- indyweek.com
[Update, 10:30 a.m. Dix Park supporters are gathering on the site this afternoon at 5. See below for more.]
Wow, if there was any question about whether the Wake County Board of Commissioners — the Republican-led board of commissioners — were representing their constituents or their political party by coming out against the Dix Park plan, it’s answered in the poll released today by Public Policy Polling.
They’re sure not representing their constituents:
Republican state senators have passed a bill to invalidate the City of Raleigh’s lease for the former Dorothea Dix campus, but at least in Wake County, the main beneficiary of the proposed park, voters are strongly opposed to this bill.
PPP’s statement goes on:
By roughly 2:1 margins, Wake voters want the park (52% support, 27% oppose), think the state should honor the lease (57-27), want the governor to veto the bill if it reaches his desk (54-27), and are less inclined to support the re-election of a legislator who votes for the bill (23% more inclined, 49% less inclined). By a smaller but still double-digit margin (50-38), voters also think throwing the lease out will harm the state’s business reputation.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of the county’s voters say they are very aware of the plan to replace the former hospital site with a destination park. Among these voters, the margins are even stronger, with 63% supporting the park, 65% saying the state should honor the contract, 62% saying Gov. McCrory should veto the bill, 54% saying the General Assembly’s action will hurt the business climate, and 56% less inclined to vote for an anti-park legislator.
Further, Republican lawmakers are out of step with their own voters. As political as they have made this issue, there is far less polarization on the park than on most issues on which PPP polls. Rank-and-file GOP voters in Wake County support the park by a six-point margin, think the state should honor the contract by 11 points, think their governor should veto the bill by 16, and are less inclined to support an anti-park candidate by five. 39% of them think it will be a detriment to our ability to attract business to the area.
The poll was paid for by Dix306, an advocacy group for the park. But the questions are straightforward. Are Wake County voters aware of the plan? Yes, they are — overwhelmingly so. Do they support it? Yes, 2-to-1. Should the state honor its lease with Raleigh or tear it up? Honor it.
Here’s the full poll, with the questions and breakdowns of voters by party etc. along with a press release from Dix306 and Friends of Dorothea Dix Park.
It’s a “flash” gathering today on Dix Hill, so says Bill Padgett of Dix306. Here’s the location:
“We will be on the great hill overlooking the city. The hospital (McBride building) will be to our South and Western Blvd just below us to the North.”
From Lake Wheeler Drive enter at Umstead Drive and about 300 yards on the right, we will be gathering.
From Western Boulevard turn onto Boylan Avenue and immediately as you are going up the hill on the Dix property, you can park at the lower parking (greenway/gazebo) by turning left immediately on Tate. If that is full you can drive up the hill, turn left at the stop sign at Umstead Drive and at the next intersection parking will be off to your right.
