What is the attitude of Kansans toward coal-fired power plants?
Opponents of these plants have polls purportedly telling us that a majority of Kansans are opposed to them. See the press release Kansans Support Denial of Coal Plants, Want Wind Power for New Electricity from GPACE, a group headed by Scott Allegrucci, a former actor and son of Joyce Allegrucci, the former campaign director and chief of staff for Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. But also see Kansans’ Opposition to Coal Plant: Look at the Poll for a look at the type of questions used in this poll.
Now a Rasmussen Reports poll from June 2008 covers some issues in Kansas. The poll can be viewed here. The last question in the poll is this:
Should the State of Kansas allow a power company to build a new coal fired plant in southwest Kansas?
48% Yes
32% No
19% Not sure
This time the question is asked plainly, without the emotional imagery used to frame the questions in the poll mentioned above. The results, not surprisingly, are different.
Let’s not forget the funding for the poll that cited Kansans did not want coal:
Kansas Democratic Party Pollsters from DC Area Find Kansans Reject Coal-Fired Plants
http://kansasmeadowlark.com/2008/01-03/index.htm