America Changing On Taxes

7:22 pm EST April 13th, 2009 | News | 4 Comments

Here’s more evidence that the GOP tax message may have run its course.

A new Gallup Poll finds 48% of Americans saying the amount of federal income taxes they pay is “about right,” with 46% saying “too high” — one of the most positive assessments Gallup has measured since 1956. Typically, a majority of Americans say their taxes are too high, and relatively few say their taxes are too low.

President Obama’s election showed that the blaring anti-tax message of the right doesn’t work, and for the long term it may be headed for massive failure. It isn’t that people support high taxes, but rather common sense tax policy where we don’t think cutting taxes for Paris Hilton will lead to magical prosperity ponies for the rest of us.

The problem for the GOP is that if the tax message doesn’t work – that is, if people no longer see Democrats as the tax monster – all the GOP is god, guns, and gays and that’s an increasingly fringe group of people who think those are the most important issue of our time.

Topic: , ,

Related Posts

«
»

4 Responses to “America Changing On Taxes”

  1. Jaim says:
    April 13, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    I don’t like paying taxes. But as a reality-based adult, I realize that they go towards a number of things that make my life easier and safer.

    What’s mind-blowing about Republicans is that they started (and failed to complete) two different wars under Chimpy, and somehow thought those costly, poorly executed invasions and occupations would pay for themselves.

    It’s not so much about taxes, but about value. Are my dollars going towards things that matter like education and security? Under Republican administrations, not so much.

  2. Todd Dugdale says:
    April 14, 2009 at 1:05 am

    Even more intriguing is the crosstab of that poll showing that only 53% of Republicans think that they pay too much in taxes.

    If Republicans themselves are almost evenly divided on being “over-taxed”, and the Party’s economic policy ideas begin and end with “cut taxes”, then the GOP has more serious internal problems than we were even previously aware of.

    Also with only 35% of the nation saying that their tax level is “unfair”, what is this “majority” that the “tea parties” are supposed to be drawing upon?

  3. beaster says:
    April 15, 2009 at 7:53 am

    I’ve always wanted to pay more income tax—like a lot more. If my tax bill was 5 figures I would be enjoying the sunshine some place instead of being stuck in the upper midwest’s rain and cold.
    Cheers

  4. Duros62 says:
    April 16, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    When they say “Freedom Isn’t Free,” the cost is not and should not be paid only in blood.
    April 15 is when the bill comes due.
    We pay taxes for the privilege of being Americans.

    Pay up and shut up.