Posted on 03/31/2010 7:05:56 AM PDT by iowamark
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of voters nationwide favor a national sales tax if the money is used to pay for health care for all Americans, but 51% oppose that idea. These findings are unchanged from December.
Take health care out of the equation, however, and opposition to a national sales tax on all goods and services is higher. Only 22% favor a national sales tax as a way for the government to raise more money, while 60% are opposed. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided.
Sixty percent (60%) of voters nationwide think tax increases hurt the economy.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spoken favorably of a value added tax (VAT). The VAT is very similar to a national sales tax and has the same impact on the consumer. Most other countries around the world have a VAT, and it is considered one of the most efficient ways for a government to raise money.
Charles Krauthammer, a columnist for The Washington Post, argued in a column last week that “with the passage of Obamacare … a national sales tax of the kind near-universal in Europe is inevitable.”
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
If the creation of a national sales tax eliminates the need for a federal income tax, support for the sales tax increases to 47%. Thirty percent (30%) are still opposed, and 23% are not sure.
However, just 26% of all voters think that it is even somewhat likely the government would cut income taxes after implementing a sales tax. Sixty-six percent (66%) believe it’s unlikely to happen.
Now that the national health care plan is law, many are wondering how America will pay for it. One finding that has changed little over the months is the belief by 78% of voters that taxes on the middle class will have to be increased to pay for the health care plan.
If taxes must go up to pay for the health care plan, 39% prefer the creation of a national sales tax to raising income tax rates for all Americans. Thirteen percent (13%) think raising income taxes is a better plan. However, 48% of voters express no preference.
One week after the House of Representatives passed the health care plan, 54% of voters still favor repealing it. Forty-two percent (42%) are opposed to repeal.
Even as the Obama administration’s initiatives push the federal deficit to historic highs for years to come, voters continue to believe cutting the deficit in half by the end of his first term is the president’s number one priority.
Twenty-three percent (23%) of voters say they prefer a more active government with more services and higher taxes over one with fewer services and lower taxes. Sixty-six percent (66%) prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes.
That won’t stop them from imposing it. They do not care.
Well! If it is that unpopular, then it will be no wonder when the Administration claims a mandate to impose a VAT, and soon.
Most of these, I would think, pay sales taxes but virtually no income taxes.
As more people find out how they’ve been suckered, there will be far more people opposed to this tax. Most don’t even know the possibility for a VAT even exists.
VAT tax will be rolled out. MSM: “It’s for the children!”, “It’s Bush’s fault!”.
The sheeple will grumble, then return to sleep.
According to Jim Pulava of FinancialSense.com, it’s coming and we’d better stop it in its tracks or it will be with us forever.
As if, with the current state of affairs in Washington, any specific tax would logically be used to pay for a specific program. Every state that has legalized lotteries and other forms of gambling has advertised that the funds collected were to go to "the children" for "their education." How did that work out? Any money collected via a sales tax or any other tax, including FICA, will find its way into the general funds and be used for important government projects such as earmarks to help reelect incumbents.
It sounds like the mother (in-law) of all taxes!
LOL! Good analogy.....and Pulava said it will be on top of the higher income taxes we’ll soon be paying, not as a replacement for income taxes. Double whammy.
37% of voters nationwide favor a national sales tax if the money is used to pay for health care for all Americans...
3% of the national sales tax will pay health care for the chosen few Americans deemed worthy.
97% of this tax will pay for the bureaucracy of the those employed by the federal government who will decide what special interest groups gets health care.
“According to Jim Pulava of FinancialSense.com, it’s coming and we’d better stop it in its tracks or it will be with us forever.”
***
My late father used to say, “there is no such thing as a temporary tax.” How right he was (and is).
it’s another pocket to pick. they won’t eliminate the income tax, they’ll simply piggyback it.
National sales tax OR income tax NOT BOTH.
One or the other, just choose.
No doubt this Congress and administration doesn’t give a rat’s posterior about what the PEOPLE think and could easily shove a VAT down our throats just like they did for health care. However I also see Congress as taxing other things for example a national sales tax on Internet sales or new excise taxes on Internet services.
Talk about misleading polling. The conflation of a national sales tax and a value-added tax or VAT, along with the attachment of such to ObamaCare, is deceptive and destructive to efforts to restore liberty and prosperity to this country.
I’ve noticed a lot of this going on in recent days, even from people who supposedly should know better. It’s stupid.
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National Sales Tax Still Unpopular
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The one positive aspect of this is illegals will be forced to pay
SOMETHING.
But seeing how the Feds will muck this up, I remain opposed to a VAT.
Nobody opposed Obamacare as much as I.
However, the burden is too big to be born by the nation’s employers and those who purchase individual insurance.
My health insurance premiums will raise at least $700 per month because my high deductible plan will be taken away from me.
I am a lowly self employed person. How am I to afford an extra $8000 per year for a Cadillac health plan?
This VAT tax would be preferred because at least of the freeloaders would begin to pay into the system.
The half + of Americans not paying income tax would at least have to pay VAT just like they pay sales tax. I expect though that this “unfair” regressive tax would be compensated for them by congress increasing EIC. OTOH, I’d expect a vigourous enforcement effort at garage sales and flea markets will really rile up the lower class.
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