Table 1: Voting Summary: A Poverty Measure Conference Exercise

Issue Yes No Abst./NA PERC/VOTE PERC/ALL
Changing the resource definition
1. Should the resource base be expanded (e.g., in-kind benefits)
42
0
100% 
95% 
2. Should income and payroll taxes paid and tax credits received be incorporated 
42
2
0
95% 
95% 
3. Should nondiscretionary expenses for work and work-related child care be excluded
33
6
5
85% 
75%
4. Should imputed flows from equity in housing be included
7
10
27
41% 
16% 
5. Should some medical expenditures be excluded
12
18 
14 
40% 
27%
Changing the threshold definition
6. Should equivalence scales be smoothed and adjusted
30 
14 
100% 
68%
7. Should geographic differences in cost-of-living be adopted
12
15
17
44% 
27%
8. Should the thresholds be adjusted over time by changes in income as opposed to consumer expenditures
13 
14 
17 
48%
29%
Strategic issues
9. Should the new measure yield the same rate as the old in the first year
11
22
11
33%
25%
10. Should the new measure be assigned a different name (hardship index) 
22 
15 
7
60% 
50%

Note: NA= Not accounted for, counting error or lazy voters. PERC/VOTE= The percentage of affirmative responses over all those voting. PERC/ALL= The percentage of all affirmative responses over all voting and not voting. N = 44.