Today’s New York Times reported on the latest Times/CBS poll showing majority opposition to weakening public employee unions bargaining rights by a nearly 2-1 margin (60 percent to 33 percent). In the context of the battle in Wisconsin over Governor Walker’s assault on unions and collective bargaining, this is important information. Also important, but given far less “ink” is the extremely important finding that, also by a nearly 2-1 margin, those surveyed support increasing taxes as a way to reduce their states’ budgets over cutting the benefits of public employees.
Tax increases were not as unpopular among those surveyed as they are among many governors, who have vowed to avoid them. Asked how they would choose to reduce their state’s deficits, those polled preferred tax increases over benefit cuts for state workers by nearly two to one. Given a list of options to reduce the deficit, 40 percent said they would increase taxes, 22 percent chose decreasing the benefits of public employees, 20 percent said they would cut financing for roads and 3 percent said they would cut financing for education.
This is huge! Although elected officials and most commentators seem to have taken the revenue side of the equation off the table, the American public support tax increases more than any other option as a way to address budget deficits. The American public understands that in hard times like these, we don’t sacrifice public employees, public infrastructure or public education – we agree to all tighten our belts and share the burden of climbing out of the hole that we’re in. Would that Gov. Walker agreed to take a 20 minute call from one of these wise Americans.