Poll shows divided Washington, support for coal trains

It’s no surprise that people in Western Washington see the state’s future in technology and those in Eastern Washington see it in agriculture. But a new Gallatin Public Affairs poll did reveal surprising insights about Washington voters.It may not feel this way in Seattle, but 54 percent of Washington voters favor increased coal and oil rail traffic. Just fewer than 40 percent are opposed. What’s particularly interesting however, is that only 27.3 percent of the poll respondents believed a majority of Washingtonians support increased fossil fuel shipment. In fact, 46.8 percent believed most people are against the shipments. Either those opposed are especially vocal or the fossil fuel industry is lacking in its PR stragtegies — or both.Also of note is that carbon taxes may not be as contentious among voters as it is among legislators. The poll found that 53.7 percent of voters said they would support a carbon tax. Only 32.6 percent are opposed. The caveat is that the carbon tax would need to be offset by reducing sales or business tax.The poll, released Friday, covered issues from Bertha to Ebola. But one takeaway is that the Cascade divide has never been stronger: When asked if King County has too much influence, 84 percent east of the mountains said yes.  — D.K.