Shocker! Americans Prefer Tax Cuts Over Government Spending

Yet another blow to the Keynesian theory of economic management. Of course, the American public has had since late 2008 to watch what happens when the government goes ballistic with spending, and seen how well that hasn’t worked

When faced with a budget crisis, most Americans think “it’s always better to cut taxes than to increase government spending because taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their money.”

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 59% of Americans agree with that statement, while 26% disagree. Fifteen percent (15%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The thing is, we don’t really have to give more tax cuts, per se. Just have the President and Congress say early on “hey, we’re going to reauthorize the 2001/2003 tax cuts for, say, 5 years”, which would have offered some stability in the economy. Maybe some tax free weekends, or, how about tax free summer? That, and not spending like ferrets on crack.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU. Re-Change 2010!

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11 Responses to “Shocker! Americans Prefer Tax Cuts Over Government Spending”

  1. Kevin says:

    When faced with a budget crisis, most Americans think “it’s always better to cut taxes than to increase government spending because taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their money.”

    The democrats think along the same lines. They just believe that people who don’t work for a living can spend your money better than you can.

  2. David says:

    Think about the fact that your tax dollars go to fund Departments like Energy, EPA, OSHA, Education, ATF, DEA, and many, many others that either stand in the way of growth and business or restrict your freedom. I feel that people have had enough but are not specfic enough about the fact that the government is in our way. Many of these organizations were started with good intent, that has long fallen by the way side and they now are impediments.

  3. John Ryan says:

    The USA spends about 1 trillion per year in discretionary spending. The EPA gets a total of 1%. How much do you want to cut of that? DOE They get 1% by most is spent on nukes either power plants or bombs all of which are owned by the DOE ED (Dept of Ed) they get 10% BUT that is because of laws passed and signed 2001-2008 (no child left behind) Before that it was getting 4%
    Total discretionary spending went up more under Bush than any other President in the last 30 yearshttp://www.independent.org/newsroom/news_detail.asp?newsID=31

  4. John Ryan says:

    The “greatest generation” paid taxes about twice as high as we do know.http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php
    All 3 of the top 3 richest Americans (all self made billionaires Gates,Ellison,Buffet) believe that taxes on the richest Americans should go UP

  5. David says:

    john,
    The so called “greatest generation” did indeed have a higher tax rate, but as I have told you before, the deductions that you were able to take drove your total payment down beyond what we pay today.

    Now the “greatest generation”. That is the biggest bunch of bull I have ever heard. They are the ones responsible for the socialist nightmare we are in now. They tried to send me to Vietnam!!! Sure they fought WWII, big deal. They brought the fight on to get out of the depression. FDR, their lover, engineered the attack on Pearl. Most of our debt was brought on by the great generation. I have taken care of them for years and find them to do nothing but piss and moan and want hand out from the government.

    As to tax hikes, any economist that has ever done anything of note (such as work)will tell you that we need less spending and less tax. As to your referraly to Bush, as I have said, he was your guy, a liberal.

    But keep up the spending, that will bring about my dream, which is a free and independent South.

  6. gitarcarver says:

    That is the biggest bunch of bull I have ever heard.

    Then you haven’t listened to yourself.

    They are the ones responsible for the socialist nightmare we are in now.

    Actually they are not. The big socialist programs started in the next generation – the one that you are a part of.

    Sure they fought WWII, big deal.

    Big deal? Do you have any idea of the sacrifice it took to fight WWII? I guess not.

    They brought the fight on to get out of the depression.

    Before Pearl Harbor, the vast majority of the country was very much isolationist in demeanor. No one wanted to participate in what was felt to be “Europe’s war.”

    FDR, their lover, engineered the attack on Pearl.

    Proof please.

    I have taken care of them for years and find them to do nothing but piss and moan and want hand out from the government.

    You haven’t done anything to take care of them other than to exploit the freedoms that they fought and died for.

    my dream, which is a free and independent South.

    Figures.

  7. John Ryan says:

    Teach how much were your taxes CUT by Obama? Of cours e 1/3 of the stimulus WAS tax cuts for the middle class The average tax cut for individuals was 400 dollars per year. Was that about whta you got from the stimulus ?

  8. gitarcarver says:

    Teach how much were your taxes CUT by Obama?

    So Ryan, when a business gets taxed more, who do you think is going to pay for that tax? When products are taxes more, who do you think is going to pay for that?

    The fact of the matter is that the average family will see an increase of $1800 – $2200 in taxes under Obama.

  9. David says:

    Gitar,
    First you must understand that we have a problem with our government. In order to fix the problem, you need some critical assessment of its history. What you received in high school is not sufficient. My statements are based on reading over the last 30 years.
    As to FDR, he most definitely precipitated our entry into the war with his policy toward Japan. This was confirmed when I visited the Arizona monument in Hawaii. The park service gives lectures and one is directed specifically toward the Japanese and indicates that the Japanese government was forced to confront the US as a consequence of the economic policy that we had suddenly developed that constituted an embargo on the Japs. The purpose of this was our reaction to the Jap treatment of the Chinese. Which had been going on for over 10 years but suddenly became an issue just when the British needed us in Europe. A colonel was asked to work up a set of circumstances that would compel the Japs to attack us. FDR followed the list exactly. Then we have the actual intervention of FDR in Pearl Harbor. He fired the commander of the base who was trying to improve the defenses and who had the base on alert because he was convinced that an attack was coming. He was replaced by King, who was an idiot. Then he moved half the fleet to San Diego, a move that made no sense (not my appraisal). Then FDR made certain that all aircraft carriers were absent from the harbor before the attack (he had the Jap code). He even stopped air patrols in the quadrant to the Northwest of the islands, were the Japs were coming from. The list goes on and on.
    Now what sacrifice did the great warriors make? Certainly somewhere around 1 to 10% of the military were fighting and dying. But the majority were partying and having a good time. My parents assured me of that fact.
    Then the start of socialism in the US, Lincoln got it kicked off by rewriting the constitution. Wilson really did substantial damage. But FDR did us in, read “The Forgotten Man”. LBJ, who I could not vote for, but he “greatest generation “ did, initiated Medicare, knowing what would happen in 30 years and sure enough it did. Before that, the great Kennedy allowed public unions, and we are suffering with that situation. The “greatest generation” has always been in love with government and it getting into our lives.
    As to the pissing on moaning, you have no idea as you have no contact with social work or what goes on with these people. I do.

  10. gitarcarver says:

    My statements are based on reading over the last 30 years.

    I am sorry that you feel that you are the only one in this conversation that has ever read a book, or has been reading for 30 years. Trust me that you are not.

    (he had the Jap code)

    No, he did not. The Japanese were using a diplomatic code that was broken, but the military code was not. This is the problem when dealing with conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists – they ignore all the facts and only site in on those facts which suit their needs.

    But the majority were partying and having a good time. My parents assured me of that fact.

    I have no idea where your parents lived or were from. My family was in Baltimore and in Virginia. No one was partying in those areas. People were dealing with rationing and shortages across the country. Maybe your parent’s experience was different than the majority of the country, but anecdotal experiences from two people doesn’t cut the grade.

    Oh, and by the way, that generation that you so blithely dismiss? Well two of them were uncles that I never got to meet or know because they died protection your right to be ignorant.

    Lincoln got it kicked off by rewriting the constitution.

    I would presume that you are talking about Lincoln’s suspension of habeus corpus. That would be a policy that was slapped down forcefully by the Supreme Court.

    Of course, I find it interesting that you said that your dream is a “free and independent South.” You do realize that the Constitution prohibits succession don’t you?

    Could it be that you are a modern liberal who believes that you only need to follow the laws and parts of the Constitution that you agree with?

    The “greatest generation” has always been in love with government and it getting into our lives.

    The greatest generation allowed you to make statements that are not based in fact. The greatest generation built more of the roads and infrastructure of the country than any other. The greatest generation started to make sure that all people were guaranteed the promise of equality.

    As to the pissing on moaning, you have no idea as you have no contact with social work or what goes on with these people. I do.

    You have no idea what I have contact with or with whom.

    You make a great number of assumptions, David.

    And by the way, I am sure that you could refuse the people the people that “piss and moan.” You don’t have to take them as clients or patients and yet you do. Don’t you find it a little bit hypocritical that you hate the very people that have provided you not only the freedom to display your ignorance of history, but also provided you an income and a career?

  11. David says:

    gitar,
    To close out my interest in this thread, I will simply say that you are wrong. I believe I have the authorities on my side?opinion. As to a liberal, I don’t think I have made any personal attacks on you, which is the cardinal sign of a liberal or someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about, on the other hand.

    Read a few more books.

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