POLITICO.COM : The Public supports taxing the rich - Large majorities of Americans, according to a recent Gallup Poll, believe that “upper-income people” and corporations pay too little in taxes

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President Obama does not need to kneel before the Republican Bullies. - If he takes a strong stance People will follow his lead and approve his actions.

POLITICO.COM
Public supports taxing the rich
By ANDREW BAUMANN
July 13, 2011


Public supports taxing the rich


Some excerpts :

A bevy of recent public polls, along with our own surveys, demonstrates that the public convincingly rejects the Republicans’ approach. Large majorities of Americans, according to a recent Gallup Poll, believe that “upper-income people” and corporations pay too little in taxes.

They are right. The effective tax rate on America’s 400 richest families has dropped 45 percent since 1995, while taxes on the middle class have remained relatively steady. Meanwhile, mega-corporations like GE and Bank of America paid no federal income tax last year, and Exxon Mobil paid none in 2009.

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A large majority, roughly 62 percent, supports the inclusion of higher taxes as part of an agreement. More than 50 percent of Americans, according to recent Reuters/Ipsos polla Gallup poll released yesterday, said they thought deficit reduction should include both higher taxes and cuts to government programs. Another 9 percent preferred only tax increases a warning to Democrats that they must take spending seriously. Just 27.2 percent supported the Republican position that deficit reduction should come only from cuts to government programs.spending cuts.

The poll shows that voters believe that deficit reduction should be tilted more toward a reduction in spending – which is a warning to Democrats that they must take spending seriously. But it also reveals just how extreme the GOP’s no-tax demands have become. In fact, even 68 percent of Republican voters think any budget deal should include at least some new taxes.

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Meanwhile, voters overwhelmingly support Democratic proposals to end tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. Recent public polls show that roughly 70 percent of Americans support higher taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year, or the elimination of tax credits for the oil and gas industry, to help reduce the deficit.

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The Republicans have given Democrats an even more compelling way to frame their position by contrasting it with the GOP’s deeply unpopular plan to cut the deficit by essentially ending Medicare while protecting tax breaks for oil companies and pressing for even further tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. By almost 3-to-1, or 62 percent to 24 percent, voters preferred raising taxes on the wealthy to cutting programs like Medicare as the best means to reduce the deficit, according to our recent poll for First Focus, a children’s advocacy group.

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