Groups Urge Congress to Heed the Voters’ Wishes: Make Sure Richest 2% Pay Their Fair Share
Washington, D.C. – Two-thirds of voters (67 percent) say “making the tax system more fair” was a “very” or “fairly important consideration in making [their] voting decisions this year, according to a new poll released today by Hart Research Associates on behalf of Americans for Tax Fairness.
Of this group, 58 percent supported President Obama while only 40 percent supported Governor Romney. Democrats benefited by an even larger margin in Senate races: 62 percent of these voters supported the Democratic candidate compared to just 36 percent who supported the Republican.
“This poll and last week’s election results demonstrate that voters are paying attention to this issue and that average people care about making sure that the wealthy pay their fair share to solve the country’s problems and get us back on the right economic track,” said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. “It’s our job over the coming weeks as the debate heats up in Washington to remind our Representatives in Congress that we will no longer accept unfair tax system that is rigged in favor of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the rest of us. Who pays is the central question in this debate.”
In fact, after a bruising partisan election, the poll showed that by a 17-point margin (56 percent to 39 percent), voters still “think the best way for Congress to deal with the Bush tax cuts” is to “end tax cuts for those making over $250,000” compared to those who think Congress should “continue the tax cuts for everyone.” Independents (54 percent), moderates (64 percent), and swing voters who considered supporting the other candidate (62 percent) all support ending the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2 percent.
Voters, concerned about the economy, want to reduce the budget deficit by increasing revenue through progressive tax measures, not by cutting Medicare and Medicaid.
- 84 percent of voters approve of increasing taxes on the profits American corporations make overseas, to ensure that they pay the same taxes on those as they do on domestic profits.
- Voters also favor a surtax of five percent on personal income over $5 million (61 percent), ending the preferential tax treatment of the sale of stocks and other assets (61 percent), and increasing the estate tax on estates of more than $7 million (58 percent).
- In contrast, nearly two-thirds of voters (64 percent) disapprove of raising the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 percent to 67 percent, and 78 percent oppose cuts to Medicaid benefits.
The polling materials can be found here.
Hart conducted the telephone survey of 1,009 voters nationwide (including 201 cell-phone only voters) on Nov. 7 – 9, 2012 to assess the role of the tax issue in voters’ electoral decision-making, attitudes on the issue of ending the Bush tax cuts for upper-income taxpayers, and support for various deficit reduction proposals.
Citizen Action of New York is a state partner of Americans for Tax Fairness, a diverse campaign of over 225 national, state, and local organizations united in support of a tax system that works for all Americans.
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