Auto State Gives
Overwhelming Support for Raising Fuel-Economy Standards
88 Percent of Michigan
UAW Households Give Thumbs-Up to Higher Miles-Per-Gallon
Standards
ansing – An eye-popping new poll
released today finds that voters in Michigan-epicenter of the
American auto industry-overwhelmingly support making America's cars,
SUVs and light trucks go farther on a gallon of gas. Contrary to
conventional wisdom, the poll, conducted by Lake, Snell, Perry &
Associates for the Sierra Club, found that Michigan households with
a United Auto Worker (UAW) member are even more likely to favor
tougher fuel-economy standards.
"Autoworker households
in Michigan overwhelmingly supported raising fuel-economy standards
to 40 miles per gallon," said Celinda Lake, President of Lake,
Snell, Perry & Associates. "We found that support is high in
part because Michigan voters, including UAW households, believe that
increasing standards will create jobs and help the economy. It may
run contrary to conventional wisdom, but in the hotbed of America's
auto industry, voters want cars and SUVs to go farther on a gallon
of gas."
According to the poll
results, 77 percent of Michigan voters favor increasing standards to
40 miles per gallon over the next ten years, 51 percent of whom
strongly favor increasing standards. An even higher percentage of
UAW households-84 percent-favor increasing fuel economy standards to
40 miles per gallon over the next ten years, 57 percent of whom
strongly favor increasing standards. Strong majorities of voters
favor this proposal across all demographic and political subgroups.
Poll results show that
support for increasing fuel economy standards to 40 mpg in the next
ten years remains strong even when presented with the
auto-industry's argument that "requiring increased average mileage
increases the burden of regulation on the American car industry,
costs jobs and adds hundreds of dollars to the purchase price of
cars." After hearing both sides of the debate, voters rejected that
argument by a margin of 76 to 17 percent, and UAW households
rejected the argument by the margin of 80 to 14 percent.
"Raising auto fuel
economy standards is an essential element to a balanced energy plan
that offers quicker, cleaner, cheaper and safer energy solutions,
and this poll illustrates that support is strong even in the home
state of the auto industry-the loudest opponents to strong
fuel-economy standards," said Carl Pope, Executive Director of the
Sierra Club. "Americans recognize that by raising fuel economy
standards we can reduce our dependence on oil without sacrificing
the wild places Americans love."
According to Lake,
Snell, Perry & Associates, one likely reason underlying the
strong support for increasing CAFE standards in Michigan is that
voters and UAW households believe that increasing standards will
create jobs and help the economy. A plurality of voters, 43 percent,
believe increasing fuel economy standards would create jobs and help
the economy, compared to only 19 percent who believe it would cost
jobs. Half of UAW households, 50 percent, believe increased
standards would create jobs compared to only 14 percent who say jobs
would be lost as a result.
"We have got to make
the next generation of cars right away," said Mike Keeler, UAW
member in Flint. "We cannot afford to let our competition get ahead
of us like we did in 1970s. CAFE standards provide a stimulus to
keep us moving and innovative."
A recent report by the
Union of Concerned Scientists demonstrated that raising standards to
40 mpg would create 40,000 jobs in the auto industry by 2010 and
would save car owners $3000 to more than $5000 at the gas pump over
the life of a vehicle.
The poll was conducted
by nationally respected pollster Lake, Snell, Perry & Associates
between January 7th and January 15th. The survey reached 650
registered, likely voters in the State of Michigan, and included an
oversample of 150 UAW households.
For a copy of the Lake,
Snell, Perry & Associates polling memo, please call Dan Farough
at (517) 484-2372.
