1

SeattleWA_0406
Apr 09, 2018
Gender
Male
Female

48 %
52 %

q1. Before we begin, I need to know whether I have reached you on a cell phone, and if so, are you in a
safe place where we can continue this conversation?
No, not on a cell phone
Yes, on a cell phone, but in safe place [MUST BE AT LEAST 55%]

43 %
57 %

q2. Thinking ahead, on November 5th, 2019, there will be a General Election for Seattle City Council and
other local offices and ballot measures. How likely would you say you are to vote in this General
Election-are you almost certain to vote, will you probably vote, would you say the chances are 50-50
that you will vote, are you probably not going to vote or will you definitely not vote in the November
5th, 2019 General Election?
Almost certain to vote
Probably will vote

65 %
35 %

q3. Thinking about all the telephone calls that you receive, do you get: [READ; DO NOT ROTATE]
All of your calls on a cell phone; [MUST BE AT LEAST 35%]
Almost all of your calls on a cell phone;
About half on a cell phone and half on a regular home phone;
Almost all of your calls on a regular home phone; or
All of your calls on a regular home phone?
DK/NA [DO NOT READ]

31 %
21 %
28 %
12 %
8%
0%

 2

q4. The City of Seattle is considering enacting a tax on businesses based on the number of people they
employ. The tax would raise about $75 million dollars annually and be used to address rising
homelessness through the creation of more affordable housing and expanded services to address this
issue. The tax would completely exempt all businesses with annual gross receipts below a certain
threshold, possibly $10 million dollars. Businesses with taxable gross receipts above the $10 million
dollar threshold would pay a rate of approximately $370 dollars per full-time employee. Having heard
this, do you favor or oppose this proposal? [IF FAVOR/OPPOSE, ASK:] Do you feel that way strongly or
not so strongly?
Favor, strongly
Favor, not strongly
Oppose, not strongly
Oppose, strongly
Not sure
NET FAVOR
NET OPPOSE

30 %
26 %
10 %
18 %
15 %
56 %
28 %

q5. The City may consider raising the business exemption threshold to $50 million in taxable gross
receipts. In this scenario, fewer businesses would pay the tax and the rate would increase to around
$660 dollars per full-time employee in order to generate $75 million dollars a year dedicated to
addressing homelessness in Seattle. Having heard this, do you favor or oppose this proposal? [IF
FAVOR/OPPOSE, ASK:] Do you feel that way strongly or not so strongly?
Favor, strongly
Favor, not strongly
Oppose, not strongly
Oppose, strongly
Not sure
NET FAVOR
NET OPPOSE

28 %
26 %
12 %
19 %
14 %
54 %
31 %

 3

q6. Opponents of this proposal say it is a tax on job creation and will make Seattle less competitive with
other cities. We are already seeing Amazon look to expand elsewhere. And with the City already
spending over $60 million dollars on homelessness, it's time that we take a more regional approach to
the crisis and ask the County and other cities to share the burden. Having heard this, let me ask you
again: do you favor or oppose a tax on businesses with gross receipts greater than $10 million dollars
requiring them to pay a flat $370 dollar fee per employee in order to address homelessness in the City
of Seattle? [IF FAVOR/OPPOSE, ASK:] Do you feel that way strongly or not so strongly?
Favor, strongly
Favor, not strongly
Oppose, not strongly
Oppose, strongly
DK/NA
NET FAVOR
NET OPPOSE

28 %
26 %
14 %
20 %
13 %
54 %
34 %

I’m now going to read you several statements people have made as a reason to consider supporting the
proposed tax on businesses with gross receipts greater than $10 million dollars requiring them to pay a
flat $370 dollar fee per employee to address homelessness. After each, please tell me whether you find
that statement a very convincing reason to support the proposal, somewhat convincing, not too
convincing or not convincing at all. If you aren’t sure, you can tell me that, too, and we will move on.
[READ; ROTATE]
Very
Somewhat Not too Not
convincing convincing convincing at all

q7. [INVEST] It takes a big step towards solving Seattle's chronic
homelessness and housing affordability problems by investing
$75 million dollars per year in deeply affordable housing and
services for veterans, seniors, families and individuals
experiencing homelessness in our city
q8. [SHARED RESPONSIBILITY] Our economy is booming and
many of our biggest companies are contributing a lot to that
boom. However, rapid growth has led to a chronic lack of
affordable housing. This proposal asks big corporations-the
biggest contributors to Seattle's housing affordability crisis and
homelessness to pay their fair share.
q9. [COMMON SENSE] This proposal is a common sense way to
address homelessness and the need for more deeply affordable
housing in Seattle. Instead of creating new property or sales
taxes-which hurt homeowners, renters and shoppers-it asks for
the city's biggest corporations to chip in to help address our
homelessness crisis

DK

32%

38%

20% 6% 4%

31%

34%

17% 12% 6%

36%

33%

13% 13% 5%

 4

q10. Now let me ask you one more time: do you favor or oppose a tax on businesses with gross receipts
greater than $10 million dollars requiring them to pay a flat $370 dollar fee per employee in order to
address homelessness in the City of Seattle? [IF FAVOR/OPPOSE, ASK:] Do you feel that way strongly or
not so strongly?
Favor, strongly
Favor, not strongly
Oppose, not strongly
Oppose, strongly
DK/NA
NET FAVOR
NET OPPOSE

29 %
28 %
12 %
21 %
11 %
57 %
33 %

q11. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate for City Council if they supported this
proposal? [IF MORE/LESS LIKELY, ASK:] Is that much ____ [MORE/LESS] likely or only somewhat ____
[MORE/LESS] likely?
Much more likely
Somewhat more likely
Somewhat less likely
Much less likely
DK/NA
NET MORE LIKELY
NET LESS LIKELY

16 %
33 %
11 %
11 %
29 %
49 %
22 %

q12. As we discussed, the City of Seattle currently spends about $60 million dollars per year to address
homelessness. Do you believe the city should spend more, about the same amount, or less to address
homelessness and addiction?
More
About the same
Less
DK/NA

41 %
30 %
15 %
14 %

 5

q13. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, a Socialist, an
Independent, or something else? [IF REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT/SOCIALIST, ASK:] Do you consider
yourself a strong ____ [REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT/SOCIALIST] or a not so strong ____
[REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT/SOCIALIST]? [IF INDEPENDENT, ASK:] Would you say that you lean more
towards the Republican, more towards the Democratic, or more towards the Socialist Party?
Republican, strongly
Republican, not so strongly
Independent, leans Republican
Democrat, strongly
Democrat, not so strongly
Independent, leans Democrat
Socialist, strongly
Socialist, not strongly
Independent, leans Socialist
Independent
DK/NA/OTHER

10 %
7%
6%
29 %
17 %
13 %
3%
2%
1%
12 %
0%

q14. What is your age?
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
Ref/DK

9%
16 %
17 %
18 %
21 %
18 %
1%

q15. What was the last level of education that you completed?
High school graduate or less
Some college education
College graduate
Postgraduate
DK/NA

14 %
27 %
41 %
17 %
1%

 6

q16. Do you own a business based in the City of Seattle?
Yes
No
DK/NA

9%
90 %
1%

q17. Do you come from an Hispanic, Latino, or a Spanish-speaking background?
Yes [SKIP TO END]
No [GO TO Q18]
DK/NA [GO TO Q18]

1%
99 %
0%

[ASK Q18 ONLY AMONG Q17 CODES 2 OR 3]
q18. What is your race or ethnicity?
White
Black
Hispanic/Latino/Spanish
Native American
Asian
Two or more races [RECORD: ]
Something else
DK/NA/REF

96 %
1%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%