By Bill Bartel
The Virginian-Pilot
Most Virginians are of two minds when it comes to how to reduce
federal budget deficits: They want spending cuts, not tax increases,
but they don't want to touch defense spending or major entitlement
programs, according to a new poll by Old Dominion University and The
Virginian-Pilot.
The split personality demonstrates the problem facing politicians
as they attempt to trim the amount of money the United States
borrows each year to pay its bills.
Several members of Congress have said that addressing the debt
problem without touching defense, Social Security, Medicare or
Medicaid would be very difficult. The four areas account for almost
half of the federal budget.
The other half includes discretionary spending, interest
payments, other entitlements and the cost of special tax breaks or
deductions.
Old Dominion University's Social Science Research Center surveyed
608 voting-age Virginians by phone July 21 through Aug. 16 in
consultation with The Virginian-Pilot. The poll has a margin of
error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Sixty-five percent said the best way to reduce federal budget
deficits is by cutting spending, not raising taxes. More Republicans
than Democrats or independents tended to favor cutting, but all
three political groups preferred it to increasing taxes or a
combination of cuts and tax hikes.
Yet a majority of those polled said they oppose cutting spending
on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. About 1 in 5 others said
they want more money spent on those programs.
If younger people need to pay more for Social Security to keep it
solvent, so be it, most respondents said.
When considering defense, 53 percent favored maintaining spending
at current levels or raising it, while 46 percent favored cutting
military spending.
A
bout 1 of every 5 people surveyed said they favor higher taxes.
Nearly 1 in 7 said a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts is
needed.
A majority - 60 percent - said the richest Americans, those in
the top 5 percent of income earners, pay too little in taxes. About
1 in 4 said the wealthy are paying the correct amount, and 1 in 7
said they pay too much.
The survey found differing views on the roots of the national
debt and the leadership of President Barack Obama.
About a third of those surveyed blamed former President George W.
Bush for the country's debt problems. Smaller numbers blamed Obama
or Republicans or Democrats in Congress. About 1 of every 5 people
polled said all are at fault.
When respondents were divided by their party affiliations, most
Republicans tended to blame Democrats, and Democrats blamed the GOP.
Obama's job performance was positive, with 55 percent saying they
approve or strongly approve of the job he's doing and 44 percent
expressing disapproval.
"This number appears to bode relatively well for the president's
prospects of winning Virginia in 2012," said Jesse Richman, an ODU
assistant political science professor who analyzed the results. But
Richman noted the poll indicates Obama's support might be somewhat
soft.
"Passion is on the side of his opponents," he said, noting that
Obama's supporters mostly said they "approve" of him rather than
"strongly approve." Most who dislike him "strongly disapprove" of
his performance.
The president's popularity varied significantly among people of
different racial backgrounds. Respondents who identified themselves
as black or African American tended to support Obama in large
numbers, but white respondents were split.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
Sixty-five percent said the best way to reduce federal budget
deficits is by cutting spending, not raising taxes.
More Republicans than Democrats or independents tended to favor
cutting, but all preferred it to increasing taxes or a combination
of cuts and tax hikes.
(C) 2011 The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved