New Survey of Republican Voters in Arizona District 6 Shows Support for Dollar Bill and Dislike of Dollar Coin
March 15 2012 - 12:02PM
Business Wire
A new poll, released today, of voters in Arizona’s 6th
congressional district reveals Republican voters’ preference for
the dollar bill and disapproval of the dollar coin. While Rep.
David Schweikert is sponsoring legislation to abandon the dollar
bill in favor of the dollar coin (H.R. 2977: COINS Act), the poll
shows that voters in the district disagree with his position on the
issue and suggest there are better ways for the government to
address the federal budget deficit.
The survey, conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, an independent
public opinion research firm, found that:
- 80 percent of Republican voters in
Arizona’s 6th district oppose removing the dollar bill from
circulation and replacing it with a dollar coin (as suggested by
the COINS Act); while 63 percent hold strong opposition to the
idea
- 79 percent of those polled feel the
dollar coin is unnecessary
- 79 percent say the dollar coin is
unwanted
- 80 percent feel the dollar bill is more
convenient to carry and use than the dollar coin
- 66 percent say the dollar bill is more
American than the dollar coin
“Sentiments against the dollar coin are strong across Phoenix
and the rest of the country,” said Stefan Hankin, president of
Lincoln Park Strategies. “Our research shows people’s resistance to
the dollar coin spans from everyday usage to the feeling that
politicians should be spending their time on more important
issues.”
Opposition to the dollar coin reaches across the spectrum of
Republican voters in the 6th district. The poll finds that 80
percent of conservative Republicans and 82 percent of moderate
Republicans oppose the COINS Act proposition. Voters supporting
both Republican primary candidates also agree on this issue, with
87 percent of base Schweikert voters and 81 percent of base Quayle
voters opposing a move to the dollar coin. Primary voters feel
strongly enough about this issue that 50 percent say they would be
less likely to support a candidate who favored replacing the dollar
bill with the dollar coin.
The survey reveals that Republican voters in Arizona’s 6th
district are looking for a balanced approach to addressing the
federal budget deficit but feel moving to a dollar coin is not the
solution. While the COINS Act suggests potential savings from a
switch to the dollar coin, 48 percent of voters say it would have a
negative effect on the economy and 31 percent feel there would be
no impact at all.
Despite claims from supporters of the COINS Act, previous
studies have shown there are no short- or long-term savings
associated with dumping the dollar bill for the dollar coin. An
independent economic study conducted by John Dunham &
Associates in November 2011 found that a transition to dollar coins
would increase annual costs to private businesses by $202 million
and lead to thousands of job losses. This in addition to other
capital expenses - new cash registers, change counting machines,
cash drawers, larger safes, etc. - and costs to banks, money
transfer companies and other financial firms.
“The federal budget and economy are facing hard times and this
is when we need our government representatives to stand up for
programs that will make a difference we need,” said Randy DeCleene,
spokesperson for Americans for George. “Leave the dollar bill alone
and move on to more important issues.”
About Americans for George
The Americans for George Coalition is a group of like-minded
individuals, businesses and organizations seeking to ensure that
the citizens of the United States maintain the ability to choose
their preferred currency. The members of the coalition oppose
efforts to eliminate the dollar bill and replace it with a dollar
coin. For more information, please visit
www.americansforgeorge.org.