Posted on 03/03/2011 11:54:02 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I promised you an update on this poll in the post about support for collective bargaining once the crosstabs were released. Here you go: The sample is 39D/34R/19I, including leaners, and 14 percent of respondents are union members. As Ed noted a few days ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says 11.9 percent of workers are unionized, so it’s a slight oversample but within the margin of error. On the other hand, Ed pointed out that public employees comprise 17 percent of the work force; in the Journal poll, 14 percent of respondents are public employees, i.e. a slight undersample. I don’t think the collective bargaining polling data is wildly skewed.
As for the rest of the poll, the Journal is touting the following as good news for Mitch Daniels. Proof at last that the public supports a “truce” on social issues?
Huckabee leads the field as the first choice of 25 percent of Republicans (Romney is second at 21, Gingrich third at 13, and Palin fourth at 12, although she finishes second as a second choice) so there’s still some support out there for an unapologetic social con, but yeah, priorities in this election lay elsewhere. Even so — is this poll really good news for Mitch Daniels, the guy who’s ready to fight the “red menace” of our federal debt?
Read it and weep, my friends:
Seventy-six percent say Medicare cuts are at least mostly unacceptable and 77 percent say the same of Social Security — including a clear majority who say it’s totally unacceptable. Here’s a related result, asking not whether cuts are acceptable but merely whether they’re necessary. Remember, entitlement spending is by far the biggest driver of America’s astronomical debt:
The silver lining is that majorities are willing to accept various tweaks to entitlements. Cuts are a no-go, but 62 percent say they’d find it at least mostly acceptable to reduce Medicare and Social Security benefits for wealthier retirees and 56 percent would find it mostly acceptable to gradually raise the retirement age for S.S. to 69 by the year 2075. In fact, 44 percent would even find a voucher system for Medicare “mostly acceptable,” an encouraging sign insofar as it gives the Ryans, Christies, and Danielses of the world a political foothold to push reforms aggressively. The immediate problem is that there’s even more support for tax hikes than there is for entitlement reform: 81 percent find a surtax on millionaires mostly acceptable and 68 percent say the same of phasing out the Bush tax cuts for “wealthy” families. One of the left’s big complaints about the Deficit Commission proposal is that it was heavy on cuts and light on tax hikes. This poll will encourage them to escalate that argument.
One last data point: A plurality of respondents say they’ll probably vote for Obama over a Republican challenger (45/40) and a majority say they support how he’s handling the Egyptian and broader Middle East uprisings (55/30). So long as he doesn’t do or say anything to further involve America in the region, he’s probably safe. Which means that no-fly zone is less likely than ever.
We can pay people their “benefits” under the current system.
But the dollars they receive will be worth a small fraction of what they paid in.
Suckers.
It is hopeless. This country is heading to financial ruin.
Alexander Tytler was right.
“From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.”
They were pointing a gun at me when they asked for my contribution, so I don’t feel so bad.
Polls are meaningless unless respondents are presented meaningful choices. Of course, no one wants a reduction in benefits. Many baby boomers have a strong moral claim to benefits given the level of payroll taxes assessed on them. Moral claims do not matter. Realistic alternatives matter. Either we substantially reduce our spending or the dollar implodes crashing the economy. Of course, the left will say that I am fear mongering. Precious metal markets, rumblings from other countries, statements by rating agencies, and the incredible levels of current and project debt indicate that my assessment is accurate.
Here is analogy I would present. Suppose parents have saved for years to buy a vacation home. Just before signing the contract, the parents find out that their savings have been stolen by an unaccountable party. Are the parents entitled to the vacation home? Morally they are entitled. Will they be able to purchase the vacation home? Not unless they have insured their savings or can obtain restitution from the thief. Otherwise, the parents no longer have the assets avaialable.
For entitlements, politicians have already spent the money. No one can provide restitution. I prefer to renounce my benefits for a reduction in my payroll taxes. I would prefer to keep my benefits but I prefer to living off my savings to an economic collapse.
And this is exactly why our country will fail...and failure in epic proportions...no one thinks about the kids...
It may not be possible to get the federal budget into balance. This means very rapid inflation and Soviet Union-style devolution may be in our future.
On the other hand, there is no use trying to fix the budget problem without reforming the entitlements. I do not mean cutting them, but privatizing them. Turning them into defined contribution plans, funding what obligations people are currently entitled to, and taking them out of politics. If we can get entitlement programs off the table, then the effort we will have to go through to put the country’s fiscal house into order will be worthwhile.
If we do not reform the entitlement programs, then any success we have in getting through the current mess will be fleeting. We will soon again be faced with the same problem, only it will probably be larger.
Since 2007, I have been thinking the chances are very low of salvaging the country. Congradulations, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ted Stevens and Tom DeLay. You guys got yours when while you could. Now, it looks like it’s every man for him- or herself.
I’m big on educating the ignorant masses, particularly the apathetic, know-nothing “independents” that so many here want, not to educate, but to CATER to-as if they have any core beliefs. A ridiculous and foolish strategy for conservatives.
The ongoing and growing Social Services gravy train is far and away the bigget money drain, however, the anti-American QueerMedia is only going to hammer on the Defense Department and those legendary $400.00 toilet seat lids.
If Social Security must be changed so be it.
But before there is talk about cutting Soscial Security in any way there should be a total cut off of all government payments, benefits, food stamps, medical - EVERYTHING! for all illegals and new immigrants.
That includes Cubans, who are beneficiaries of laws extending liberal benefits to them as soon as they set foot on US soil.
Social Security recipients receive benefits based on their actual employment.
They and their employers paid at least something toward their benefits.
By what rationale can the government justify cutting Social Security benefits while giving equal or better benefits to illegals and legal immigrants?
Now, it looks like it’s every man for him- or herself . Fine with me . At least i won’t feel guilty when the whining begins . Help the helpless not the clueless .
This tell me it’s over.
If the American public is this ignorant...it’s hopeless.
Obama will win. RINOs maintain GOP.
GIGO
Don’t start with the goodies. Start with Homeland Security, Obama’s Romneycare and the growth of government over the past two years. Next there is the EPA that needs cutting down to size. Lift all bans on drilling. Give Education back to the states, communities, and mostly to the families. Secure the borders, and start deporting illegals who are draining state and federal coffers. Defund all community organizers, any money going to unions, including tax deductions for union dues.... It could take a couple of years worth of cutting down the size of government before getting entitlements back to pre Pelosi levels, essentially restoring welfare reform. And start from there.
He’s still my pick out of the available candidates. Palin, of course, is out of the question.
“Precious metal markets, rumblings from other countries, statements by rating agencies, and the incredible levels of current and project debt indicate that my assessment is accurate.”
####
Indeed they do.
But the obfuscating emotional propaganda of the Left has no room for factual data, or the logic and rigor of the free market.
Oh wait. I see you have pretty pictures on your profile page. Figures.
Bump.
This country will go the way of Europe. We’ve bred a selfish generation that says “I want my benefits” and don’t care how it affects our children or their future. We need to burden them with more debt because our needs are more important than whether they have a brighter future than one we have had.
If we don’t reverse the way we’re going, in 30 years time the government will print out nothing but benefit checks. There will be no money left for anything else. And the politicians don’t want to level with the American people about it because they won’t get votes in a generation. The votes now are the ones to which they pay attention.
America is screwed.
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