry about its fiscal consequences.
The Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll indicates that 56 percent of
those surveyed support Question 4, which would reduce the income tax from 5.85 percent to 5 percent by 2003. Only 26
percent oppose the measure, and 14 percent were undecided. Four percent either did not
know or refused to answer.
The poll of 400 likely voters by KRC Communications Research
Oct. 24-26 has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
Although opposition advertising has eroded some support in
recent weeks, the tax cut, championed by Governor Paul Cellucci, enjoys widespread backing.
"It's in a pretty good position," pollster Gerry Chervinsky
said. "It's lost some ground, but I'd be surprised if it didn't pass."
Polls taken last month showed the public favored the tax cut
by a 3-to-1 margin. Since then, the opposition has run television and radio commercials, sounding alarms about the
cost of the tax cut and saying the money would be better spent on improving education and health care or
paying down debt....