Independence Party "bean poll" results at the Dakota County Fair have bean tabulated
Results from a nonscientific Independence Party poll at the Dakota County Fair, dubbed a “bean poll,” have been tabulated.
When asked about Dakota County transportation needs, some 55 percent of the approximately 700 respondents said the county needed a light rail and/or bus rapid transit connection with the Hiawatha light rail line — close to 30 percent wanted more bridges across the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers while about 17 percent wanted faster roads going east to west.
In another transportation question, about 50 percent of the respondents said their next vehicle will have a smaller, more efficient gas engine while more than a third envision zipping around in an electric or hybrid vehicle.
About 14 percent wanted the same V-8 engine that currently graces their truck or SUV.
Asked about how to lower gas prices, about a quarter supported lowering speed limits and driving less, about 30 percent called for more drilling offshore and in Alaska, another quarter called for stopping the drop in the value of the American dollars by balancing the federal budget, while about 20 percent called for reducing oil speculation by getting out of Iraq and easing tension with Iran.
Most of the respondents wanted instant runoff voting, expanding the Bush tax cuts to lower income people, and a switch from employee provided health care to universal coverage.
But opinions on health care were closely drawn.
