Americans Prefer Budget Cuts To Tax Increases To Reduce Deficit: Survey

April 17 (Reuters) - Cutting government programs is favored as the way to reduce the U.S. budget deficit by more than twice as many Americans as those who favor raising taxes, said a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In a result that has held fairly steady over the past five months, the poll, released on Monday, found that 22 percent of those surveyed said that spending cuts alone were the solution, while 36 percent favored a mix of more cuts than tax increases.

In contrast, only 7 percent favored raising taxes alone, with 17 percent saying a mix with more tax increases than cuts would work best to lower the government's $1.2 trillion deficit.

Thirteen percent said they were unsure and 5 percent said they did not know or were unsure about what should be done.

These results were nearly unchanged from February, although since January, support for budget cuts as the main way to attack the deficit problem had declined slightly.

With the U.S. Congress deeply divided on fiscal issues, the Nov. 6 presidential and congressional election campaigns are increasingly dominated by debate over taxes and spending.

Senate Republicans on Monday voted to block a Democratic bill, backed strongly by President Barack Obama, that would impose a 30 percent minimum tax rate on households earning more than $1 million a year, known as the "Buffett Rule."

Named after multibillionaire businessman Warren Buffett, who supports it, the rule was included in legislation that did not garner enough votes to overcome procedural hurdles in the Senate.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted April 12-15 by telephone and involved 1,044 adults. The results are considered accurate within three percentage points. (Reporting By Kevin Drawbaugh; Editing by Eric Beech)

Comments

[Y3rMawm]

05:02 AM on 04/23/2012

Appears there might be some sense left in the US Taxpayer after all.

[IC4U]

02:41 PM on 04/18/2012

Was the headline to this article written by a Republican talking point spinner ?

[tundra599]

02:07 PM on 04/24/2012

Really? the article pretty much backs up the headline. What did you see in the article that differed from the headline?
and yes, I just saw this article today. Sorry for being so late in replying. :-)

[alan kovner]

01:40 PM on 04/18/2012

Did ya' miss me? Did you really see what Jackasses the Reps put-up fo Presidency? Cain: "If
you don't have ajob it's your fault"! And a woman abuser. YES HE IS! Were you listening to how
he spoke to woman. Bachman: Small Gov. Ladies husband took millions from Medicaid for
ILLEGAL THERAPY & They took millions in Farm Subsidies. WHAT? Gingrich: "To the Moon Alice", Children Janitors. Perry: "Created 250K jobs". No he didn't! The jobs were earmarked
and paid for by Feds. And, he's going to beat-up Berrnacke if he comes to Texas. Doesn't know his own Platform Oh, Bachman, learned all about vaccineations fro "A Woman she met "After a Rally". And no one has the sluightwest idea about, "Who in the World is Mitt Romney"? How many retractions have they had to make becauase they got the science or history wrong? How
many times did they hacve to corcrect mistatements or obxious attitudes? Name one from
the Dems. Avram

[alan kovner]

01:14 PM on 04/18/2012

They lie all the time. First, "Rich are job creators". Lie. This has NOT been the case since
the turn of 2th Century, (Industrial Rev.). They want "Diminished Gov. because they're "Perserving Liberty". Like Bachmans' propsed bill vs. gay marriage. Like Santorum
stating, "America is a Christian State, everyone else can go". Like Cain (Chilling Man), San-
torum, Bachman want to cut-off contraception for ANY reason; cut-off ANY abortion evals..
NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON! (Minors, rape-even of minors, incest-even of minors,.
mothers' LIFE IN DANGER. WHAT? Doctors can "LIE" to patients to avoid Abortion. Give
Educational subsidies to States (vs. Fed). Which means cuts because State will have to pay
$ gaps. "Let "em die', for the bad judgement of not having healthcare. Repeating false ideas
PROVEN WRONG MANY TIMES "Rich are 'job creators',"The people are against taxing the
Rich" , (ALL polls state 71-83%). More. But, moving on. Avram

[MansfieldX]

12:00 AM on 05/02/2012

You must be the dimmest bulb on this entire site. That is quite an accomplishment. So, pray tell, who are the job creators?

[thomas paine]

01:03 PM on 04/18/2012

The survey would be more useful if they were asked a follow-up question regarding what areas of the budget they'd like to see reduced.

On a different note, if one is informed they know that it would take massive tax hikes to reduce the deficit (i.e. it would require more than just taxing "the rich", it would require raising their taxes) where as massively cutting spending could always involve cutting something they do not think would hurt them personally.

[AnathTheGoddess]

04:07 PM on 04/18/2012

My thoughts exactly. Clinton cut the Defense Department budget by getting rid of contracts for outdated military weapons. Said contracts were given because the contractor benefited from them. Clinton focused on "new age" weapons which cost far less money. However, as soon as Bush got in, we went right back to the old ways.

Getting rid of contractors is another way of saving money. I work for state government, and whenever we need to cut the budget, we get rid of them. Last time we got rid of 98 IT contractors & saved over $5 million. That comes to a saving of about $52000 per person. If the government had built their own weapons, it would have been a lot cheaper. Contractors do a job for profit while government does it for cost.

[alan kovner]

12:28 PM on 04/18/2012

OK, here's the Manifesto. 1. Don' t believe anything anyone says. Check it out. Including this rant. Yes, Dems. as well. 2. Republican (Rep.) lying requires ignorance to float, rage, suspcion, bia with justification for actions that contradict what they have said & The Peoples expressed desire. 3.Vote down the "Buffet Bill"? Put $2000 in Mid & Working class families, Why?Because the "Rich"t taxes goes up 1.9-3.9%. At most $39,000on (1mil). They voted against the Jobs program with over 10mil construction workers sitting at home. voted against extension of unemployment,public assistance for RECENTLY out of work. Held the Countryhostage .andallowed devaluation of both the dollar (.05%) and world respect. 4. Budget to lower " taxes on "Capital Gains",
Gains (certain pricey investments), lower Corp. Taxes, lower "Rich" group taxes with trickey
catches like giving back % of "Losses of 15% or more re: over 250K income. 5.Voted agains
"Womans HealthCare Bill. 6. Voted against "Equal Pay Bill' (wo. & men). 7. Voted against increased subsidies for Gov. Hospitals. 8. During "Debt Raise" debated for 3 days to keep
"In God WE Trust" on $1.00 bill. There are some MORE. But this more than enough, when
they say they are the "Partyof the People". WHAT? " (Continued on Next Rock"). Avram

[Robert SF]

12:27 PM on 04/18/2012

The problem with "budget cuts" and "tax increases" is that you can't tell where they're going to fall. Give people better choices in polls. Ask them if they want "cuts to the military" or "cuts to poor women and children." Ask them if they want "tax increases on incomes of a million or more." Then you'll get better poll results.

[tundra599]

02:10 PM on 04/24/2012

I think the poll reflects the general view that gov't is too bloated and wasteful, and it should be cut instead of just sending more money to them in increased taxes and hoping they will act more wise this time.

[Robert SF]

03:08 PM on 04/24/2012

But in what area? The government is certainly not too bloated when it comes to education or health services. The view that government just needs to be cut, period, is as dumb as suggesting to an obese person that they should lose weight by having their legs amputated.

[satyrday]

12:14 PM on 04/18/2012

It's easy to say 'spending cuts', but nobody can put forth a serious spending cut plan that would actually solve the problem.

The 'spending cut' voters are just showing everyone else how clueless they are. They should stay home, and leave the big choices to others who are more competent.

[blndgenie]

11:23 AM on 04/18/2012

Oh we'll get both, but the most pain will come from the entitlement herd........its simply impossible to make significant dents in a $16 trillion debt with even massive tax hikes when one-half pay no federal income tax. Sad that so many continue to believe that squeezing a miniscule sliver of the population harder will allow them to keep all that 'free stuff'. They have no idea what is coming..........

[Robert SF]

12:29 PM on 04/18/2012

We know what's coming: absolute societal collapse. But it's coming anyway, so yea, we'll hold it off a bit longer by squeezing the rich. If anyone thinks we're going to let the rich go free as our world collapses around us, they need to read a history book.

[Y3rMawm]

05:04 AM on 04/23/2012

Hmm...that sound exactly like a threat. Calling for extortion are we?

[Michael Steaphens]

01:51 AM on 04/24/2012

"If anyone thinks we're going to let the rich go free as our world collapses around us,..." And what exactly are you,the 'we" going to do to the rich?You can't stop them from taking their wealth and leaving with it.What else can you do?

[gunrunner99]

05:38 PM on 04/18/2012

You cannot streghthen the weak ( the poor) by weakening the strong (the rich) This will be a major fail,the only answer is ..for our countrys polititions to budget,feel the pain themselves,there is so much goverment waste,it pathetic and not one of them seems interested in stopping it. Here are just a few of the examples but,the worst of the bunch is our polititions,who are suppossed to be( HA) for the people...
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/government-waste-20-of-the-craziest-things-that-the-u-s-government-is-spending-money-on

[ttsgw]

11:03 AM on 04/18/2012

The American way. Raise the taxes for the poor, use 1% to reduce the deficit and 99 % to increase the wealth of the owners and executives of the corporations.

[Sevilleaba]

10:07 AM on 04/18/2012

There must be a mixture of cost cutting and revenue enhancements with the saving going to directly reduce the deficit. Revenue enhancements should not only include tax increases, but should also include tariffs imposed on goods shipped from American transplant companies that have moved their operations to low cost labor countries.

[gunrunner99]

05:41 PM on 04/18/2012

YES! They should tax them higher,much higher,maybe then they would get their butts back here, so we would have a few jobs. faved..

[Michael Steaphens]

01:55 AM on 04/24/2012

Higher corporate taxes are the reason they left!

[godipo]

09:54 AM on 04/18/2012

What happened to the option of jobs bills, income, demand, and consequently more employment, leading to more money for treasury? And health care should be a commodity, and not deductible. Give it some trace of free market pressure! Savings: over $400 billion a year. End oil subsidies and cut the pentagon.

[tosc]

09:53 AM on 04/18/2012

we would do well if washington would Stop giving our tax dollars away to the world...a world, I might add that hates us! stop giving money and goods away to other countries...and lets see how that works...worth a try! no other country is giving us money?

[BBackSoon]

11:40 AM on 04/18/2012

Foreign aid it a drop in the bucket.

[Ladder 1]

01:22 AM on 04/19/2012

DROPS make cups cups make buckets

[trobts]

08:15 AM on 04/18/2012

We have BOTH a tax problem and a spending problem. Cut the Pentagon, pay to House & Senate (they are part time after all), up the taxes on the wealthy (3 mill and above), lift the cap on Social Security (1 mill and above), cut foreign aid, pay NATO to police the world and send all the troops home to fix (with the Corp of Engineers and private Corps) the border, bridges, roads, electric, telephone, water treatment etc), take a serious interest in the profitability of healthcare vs costs (get them in line with reasonable profits i.e. health FIRST profits LAST). I could go on and on on what can be done BUT you have to take PARTY OUT OF THE DISCUSSION AND THE FIX. Do that and we would get America and its' people back on track to a better and brighter future.

[Dennis7450]

09:15 AM on 04/18/2012

I agree with all of the above and add one more thing, legalize drugs. The cost is stupid.

[godipo]

09:57 AM on 04/18/2012

And don't have the deductions, particularly not for health care. It would become MORE affordable; now the $400 billion a year treasury loses this way just gives the cartel a license to charge more! Watch people wake up and force costs down if it wasn't deductible! And everything you said. Mission Accomplished! Fanned. (you'll need to take down Grover, teach economics 101, undue the sanctity of the Pentagon, and more, but heh, we can do it!) A WPA style jobs bill would be a huge help, too.

[cyclone70]

06:45 AM on 04/18/2012

Tariffs, in the pre "free" trade era thegovernment got most of its revenue from tariffs. This would a way to increase revenue without burdening business and individuals

it would also put more people back to work in the us producing more of what we consume for ourselves keeping money and jobs onshore and increasing the tax base

more production at home reduces the trade deficit and reduces the need to borrow from china

[BBackSoon]

11:42 AM on 04/18/2012

Hear, Hear. We charge China some 2.5% to bring goods into the US yet they charge 25% on US goods entering their markets. No wonder we have a problem.

[gunrunner99]

05:44 PM on 04/18/2012

Absolutly correct! How do we change it??? What the heck is wrong with our people in charge that they dont see this stuff and,fix it!