Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

March 24, 2021

Constituent Survey Results

This year, over 200 friends and neighbors from across House District 21 completed our constituent survey! We appreciate your input and will keep your views in mind as the session continues. Having compiled the information and analyzed the results, here are the key takeaways:

74% of West Anchorage constituents gave the Governor's FY2022 budget proposal a failing grade (D or F).
73% support using Permanent Fund earnings to help pay for essential services.
79% believe we should not pay a statutory dividend and 77% chose increasing the dividend payment as their last choice for using any new revenue.
82% of West Anchorage constituents believe Alaska should continue to fully support Medicaid expansion.

Here are the results of our survey:

Question #1

Question #2

Question #3

Balancing the state budget will likely require a combination of spending cuts, changes to the dividend, and new revenue. For the following choices (A, B, and C), what best reflects your position:

A. Budget Cuts

B. Dividends

*A surplus dividend means the amount of revenue left after funding essential services.

C. New Revenue

Question #4

In what areas of government do you think the legislature should prioritize spending? (1 being highest to 12 being lowest)*

1.) K-12 Education (weighted average: 2.98)

2.) Health and Social Services (weighted average: 3.92)

3.) Public Safety (weighted average: 4.27)

4.) Roads and Road Maintenance (weighted average: 4.62)

5.) Early Education (Pre-K) (weighted average: 4.68)

6.) Infrastructure Projects (weighted average: 5.57)

7.) University of Alaska (weighted average: 5.77)

8.) Alaska Marine Highway (weighted average: 6.03)

9.) Senior Benefits (weighted average: 6.06)

10.) State Parks (weighted average: 6.60)

11.) Oil and Gas Tax Credits (weighted average: 8.20)

12.) $5,000 PFD (weighted average: 8.42)

“Other” responses included: Climate Change, Alternative Energy, Corrections.

*We analyzed these results using a “weighted average” formula in which the lower number shows strong support. The weighted average formula calculates the average value of particular responses. Applied to the ranked choices, the lower number reflects greater support for the choice and the higher number reflects less support. For example, the “K-12 Education” response has a weighted average of 2.98, which shows that many constituents ranked this choice as their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice.

Question #5

Which of the following new revenue measures would you support? (1 being highest to 5 being lowest)

Income Tax (weighted average: 1.63)

Increased Motor Fuels Tax (weighted average: 1.85)

Sales Tax (weighted average: 1.86)

Education Head Tax (weighted average: 2.26)

State Lottery (weighted average: 2.30)

I do not support any of these measures (weighted average: .20)

Question #6

If we raise new revenue through a sales tax, income tax, modifications to oil and gas taxes, or other revenue measure, we should use the new revenue to: (1 being highest to 4 being lowest)

Pay for public education: teachers, schools, and training (weighted average: 1.79)

Pay for public safety: police, troopers, and prosecutors (weighted average: 1.94)

Pay for infrastructure projects: roads, airports, and ports (weighted average: 2.12)

Increase the dividend payment and help pay for dividends (weighted average: 3.10)*

*77% chose increasing the dividend payment as their last choice for using any new revenue.