According to a poll by Eagleton-Rutgers published Thursday morning, New Jersey residents oppose a proposal to allow self-service gas stations, which had one question: “Do you prefer to pump your gas or your gas is pumped for you.
“There’s probably one thing that all New Jersey residents can agree on right now, and that’s the age-old tradition of Jersey to pump your gas for you,” said Ashley Conning, an associate professor and director of the Eaglet Center for Public Interest Polls. in Ratgers. university.
The poll came amid a renewed debate over a 73-year-old tradition of a full-service gas station in New Jersey. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the “Law on the choice and convenience of fuel for motorists” (A-3105), which lifts the legal ban on self-dispensing fuel.
Support for pumping its own gas is more serious among Republicans than Democrats or independents, though his plan is reversed in every category of New Jersey residents.
Republicans oppose self-sufficiency gas with an advantage of 64% -34%, Democrats – with 82% -14%, and independents – with 70% -24%.
Among men, 37% prefer to inflate their gas, and 55% – against; among women it is 87% -11%.
Blacks (82% -15%) and Hispanics (79% -17%) support gas-pumping services, while the white population is 66% -30%).
Younger New Jersey residents are more willing to pump their gas than people over 65, but only by four percentage points.
“Let’s also remember that this single poll question does not reflect the full discussion and complexities of the moment, which include the global pandemic, the employment crisis, and now the oil crisis,” Koning said. “Context plays a crucial role in public opinion. The vast majority want full service in Garden State, but that advantage doesn’t mean automatically opposing the self-service option. ”
The main sponsors of the proposed legislation are Assembly members Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel) and Annette Chaparo (D-Hoboken), as well as Assembly members Ned Thomson (R-Sea Girt) and Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park). Co-sponsors are Rob Clifton (R-Aberdeen), Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton), Kevin Rooney (R-Wykaff), Angelica Jimenez (D-West New York), Vicki Flynn (R-Holmdell), Jerry Scharfenberger (R-Middletown), Shavonda Sumter (D-Patterson) and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton).
Rutgers-Eagleton surveyed 1,044 adults from February 25 to March 4 with an error of +/- 3.5%.
