Over 80% of West Virginians Believe State Government Wastes Taxes, Inefficient
‘State of the Mountain State’ poll also finds a lot of uncertainty around PEIA program

Charleston, WV – The first release of the “State of the Mountain State” survey results will deal with two issues: public understanding of the Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) and public perception regarding size and efficiency of state government and state government spending.

“I think it is important to measure West Virginians’ understanding of the PEIA insurance program to identify any knowledge gaps between stakeholders and the general public,” said Garrett Ballengee, the Cardinal Institute’s executive director. “Based on the survey results, it’s pretty clear West Virginians don’t really know what to think about the PEIA program. Folks don’t really know whether it’s a good plan, bad plan, or how it compares to the private sector or other states. There is an opportunity to educate West Virginians about this particular program, and Cardinal intends to do just that,” continued Ballengee.

“We also surveyed the public’s perception of the size and efficiency of the state government,” said Ballengee. “As the survey results demonstrate, the public doesn’t believe the state uses its resources efficiently and a plurality believe it’s too big. For a well-functioning state, it is important that taxpayers believe – and know – their taxes are being used well. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case,” Ballengee continued.

Next week’s survey results will cover the public’s perception of education in West Virginia.

Survey Note:
The survey was sponsored by the Cardinal Institute for WV Policy to better understand the perceptions and opinions of 405 West Virginia registered voters on a host of public policy issues. It was conducted by MBE, LLC. Some totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding. The survey was conducted via online panel sampling during September 2018. Respondents self-identified as:
(42%) Democrat; (33%) Republican; (25%) Independent/other

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Founded in 2014, The Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit dedicated to research, develop, and communicate effective free market public policies for West Virginia

PEIA Questions:
Based on what you know about the Public Employees Insurance program offered by the state government to all state employees, do you believe this health insurance plan is … [Results: Bold]

(a)Among the best plans in the country (8%)
(b) An average plan when compared to other states (46%)
(c) Among the worst plans in the country (27%)
(d) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR) (19%)

And based on what you know about the Public Employees Insurance program offered by the state government to all state employees, do you believe it is better than health insurance offered by private companies, about the same, or do you believe it is worse than health insurance offered by private companies? [Results: Bold]

(a) PEIA is better than what private companies offer (21%)
(b) PEIA is about the same as what private companies offer (31%)
(c) PEIA is worse than what private companies offer (26%)
(d) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR) (23%)

State Government/Spending Questions:
Do you agree or disagree the state government wastes a significant amount of tax dollars on programs and policies that are not necessary? Would that be strongly (agree/disagree) or just somewhat (agree/disagree)? [Results: Bold]

(a) Strongly agree (45%)
(b) Somewhat agree (39%)
(c) Somewhat disagree (10%)
(d) Strongly disagree (2%)
(e) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR) (5%)

Do you believe West Virginia state government employs too many people, about the right number of people, or too few people? [Results: Bold]

(a) Too many people (40%)
(b) About the right amount (32%)
(c) Too few people (15%)
(d) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR) (13%)

Do you believe the state generally pays its employees too much, about the right amount, or too little? [Results: Bold]

(a) Too much (19%)
(b) About the right amount (30%)
(c) Too little (43%)
(d) Dk/Na/Rf (DNR) (8%)