Voters OK with tax hikes - after they're informed

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 1/18/11 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

[SmithL]

If he can get his proposed tax extensions on the ballot, Gov. Jerry Brown just might have a shot at persuading voters to pass them and balance the state's budget.

A month before Brown introduced his budget plan, a statewide voter survey by pollster Jim Moore, commissioned by Democratic legislators, found that 58 percent of the 1,000 respondents were inclined to extend the 2009 increases for four years if doing so would minimize cuts to K-12 education, public safety and health care.

However, Brown and his allies will have to do some educating. That 58 percent support was registered only after pollsters briefed respondents about the 2009 hikes in the income and sales taxes and vehicle license fee.

Only about a third of those surveyed even knew they had been raised.

[SZonian]

"The media is 100% complicit in the march of Socialism in America."

Yes, they are.

When the first 15-20 minutes of a news program is nothing but a discussion of fashions at an awards show, it is a clear demonstration of that complicity. [Sunday night Fox 11]

[alexander_busek]

[...] a statewide voter survey by pollster Jim Moore, commissioned by Democratic legislators, found that 58 percent of the 1,000 respondents were inclined to extend the 2009 increases for four years if doing so would minimize cuts to K-12 education, public safety and health care.

Two questions:

1. How many of those "58%" are on the dole, and thus don't pay taxes anyway, or are themselves employees of the education, public safety, and health care systems?

2. How many of those polled were offered the alternative "[...] if the resultant revenues would be dedicated to lowering the deficit?"

Regards,

[yadent]

What's so sad is that these are existing taxes hikes that would be extended to maintain the status quo, that is, a current $28+ billion deficit. The state will still have to find new sources of revenue (additional tax hikes) and/or spending cuts to bring the budget in line. Very bright people these respondents.....

[The Great RJ]

I suspect many Californians will vote with their feet and simply leave for states with less tax burden.

[Individual Rights in NJ]

File this under things I knew from the headline weren’t in the least bit true- at all.

American’s are not okay with Tax increases, and never will be as long as they are at these rates.

Now, if say we had a 5% tax rate, and one day they asked us to give 6% for x, y,z and x,y,z were reasonable, then I could see that sentiment maybe being true.

[denydenydeny]

Only about a third of those surveyed even knew they had been raised.

Duh...well over a third of adults pay no taxes at all. They don't see tax bills at all, only EITC checks, EBT cards, and Section 8 vouchers. For all they know, the money to pay for all this might as well come from leprechauns and elves.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

LOL!

Sure.

[sport]

The ones who do not have to pay the taxes are ok with them.

[wbill]

Only about a third of those surveyed even knew they had been raised.

There's the money quote, and proof that you're right.

If you told most of these respondents that "politicians have a money tree in their backyard, and they shake it whenever they need more cash" ... most of them would grunt "Uh-huh" and go back to watching TV.

The rest would ask "Where do all the politicians live at?"