Among likely voters intending to vote “yes” on Proposition 67 this November, 24% say their reason is that they believe “emergency services are important and will provide better emergency room services.” Another 21% of “yes” side supporters feel “emergency services are under-funded and they need more money.” On the other hand, 32% of likely voters who intend to vote “no” believe that the proposition “is another tax increase,” they “oppose tax increases,” and “feel they are already paying too much in taxes.” Another one in four “no” side voters “oppose adding a surcharge to hone bills,” and that “phone bills are already too high.”

In the two open-ended questions included in the Field Poll survey on Proposition 67, and sponsored by CHCF, respondents were asked to state one or more reasons for why they were planning to vote either “yes” or “no” come November.

• “Doctors, emergency room personnel should be fairly reimbursed, compensated,” (16%);

• “It would help the people who are unable to pay for care, the uninsured, poor people,” (15%);

  Voters planning to vote “no” cited these additional reasons:

• “Phone users shouldn’t have to shoulder the costs for health care, find other ways to fund emergency services,” (18%);

• Hospitals already have enough money, they are mismanaged, should spend the money they have more wisely,” (14%).

• “Oppose paying for the health care costs of people who don’t have insurance, illegal immigrants,” (10%)

  Among voters inclined to vote “no” on the proposition, results of the open-ended questions also revealed:

• “No” voters who are Republican are more likely than Democrats taking a “No” position to complain that Prop. 67 is just another tax increase or that it adds another surcharge to their phone bills.

• “No” voters who complain that they don’t like paying for the health care costs of people without insurance or illegal immigrants are more likely to include men than women and to be Republican than Democrat.

  Among voters planning to vote “yes”:

• “Yes” voters who are Democrats are more likely than those who are Republican to say that emergency services are important and that emergency services are underfunded as reasons for supporting the initiative.

• Conservatives are more likely than other “yes” voters to feel that doctors and emergency room personnel should be fairly reimbursed or compensated for their services.

  Proposition 67, on the November ballot, is an initiative to provide additional funding for emergency medical services through a surcharge on telephone users. CHCF does not take a position on this or other ballot propositions.