Bloomberg reported a few days back:
Americans want their government to create jobs through spending on public works, investments in alternative energy or skills training for the jobless.
They also want the deficit to come down. And most are ready to hand the bill to the wealthy.
A Bloomberg National Poll conducted Dec. 3-7 shows two- thirds of Americans favor taxing the rich to reduce the deficit.
Even though almost 9 of 10 respondents also say they believe the middle class will have to make financial sacrifices to achieve that goal, only a little more than one-fourth support an increase in taxes on the middle class. Fewer still back cuts in entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare or a new national consumption tax.
Some highlights:
- 59% of those surveyed think of the economic problems as those inherited from GWB
- The people surveyed pretty much want the government to work on a bunch of different (all spending) fronts to get back to full employment — tax credits for new hires, spending on alternative energy projects, spending on education programs for the unemployed, across the board income tax cuts (!), spending on public works projects. They were split on sending money to states for backfill budget holes.
- Raising taxes on the wealthy and cutting Fed discretionary spending across the board by 5% outpaced every other option for deficit reduction.
- Huge majorities note that we should pay for Afghanistan by either raising taxes or cutting discretionary spending.
- 67% think Sara Palin is not qualified to be President.
- Majorities support multiple revenue raising options for paying for health insurance reform — except for the option to tax health care industries.
You can see the entire poll here. (pdf)