Albany Insight

Survey says!

My wife is mad at you. Well, okay, technically she’s mad at me. But it’s partly your fault, and I’m not taking the fall for you.

I emailed a survey to numerous constituents throughout the 16 towns I represent in the New York State Assembly. The survey solicited opinions on a variety of issues facing the state.

I expected to receive back a few hundred completed surveys. I received a few thousand.

That’s where my wife comes in. Since there simply were not enough hours in the work day to read them all at the office, I brought some of them home.

For weeks, I had stacks of surveys on the family room coffee table, and on the floor next to the bed. I kept three boxes of them in the mudroom.

Since you spent the time to complete them — many with lengthy comments — I was going to read them all.

Here are the highlights of the 2,357 replies I received:

• 16 people made derogatory remarks about my mother;

• Seven people complained about paying 44 cents for return postage;

• 11 people predicted that I would never read their response;

In other results:

1.) Is New York State on the right track or wrong track? “Right”: 31 percent and “Wrong”: 69 percent

2.) Has the recession in New York State ended? “Yes”: 12 percent and “No”: 88 percent.

3.) Do you know anyone who has been laid off? “Yes”: 67 percent and “No”: 33 percent.

4) What should be done about unfunded mandates?

• Constitutional Amendment banning them: 61 percent.

• Use them more carefully: 29 percent.

• No changes needed: five percent.

• Other : five percent.

5.) Should wine be sold in grocery Stores? “Yes”: 36 percent, “No:” 45 percent, “Don’t know”: 10 percent and “Other”; nine percent

6) Who should draw new legislative district lines?

• Legislature, as per the constitution: 23 percent.

• Independent Commission: 21 percent

• Independent Commission, with members appointed equally by the four legislative leaders: 44 percent.

• Other: 12 percent.

7.) How should Medicaid be reformed?

• No reform is needed: three percent.

• Reduce the number of services offered: 19 percent.

• Raise the income eligibility threshold: 50 percent.

• Simply copy Medicaid regulations from another state: 19 percent

• Other: nine percent.

8.) Hydrofracking: “Favor”: 41 percent, “Opposed”: 40 percent, and “Undecided”: 19 percent.

9.) Are you thinking of leaving New York State? “Yes”: 42 percent and “No”: 58 percent.

10.) Have your children left New York State? “Yes”: 46 percent and “No”: 54 percent.

11) Should the New York State employee work week be changed from 37.5 to 40 hours? “Yes”: 84 percent and “No”: 16 percent.

Remember, these poll results are not scientific — especially the comments about my mom. But they do reflect the views of a very broad cross section of people who cared enough to respond.

To those folks, I am grateful.

Assemblyman Sean Hanna represents parts of Livingston, Monroe, and Ontario Counties in the 130th District.