Oklahomans Suggest Henry Should Only Accept Funds Without Strings Attached

Oklahomans are Worried about Strings Attached to Stimulus Money

Despite Governor Henry accepting all funds allocated to Oklahoma from the national stimulus bill, when asked by SoonerPoll, Oklahoma's likely voters said that they think Henry should only accept funds with no strings attached (44%). Two of every ten respondents said he should accept all funds regardless of strings and an additional quarter said he should refuse all funds.

SoonerPoll.com conducted the scientific study using a random digit dial method via telephone of 318 likely voters in Oklahoma April 23-26, 2009. The study has a margin of error of ±5.5%.

Obama's Stimulus Bill

SoonerPoll.com then questioned Oklahoma's likely voters on issues of the recent stimulus bill. Of most criticism of such legislation were too much spending in general (79.6%) and concerns of earmarks and pork-barrel (74.8%).

Other stimulus issues asked were controversial as well:

62.3% feel that the bill does not provide enough tax cuts for businesses and/or individual tax payers;

61.9% feel that the bill contains too much delayed spending on projects that will not start for several years;

61.6% feel that the bill does not focus enough on job creation and/or worker training.

Nationally, voters rank too much pork-barrel spending as their number one concern regarding the stimulus bill. Another national major concern is that the bill does not provide enough tax cuts for individual tax payers. Oklahomans have feelings comparable to Americans regarding to pork-barrel spending. They are somewhat less concerned than other Americans about the legislation not providing enough tax cuts to individuals.

Republicans were more likely to criticize the stimulus bill because it includes too much spending in general (97.1%) than Democrats (72.4%) and Independents (72.4%) in Oklahoma. Fifty three (53.1%) of all those who answered that they think Governor Henry should accept all stimulus funds agree that the bill includes too much spending. Indeed, 93.3% of all those who think Henry should only accept funds with not strings attached feel that the bill includes too much spending.