Topic: Best Kept Secret
no photo
Thu 07/07/11 07:24 PM
You just don't hear about this in the MSM, but it's been the case for quite some time. A 60 minutes/vanity Fair poll tells us this. This is as of January.

Poll: Tax hikes on rich the first step toward balancing budget
By Michael O'Brien - 01/03/11 08:24 AM ET
Increased taxes on high earners should be the first step toward balancing the federal budget, a new poll suggested Monday.

Raising taxes on the rich beats out cuts to defense spending, Medicare and Social Security as U.S. adults' top preference on how to close the deficit, according to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll.


Sixty-one percent of Americans said that increasing taxes to the wealthy should be the first step toward balancing the budget.

By contrast, 20 percent of respondents preferred cuts to defense spending as the first option, while 4 percent said that cutting Medicare would be the best way to start cutting the deficit. Three percent said they preferred cutting Social Security.

Increased taxes on the wealthy tops those four options even among higher earners who might be most affected by a tax hike, the poll suggested. Fifty-eight percent of respondents making between $50,000 and $100,000 per year rated tax hikes as the best first step to balancing the budget, while 46 percent of those making more than $100,000 said it was their top choice, as well.


The incoming Republican House has expressed an eagerness to address the deficit and mounting U.S. debt. But the fight over tax cuts in the closing weeks of 2010 made clear the GOP isn't ready to address the budget through tax hikes, against which they vigorously fought in the lame-duck Congress.

The Obama administration has hoped tax reforms that might cut marginal rates while increasing revenue through closed loopholes might be possible with the GOP House, however.

Republicans have said that all other options are on the table, in terms of programs that could face cuts under their new majority. Incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has called for an "adult conversation" about spending cuts, including possibly through reforms to the Social Security system.

The 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll was conducted Nov. 29-Dec. 2 and released on Monday. It has a three percent margin of error.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/135639-poll-tax-hikes-for-rich-should-be-first-step-toward-balancing-budget

The uber-Conservatives can be forgiven for being so badly out of touch with such lousy news coverage

Chazster's photo
Thu 07/07/11 08:06 PM
How many times has it been discussed that polls are not a reliable source of information.

lilott's photo
Thu 07/07/11 09:38 PM
The best way to bring back the economy is to start at the top. Make the presidents salary $100,000 and all others no more than $50,000. Stop giving those guys that sit in their offices for 3 day a week for 3or 4 hours retirement. They can pay into social security, 401Ks and IRAs just like the rest of us.

Dragoness's photo
Thu 07/07/11 09:42 PM
I know Obama would not have a problem with that if it became a bill to be voted on.

mightymoe's photo
Thu 07/07/11 10:45 PM

I know Obama would not have a problem with that if it became a bill to be voted on.



lolol... you "know" alot of things... doesn't mean any of them are true...laugh laugh laugh

boi69's photo
Fri 07/08/11 04:21 AM

How many times has it been discussed that polls are not a reliable source of information.


Thats acually false. Are country has based our self by polls as far back as the civil war and for the majority of time they have done us right. (not saying there is no exceptions) Just now and days it is so easy to scew a queastion by finding loop holes. My suggestion before you trust a pole check it's cred. Gallup prob a good source. the local community college not so much and you be surprised how often that is

boi69's photo
Fri 07/08/11 04:24 AM

The best way to bring back the economy is to start at the top. Make the presidents salary $100,000 and all others no more than $50,000. Stop giving those guys that sit in their offices for 3 day a week for 3or 4 hours retirement. They can pay into social security, 401Ks and IRAs just like the rest of us.


I can not really say i disagree, but heres an interesting fact. President Obama froze fedral pay. Nobody under his administration is allowed to get a raise.

TJN's photo
Fri 07/08/11 07:23 AM


The best way to bring back the economy is to start at the top. Make the presidents salary $100,000 and all others no more than $50,000. Stop giving those guys that sit in their offices for 3 day a week for 3or 4 hours retirement. They can pay into social security, 401Ks and IRAs just like the rest of us.


I can not really say i disagree, but heres an interesting fact. President Obama froze fedral pay. Nobody under his administration is allowed to get a raise.

Froze federal pay? That's a joke! Federal employees contract gives them increases in steps. Every so many years depending on their contract you move up a step increase in pay utill they reach top level. Obama did nothing to stop that. The only thing they don't get is cost of living raises. Those in his administration don't fall under those contracts and receive a set salary.

boi69's photo
Fri 07/08/11 11:32 AM



The best way to bring back the economy is to start at the top. Make the presidents salary $100,000 and all others no more than $50,000. Stop giving those guys that sit in their offices for 3 day a week for 3or 4 hours retirement. They can pay into social security, 401Ks and IRAs just like the rest of us.


I can not really say i disagree, but heres an interesting fact. President Obama froze fedral pay. Nobody under his administration is allowed to get a raise.

Froze federal pay? That's a joke! Federal employees contract gives them increases in steps. Every so many years depending on their contract you move up a step increase in pay utill they reach top level. Obama did nothing to stop that. The only thing they don't get is cost of living raises. Those in his administration don't fall under those contracts and receive a set salary.


What you say is true but, in the two years of this freeze civilian federal workers will not get a raise and can not make those steps. Hince the reason everyone was so ticked when The president did this. Also I did research on fedral white house workers.(which Obama clamied since he been in office had not got a raise.) it turned out to be true.

Now I will give you this. I understand a little bit of your weariness. The explantion of the pay freeze on these workers was very wordy. Loop holes may be there but I have not seen any evidence of this.

Chazster's photo
Fri 07/08/11 12:00 PM
Edited by Chazster on Fri 07/08/11 12:04 PM


How many times has it been discussed that polls are not a reliable source of information.


Thats acually false. Are country has based our self by polls as far back as the civil war and for the majority of time they have done us right. (not saying there is no exceptions) Just now and days it is so easy to scew a queastion by finding loop holes. My suggestion before you trust a pole check it's cred. Gallup prob a good source. the local community college not so much and you be surprised how often that is


Just because we have based ourselves on polls doesn't mean they are reliable. Two polls with the same question can have totally different results. Its easy to make them biased by calling in certain states or even neighborhoods or at certain times of day. Also who conducted it and how it was conducted. If the viewership has a bias like how Fox news has a conservative viewership then the polls will lean that way.

Now that being said that doesn't mean a lot of people don't agree with that. You know why? Because a lot of people don't make that money so of course they want to vote for things that help them and don't hurt them in anyway. They want to put the burden on someone that isn't them. There are a lot less people that believe its not fair to always put more and more burden on people just because they are educated and or successful.

no photo
Fri 07/08/11 06:54 PM
they want to vote for things that help them and don't hurt them in anyway.


I think that's sort of the way Democracy is supposed to work. Can you think of a single instance where people have voted for something that they didn't want or think would be good for them?

Since you are skeptical of the poll, I'm curious. What would be your estimate of what the percentages actually are?

Tax the rich first-61%

Cut Defense spending first - 20%

Cut Medicare - 4%

Cut Social Security - 3%



no photo
Fri 07/08/11 06:55 PM
they want to vote for things that help them and don't hurt them in anyway.


I think that's sort of the way Democracy is supposed to work. Can you think of a single instance where people have voted for something that they didn't want or think would be good for them?

Since you are skeptical of the poll, I'm curious. What would be your estimate of what the percentages actually are?

Tax the rich first-61%

Cut Defense spending first - 20%

Cut Medicare - 4%

Cut Social Security - 3%



mightymoe's photo
Fri 07/08/11 07:18 PM


The best way to bring back the economy is to start at the top. Make the presidents salary $100,000 and all others no more than $50,000. Stop giving those guys that sit in their offices for 3 day a week for 3or 4 hours retirement. They can pay into social security, 401Ks and IRAs just like the rest of us.


I can not really say i disagree, but heres an interesting fact. President Obama froze fedral pay. Nobody under his administration is allowed to get a raise.


wrong, the people in there now are making more than at anytime in history...look it up...

TJN's photo
Fri 07/08/11 07:44 PM
What you say is true but, in the two years of this freeze civilian federal workers will not get a raise and can not make those steps. Hince the reason everyone was so ticked when The president did this.

Funny because 3 months ago I got my step increase, and I k ow several others who got theirs within the last couple years. It's in our contract and Obama can do nothing to stop the increases granted us in our contract, unless the contract is renegotiated.

no photo
Sat 07/09/11 01:17 PM
can do nothing to stop the increases granted us in our contract


Wow! A super-conservative who belongs to a Union! I'll bet you just hate that!