Most Americans would not pay higher taxes for specific public services in their states, but they are more supportive of paying for education and staffing law enforcement than supporting state employees and entitlement programs.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Adults shows that only 19% would be willing to pay higher taxes to avoid layoffs of state employees. Sixty-nine percent (69%) say they would not be willing to pay more in taxes for this reason. Another 11% are undecided.
Adults feel similarly when it comes to funding entitlement programs. Twenty-two percent (22%) would pay higher taxes to prevent cuts in entitlement programs for low-income Americans.
Sixty-three percent (63%) say they would not pay more to keep these programs afloat. Another 15% are undecided.
Americans are slightly less opposed to paying higher taxes for education. Thirty-four percent (34%) say they are willing to pay higher taxes to provide funding for public education, but 54% say they are not. Another 12% aren’t sure.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) say they are willing to pay higher taxes to increase the number of police and firemen in their communities. Still, 52% say they would not be willing to do so. Another 10% are not sure.Bottom line is if you're a public employee, Americans don't really give a damn if you get laid off. You would think people would realize that employed police officers, teachers, firefighters and workers are more useful to the economy and the community when they are taking taxpayer money to provide a useful service back to taxpayers rather than taking taxpayer money and collecting unemployment checks, but I never said it was an intelligent assumption.
At this point we're so eager for a scapegoat that we're willing to sacrifice basic infrastructure for the name of Austerity Hysteria. I'd like to see Rasmussen ask people if they'd raise taxes to go to war with Iran. Now there would be a poll question.
People will always think they are taxed too much because everyone wants to take home more of the money they worked for (or didn't work for according to your co-workers). I'm all for taxes, we just greatly disagree on how the money is spent. Police/Fire/EMT I'm all for it. I'm also realistic that public jobs will never go away, they are much needed. My problem is that public workers are better compensated than their private sector counterparts. Now I don't think we should be advocating for or following in the footsteps of the Terminator, but we should definitely even things up. He's at the other end of the Goldylocks spectrum. Too much to not enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure someone who is likes the idea of redistribution and equality like yourself would agree. :-)
You're absolutely right--police, fire, EMTs, and teachers are WAY overpaid. I'll bet if you'd audit them they all have millions stashed away in the Caymans, yachts, homes on Martha's Vineyard, new Land Rovers, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo you can't read? Obviously your teacher wasn't paid enough...
ReplyDeleteI'm a retired teacher, my teachers were just fine, and I'll match IQs with your smug ass any time.
ReplyDeleteisn't he a charmer? no point arguing with him though. he's ALWAYS right.
ReplyDeleteReally? Cause I said
ReplyDelete"Police/Fire/EMT I'm all for it"
You're absolutely right--police, fire, EMTs, and teachers are WAY overpaid.
Some teacher...
Well t-man he may want to read the article, because it states along the lines of what I'm stating in the second paragraph
ReplyDelete"Accountants, nurses, chemists, surveyors, cooks, clerks and janitors are among the wide range of jobs that get paid more on average in the federal government than in the private sector."
And to try and head off the predictable kneejerk reaction I stated "Police/Fire/EMT I'm all for it", and the tool still has a kneejerk reaction.