EPIC/MRA poll: Michigan voters prefer TAX HIKE to cuts in education ... by a WIDE margin

[Bozita]

Jack Lessenberry is the author.

http://jackshow.blogs.com/jack/2010/04/essay-wanting-higher-taxes-42010.html

Essay: Wanting Higher Taxes - 4.20.10

It’s probably fair to say that not a lot of people like to pay taxes, but a respected new poll found something surprising about taxes here in the state. Michigan Radio’s Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry has more…

Historians argue about where the Republican Party was founded, but they agree on the year - 1854. And Jackson, Michigan has as good a claim as any to be the party‘s birthplace.
Then as now, different Republicans believed different things, but they were united on this: They unanimously opposed the spread of slavery into new territories. Today‘s Republicans also seem united on another issue. Their motto is: No New Taxes.

No matter what.

As a corollary of this, they also believe that any politician who comes out in favor of any new taxes, for whatever reason, is committing political suicide. Republicans think the voters think the sane way they do, especially in economically devastated Michigan.

Remarkably, even some Democrats think they might be right about this. Of their three candidates for governor, only Alma Wheeler Smith says openly that she’d raise taxes on the richest of us.

The others say they wouldn’t cut essential services, but haven’t really said how they would pay for them. Well, guess what.

A highly respected new poll indicates the anti-tax tenet of Republican dogma is dead wrong. Despite thirty years of anti-tax propaganda, many people would be willing to pay higher taxes rather than sacrifice education in this state.

EPIC/MRA, the respected Lansing polling firm, surveyed six hundred likely Michigan voters a couple weeks ago. It found that by a two-to-one margin, voters would support a graduated income tax that would tax the rich more, the poor less.

What if a graduated tax isn’t possible, and the economy stays poor? Would Michigan voters agree to raise taxes to get more money for schools? Our lawmakers, especially Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, think the answer is no. But the poll found just the opposite.

Sixty-one percent of us would tax ourselves more highly to help the schools, and our kids; only twenty-nine percent say definitely no. The poll also asked a representative cross-section of voters this: Is it more important to preserve the programs we have now, or to control taxes? The voters opted to save the programs, by a margin of almost three to one. Now, they weren’t in favor of all taxes.

more...

[elleng]

1. Well waddya know!

An educated voter is our best citizen!

[SocialistLez]

2. While I think this is good news

They only polled 600 people.
I think 6000 would be more representative....

[blue_onyx]

3. Fact won't stop the GOP...

from continuing to say "MI citizens are sick of tax increases." There have been various polls that showed people support increasing taxes. Unforantely, the Republicans control the senate and we'll probably get stuck with another all-cuts budget.

I hope we're able to get a graduated income tax on the ballot sometime soon.

[denverbill]

4. Don't look to see polls like this in the major media.

Especially ones that talk about taxing the rich more.

[Winterblues]

5. Rachel had a small segment about this last night

People were actually marching in the streets with Protest signs that said SOS...Save Our Schools.. They were packing municiple meetings and demanding higher taxes to save the schools and the teachers and other community projects as well. There were more people marching for new taxes than ever showed up at any tea bagger protest yet they got virtually no press coverage.. Their big mistake it would appear is they were Civil. They were not beligerent or disorderly or rude or threatening so they attracted no media coverage..

[Bozita]

9. Brian Williams led the NBC newscast last night with those clips.

Cleveland will have class sizes of 40 next school year.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Chicago is looking at 40 per class as well: ENOUGH is ENOUGH

Tax increases are necessary. End of fucking story.

[daa]

6. They didn't in New Jersey and they voted but in a poll not

an opinion survey.

[Romulox]

7. Wait a minute. How do you raise taxes on regular people ("a graduated tax isn't possible")

in the state with the worst economy in the Nation for a decade or more?

I'm not anti-tax zealot, but where is this money supposed to be coming from? :shrug:

[blue_onyx]

8. I think...

lowering the sales tax and expanding it to services is the best option. Services make up a larger portion of the economy nowadays so it makes sense to tax them. I know the economy has been bad for a long time but an all-cuts budget can't happen again.

I don't believe a graduate income tax is impossible. I would love to see it on the ballot this fall.

I would also love to see marijuana legalized and taxed. The medical marijuana proposal passed by a fairly large margin (63%-37%). If given the right pitch, I think voters may be willing to legalize it entirely if it saves school funding.

[erinlough]

10. Good ideas all

thank you for thinking positively! As a lifetime MI resident I invite you to run for office, we need better legislators. I just went to a lobbying day and I can tell you we need new blood and new ideas. If you run, I will support you. I told my local legislator if they would ask us, and here I'm talking teachers, we could help them sell a tax proposal to save the schools. We work on local bond issues all the time. He responded that I should tell the tea party that, and my response to him was to do some research, they are only about 26% of the electorate. They are all spineless. Please consider running for at least a school board seat.

Thanks for your ideas!

[blue_onyx]

13. Thanks

Yes, we do need better legislators. I already don't vote for my Dem representative (he's anti-choice, anti-stem research).

I don't think I would ever run for office. I don't have what it takes to deal with the BS. Watching the legislature during the 2007 and 2009 budget negotiations was horrible....and it will probably repeat again this year. We'll probably have the third government shutdown in 4 years. All because the House Dems ("led" by Dillon) have no backbone and the GOP controlled Senate which has no interest in working together to find a good solution to the budget. The nonsense that goes on in politics is a big turnoff. The people that would make the best leaders probably have no interest in running for office because of the games.

I hope the tax ideas I posted get passed. I think the voters are already for tax reform and, yes, tax increases. It's time for our legislature to do its job (wishful thinking, I know).

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Yes. Enough is enough

The old canard that we just need to cut spending is obvious bullshit, as basic services evaporate before our eyes. We need tax increases. Period.

The only thing that will save our society, in fact, is dramatically increased taxation on the upper 5% of income earners.