Poll Finds Wariness About Cutting Entitlements
by Jackie Calmes and Dalia Sussman, NYTimes -- Jan 20, 2011
As President Obama and Congress brace to battle over how to reduce chronic annual budget deficits, Americans overwhelmingly say that in general they prefer cutting government spending to paying higher taxes, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
Yet their preference for spending cuts, even in programs that benefit them, dissolves when they are presented with specific options related to Medicare and Social Security, the programs that directly touch the most people and also are the biggest drivers of the government’s projected long-term debt.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans choose higher payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security over reduced benefits in either program. And asked to choose among cuts to Medicare, Social Security or the nation’s third-largest spending program — the military — a majority by a large margin said cut the Pentagon.
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What the American People want:
Nearly 2/3 of Americans choose higher payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security over reduced benefits in either program.
Even Conservatives are iffy about saying they want those Entitlement Cuts ... the Politicians keep pushing us.
Poll Shows Budget-Cuts Dilemma
by Neil King Jr. and Scott Greenberg, Wall Street Journal -- Mar 03, 2011
Less than a quarter of Americans support making significant cuts to Social Security or Medicare to tackle the country's mounting deficit, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, illustrating the challenge facing lawmakers who want voter buy-in to alter entitlement programs.
Even tea party supporters, by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, declared significant cuts to Social Security "unacceptable."
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What the American People want:
Less than 1/4 of Americans support making significant cuts to Social Security or Medicare. (ie. 75% oppose.)
Poll: Majority Don’t Want Entitlement Cuts To Reduce Deficit
by Jon Terbush, TPMDC -- July 7, 2011,
A Pew poll released Thursday explains why, as it shows that a robust majority of Americans don't want the government to rollback benefits for entitlement programs, even if those cuts are made to reduce the deficit.
Six in ten Americans said it was more important to leave Social Security and Medicare benefits untouched than to make cuts as a way to reduce the deficit, roughly twice as many as the 32% who said the opposite. Further, 61% said Medicare recipients already pay enough of their health costs, while 31% said beneficiaries should pay more money into the program.
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What the American People want:
60% of Americans said it was more important to leave Social Security and Medicare benefits untouched -- than to make cuts to them, as a way to reduce the deficit.
Entitlement Cuts Opposed By Americans, Poll Finds
by Mark Blumenthal, HuffingtonPost -- July 7, 2011
As the Pew Research report emphasizes, however, "the public’s desire for fundamental change does not mean it supports reductions in the benefits provided by Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid." When asked which is more important, large majorities tell the pollsters that they would rather leave the benefits of these programs as they are now rather than making cuts or expecting beneficiaries to take on more responsibility for their costs.
What the American People want:
Large majorities of Americans say that they would rather leave the benefits of these programs as they are now rather than making cuts ... or put more burdens on Beneficiaries.
Hell -- Even according to What Tea Party supporters say they WANT, by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, EVEN THEY say that significant Cuts to Social Security are "Unacceptable."
Hmmm? The American People, seems to be saying, in a unified clear voice: LEAVE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS ALONE !!!
I wonder which part of WHAT the American People are Saying, in Poll after Poll, is it that the set-for-life Politicians in Washington DC, Don't Understand exactly ???
Hmmm? Maybe we should "take a Poll" or something? ... OR Maybe THEY (our paid employees) should actually start reading them.
Say, how do you fire "an employee" -- that refuses to listen to their Boss, that refuses to do their Jobs?
I suspect the American People will know What they really Want, on that regard too ... come election day.