ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996                  TAG: 9607220012
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 

THE VIRGINIA TECH QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research polled 1,168 adult Virginians between April 21-May 22. The margin of error is 2.9 percent. Numbers may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Highlights biggest differences between certain groups.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Virginians may not have a reputation as big spenders, but when asked about a series of government programs, their tendency on many of them is to think the state should be spending more money, not less.

Does Virginia spent too much, about the right amount, or not enough on . .

WHAT WE THINK WE'RE NOT SPENDING ENOUGH MONEY ON

There were only two items that a majority of Virginians think the state isn't spending enough money on.

Too much About right Not enough Don't know

Schools, K-12 5% 35% 54% 7%

Soc. ser. for elderly 2% 33% 50% 15%

But there were five things that a plurality of Virginians think the state isn't spending enough money on.

Too much About right Not enough Don't know

Drug abuse prev. 5% 33% 46% 16%

Soc. ser. for disabled 1% 37% 43% 20%

Health care 3% 39% 42% 16%

Environment 3% 40% 40% 16%

Soc. ser. for poor 14% 35% 37% 13%

WHAT WE THINK WE'RE SPENDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY ON

On these government services, a majority of Virginians think the state is spending the right amount of money.

Parks and recreation 4% 68% 24% 4%

Promoting tourism 6% 66% 22% 5%

Highways 8% 57% 32% 3%

Attracting new bus. 8% 54% 30% 8%

And then there are those services where a plurality of Virginias think the state is spending the right amount of money.

State colleges 5% 47% 32% 16%

Public housing 11% 45% 29% 15%

Tech. educ. in col. 2% 44% 31% 24%

Agri. educ. in col. 2% 44% 21% 32%

Prisons 25% 32% 26% 17%

Prisons continue to be a flashpoint for Virginians, as they have been in previous surveys. There's no other issue that prompts so many Virginians to say we're spending too much money - and so few people to say spending is about right.

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