Quinnipiac Poll in NJ Deliberately Omits Any Reference to "Embryonic" in a Stem Cell Question

Quinnipiac University Hamden, Connecticut

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January 27, 2005 - New Jersey Voters Oppose Gas Tax Hike 3-1, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Back Stem Cell Research, But Mixed On Funding It

By a 71 - 23 percent margin, New Jersey voters oppose hiking the gasoline tax to help balance the state budget, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Opposition to a gas tax hike drops to 57 - 39 percent if the money is used to finance road improvements.
Opposition to a gas tax hike is strong among men and women, Democrats, Republicans and independent voters and urban, suburban and rural voters, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.
New Jersey voters support stem cell research 68 - 20 percent, but support by a narrower 47 - 42 percent margin a proposal by Acting Governor Richard Codey to spend $380 million in state funds for this research.
"Voters almost never support a tax increase, so it's significant that four in ten New Jersey voters would back a gasoline tax hike - if it went to improve the state's highways. Support drops dramatically when voters are asked to support a gasoline tax hike to balance the budget," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"New Jersey voters overwhelmingly support stem cell research, but backing declines sharply when an expensive price tag is put on the program. Even then, a plurality support Acting Gov. Codey's proposal which would make the state a leader in stem cell research," Richards added.
By a 74 - 20 percent margin New Jersey voters say it's a "good idea" to amend the state constitution to create an office of lieutenant governor, where a candidate is elected along with the governor and serves as governor if the governor is unable to complete the term.
Voters also say 78 - 10 percent that it's a "good idea" to have a constitutional convention after the 2005 elections to restructure New Jersey's property tax system.
"It's not surprising that voters overwhelmingly want constitutional changes to cut property taxes and to create the post of lieutenant governor in New Jersey. Property taxes have long been identified in Quinnipiac University polls as the number one problem in the state," Richards said.
"And New Jersey voters have seen twice in four years the problems that develop when a governor resigns leaving the Senate president as acting governor."
From January 18 - 24, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,215 New Jersey registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida and nationally as a public service and for research. For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu and quicklinks or call (203) 582-5201. Contact Quinnipiac

View Poll Here, #23 & 24

January 27, 2005 - New Jersey Voters Oppose Gas Tax Hike 3-1, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Back Stem Cell Research, But Mixed On Funding It

Coleus,Pro-life bump.

To think that if the money already intended for road improvements was spent on road improvements, chances are there would be no need for more money for road improvements.

Graft, corruption, and theft...

Left a message for Maurice "Mickey" Carroll of Quinniapiac asking him to call me back with an answer to the omission of embryonic from his poll questioning line. I strongly suggest the rest of you call him as well.

Good snag Coleus!

Why do people take polls seriously? Poll questions are stated in a way to advantage an agenda. It doesn't matter whether it is a conservative or a liberal poll, the questions are skewed so that no matter how they are answered the poll giver can point out that his view is favored.

ProLife Ping!

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Quinnipiac Poll Deliberately Omits Amy Reference to "Embryonic"
New Jersey Right to Life 113 North Avenue West Cranford, NJ 07016 Contact: Marie Tasy (908) 276-6620 Quinnipiac Poll Deliberately Misleads - Omits Any Reference to “Embryonic” in Questions on Stem Cell Research January 27, 2005 Marie Tasy, Executive Director of New Jersey Right to Life issued the following statement in response to the Quinnipiac Poll released today. “Today’s Quinnipiac Poll is misleading and certainly not an accurate read on where the public stands on the issue of stem cell research because the questions did not distinguish between the different types of stem cell research and deliberately omitted any reference to “embryonic,” a much more controversial and publicly opposed type of stem cell research,” said Tasy. “New Jersey taxpayers want their hard earned money spent wisely and ethically. That is why the majority of people support non-embryonic or adult stem cell research which is the only research that has thus far led to cures,” said Tasy. This deceptive tactic, of omitting any reference to “embryonic,” has also been employed by the Acting Governor in his State of the State Address and in his January 24 letter to President Bush. “The word “embryonic” was never mentioned because there is not widespread support for “research” which involves the deliberate mutilation and killing of human beings.” This on-going campaign of withholding the truth from the public was part of a larger strategy used to gain legislative approval for the NJ Law, P.L. 2003, C.203, which authorizes the cloning and killing of human beings, under the guise of “stem cell research.” “The Legislature arrogantly rushed this law through without sufficient public notice or input in a lame duck session and refused to heed requests issued by NJ Members of Congress and numerous experts in the field of law and bioethics to replace the phony ban on human cloning with a real one. The defective language in the NJ law which purported to ban human cloning, actually authorized human cloning and the gestating and harvesting of cloned babies for their organs and tissues through the newborn stages,” said Tasy. “A vast majority of the public does not support human cloning and that is the obvious reason for this verbal trickery,” said Tasy. Originally, Democratic lawmakers also publicly stated they would not push for public funding of this research and have since gone back on their word by secretly pushing through $11.5 Million in last June’s budget for the Stem Cell Institute and are now calling for an additional $380 million bond scheme to fund it. Every day, more and more cures are occurring through the use of adult stem cells, while research performed on human embryos left over from fertility clinics and cloned human embryos have yet to provide one single cure. “Public support cannot be accurately gauged on this issue unless the public is asked whether they would support adult stem cell research which has no ethical baggage and is already providing cures or embryonic stem cell research which has not provided any cures and involves killing a human embryo. There is no question that if given the choice, NJ citizens would overwhelmingly and exclusively choose adult stem cell research, the only ethical and practical research which is already providing cures and treatment.”