Poll Finds Wariness About Cutting Entitlements

[groovedaddy]

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.

While Americans are near-unanimous in calling deficits a problem — a “very serious” problem, say 7 out of 10 — a majority believes it should not be necessary for them to pay higher taxes to bridge the shortfall between what the government spends and what it takes in. But given a choice of often-discussed revenue options, they preferred a national sales tax or a limit in the deduction for mortgage interest to a higher gasoline tax or taxing employer-provided health benefits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/us/politics/21poll.html?ref=us

[liberal N proud]

1. What did people expect from their GOP run congress

You bought it, now you have to suffer through it.


When will the voters learn?

[RC]

2. Social Security is separately funded.

Why is it even in the equations?

[groovedaddy]

3. But is the lock box really locked? n.t

[NorthCarolina]

4. Not since the payroll tax holiday was passed

wherein the Social Security 'lock box' became tied to the general-fund.

[somone]

5. That was Obama's Trojan horse to defund Social Security

[barbiegeek]

6. I don't get what you mean will you explain