AUSTIN — Texas voters prefer spending cuts over new revenues to balance the budget, but if money must be raised, they would like to see it come from higher taxes on alcohol and expanded gambling, according to a poll conducted for the state's largest newspapers.

"They don't want to see government grow," said pollster Micheline Blum, of Blum & Weprin Associates Inc., of New York. "When they do think about increasing revenue at all, they go for the vices."

In the face of a budget shortfall that some project will top $20 billion through the next two years, voters surveyed would rather slash higher education funding than that of public schools, health care for the poor or public safety.

Asked where they would cut the most among the four areas, 28 percent of likely voters targeted higher education. About the same percentage, said they would not want to cut from those areas at all.

The telephone poll was conducted Oct. 22-27 for the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Austin American-Statesman. It included 1,073 registered voters, 673 of whom were classified as likely voters. The margin of error for likely voters is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Asked whether they would like to see lawmakers do more to cut spending or boost revenue to balance the budget, 50 percent of likely voters said cut spending; 19 percent said increase revenue. Twenty percent said they would like to see both done equally.

Poll respondent Rafael Soto, 66, of San Antonio, chose spending cuts as the way to go.

"The problem with that is nobody wants to give up anything that we have," he said. "Everybody says we need to cut, but nobody wants to say how, why or do anything about it."

After higher education, 12 percent of respondents said they would like to see spending cuts in public safety, and 7 percent chose health services for the poor. The least appealing option appeared to be reduced spending on public education, with only 4 percent choosing that.

If revenue is to be raised, 42 percent favor increasing taxes on alcoholic beverages, while 22 percent want to authorize new forms of gambling. Eleven percent picked broadening the sales tax to include items not currently taxed, and 3 percent chose the idea of a statewide property tax. Nine percent said they would not raise revenue by any of those methods.

Add those slot machines

The most popular choices listed in the poll, however, would not have a big immediate effect. The mixed beverage tax, set at 14 percent in 1990, brought in nearly $619 million in the 2010 fiscal year. Even doubling it would leave a huge revenue gap.

Putting slot machines at race tracks and Native American lands would yield $500 million to $1 billion in the budget period, and nearly $1 billion a year after that, say those backing the idea.

Eric Baggs, 37, of San Antonio, said the shortfall should be addressed by both cuts and increased revenue. He picked universities as a place to cut.

"If you're going to go to college, there's a lot of ways to go to college. If you want to make that commitment to education, then you should make that commitment on your own," said Baggs, who works for a liquor distribution company. "I figured out a way to pay for my college. We don't have to pay for everybody else's college as well."

Jeanne Pressler, 61, a senior trainer with the Houston Police Department, said she favors cuts in public education over raising taxes or fees to balance the state budget.

"I don't have any children, so it doesn't make a lot of difference to me," Pressler said. "We're paying lots and lots of our tax money on schools and I don't think we're getting our money's worth, from what I read in the newspapers."

Whack higher education

Retiree Shirley McKee, 75, of Houston, said to balance the state budget, higher education should be cut. She said the parents of those seeking college educations should pay the tab, or students should take out loans, as her eldest son did.

"I can't support the rest of Texas for higher degrees," she said. If more money is needed, she said she would vote for casino-style gambling.

Joyce Horton, 61, a retired high school math teacher from Kingwood, said the state should handle its budget problems through a combination of cuts and increased revenues.

"I don't mind paying taxes if it goes to a good worthy cause," Horton said, but added she could see expanded casino-style gambling at horse tracks. "We have a lot of revenue in the Houston area going over to Louisiana. So long as it's not corrupt, I don't see a problem with keeping it in Texas."

Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes was concerned over the poll results regarding higher education funding.

"People tend to think that public higher education is better off than it is," he said. People "know that universities can raise money through tuition and fees, so they assume that people can bear the cost. They don't know there are a lot of very needy kids that cannot afford higher education without support."

pfikac@express-news.net