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Wisconsin: Budget and Taxes

Budget (State)
Budget Deficit (State)
Budget Deficit (Federal)
Taxes (General)
Taxes (Gas)
Taxes (Income)
Taxes (State)
Taxes (Federal)

Budget (State)

Level of State Spending

Poll	Date	Too high	Too low	Just about right	Depends on program	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	October 21-28, 2003	59%	5%	26%	3%	8%	511	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	61%	4%	24%	2%	9%	511	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	May 13-21, 2003	62%	4%	20%	4%	10%	503	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	April 7-15, 2003	61%	2%	26%	3%	8%	509	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	March 4-12, 2003	61%	2%	24%	4%	9%	504	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	February 11-19, 2003	66%	2%	21%	2%	9%	504	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	January 7-15, 2003	63%	3%	22%	3%	8%	514	± 4.0

1 "How about the level of state spending, is that too high, too low, or just about right?"

Budget Deficit (State)

Methods to Decrease State Budget Deficit

Method to reduce state budget deficit¹	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
Cut revenue sharing with local governments	31%	62%	7%
Cut state programs other than revenue sharing	45%	42%	14%
Consolidate and coordinate local government services between neighboring communities to save money	77%	18%	4%
Eliminate sales tax exemptions for all goods except food, farming and medicines, while at the same time lowering the state sales tax to 3.5% from the current 5%	54%	36%	9%
Increase state income tax	13%	84%	3%
Increase local sales taxes	18%	79%	2%
Increase local property taxes	7%	91%	2%
Poll	WPR / St. Norbert College
Date	March 20 – April 7, 2002
Sample	407
MoE	± 5.0

1 "The State of Wisconsin currently faces a billion-dollar budget deficit. I'm going to read a list of proposed solutions for handling the deficit. For each one, please tell me whether you are in favor opposed to the particular proposed solution."

Budget Deficit (Federal)

Priority of Reducing Federal Budget Deficit

Poll	Date	Top priority	Lower priority	No opinion	Sample	MoE
WPR / St. Norbert College¹	October 31 – November 11, 2005	61%	33%	6%	400	± 5.0

1 "Given all the issues currently in front of Congress and the President, do you think reducing the federal budget deficit should be among the top priorities, or should it be a lower at this point in time?"

Methods to Decrease Federal Budget Deficit

Method to reduce federal budget deficit¹	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
Continue to run in deficit until we are in a better position	61%	34%	5%
Repealing some of the recent tax cuts	51%	41%	8%
Cutting domestic spending	41%	55%	4%
Cutting defense spending	36%	60%	4%
Poll	WPR / St. Norbert College
Date	October 31 – November 11, 2005
Sample	400
MoE	± 5.0

1 "The President and Congress are currently working on how to decrease the budget deficit. For each of the following means for doing this, please tell me whether you are in favor or opposed to that particular measure."

Taxes (General)

Impact of Taxes on Economy

Relationship	Help	Hurt	No impact	No opinion
Tax increases¹	15%	57%	16%	12%
Tax cuts²	54%	21%	15%	10%
Poll	Rasmussen
Date	April 20, 2006
Sample	500 LV
MoE	± 4.5

1 "Generally speaking, do tax increases help the economy, hurt the economy, or have no impact on the economy?"

2 "Do tax cuts help the economy, hurt, the economy, or have no impact on the economy?"

Taxes (Gas)

Federal Gas Tax Holiday

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	47%	38%	15%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Currently, there is a federal tax of 18 cents per gallon on gasoline. Proposals have been made for a gas tax holiday that would eliminate the gas tax for the summer. Do you favor or oppose a tax holiday to eliminate the federal gas tax for the summer?"

Taxes (Income)

Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

Poll	Date	Tax cuts for all	No cuts for > $200,000	In Between	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Humphrey Institute¹	June 21 – July 12, 2004	43%	43%	11%	3%	575 RV	± 4.0

1 "Which statement comes closest to your point of view or do you fall somewhere in between? The government in Washington should cut taxes for everyone, including people making over $200,000 a year, even it means reducing services OR the government should cut taxes for everyone, except for people making over $200,00 in order to provide services."

Taxes (State)

Level of State Taxes

Poll	Date	Too high	Too low	Just about right	Depends on tax	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	October 21-28, 2003	69%	2%	26%	1%	1%	511	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	August 18-27, 2003	70%	2%	25%	1%	2%	511	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	May 13-21, 2003	63%	2%	32%	0%	2%	503	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	April 7-15, 2003	66%	2%	30%	1%	1%	509	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	March 4-12, 2003	62%	1%	36%	2%	1%	504	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	February 11-19, 2003	68%	1%	29%	1%	1%	504	± 4.0
Badger Poll¹	January 7-15, 2003	71%	1%	26%	0%	1%	514	± 4.0

1 "Right now do you think the level of state taxes in Wisconsin is too high, too low, or just about right?"

Taxes (Federal)

Support Increasing Capital Gains Tax

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	20%	59%	21%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "A proposal has been made to increase the capital gains tax from 15% to 28%. Do you favor oppose increasing the capital gains tax to 28%?"

Increase In Capital Gains Tax Effect On Economy

Poll	Date	Help	Hurt	Neither	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	18%	49%	18%	15%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "If the capital gains tax is increased to 28%, will that help the economy or hurt the economy?"

Need More Federal Tax Revenue to Fund Highway Repairs and Health Care

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	39%	43%	19%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Does the federal government need more tax revenue to fund important national programs such as highway repairs and health care reform?"

Worried Next President Will Raise Taxes Too Much

Poll	Date	Very worried	Somewhat worried	Not very worried	Not at all worried	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	32%	29%	29%	9%	1%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Some people are worried that the next President will raise so much that it will harm the economy. How worried are you that the next President will raise taxes too much?"

Worried Next President Will Cut Taxes Too Much

Poll	Date	Very worried	Somewhat worried	Not very worried	Not at all worried	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	May 5, 2008	9%	26%	39%	22%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Some people are worried that the next President will cut so much that it will harm important government programs. How worried are you that the next President will cut taxes too much?"

Level of Federal Taxes

Poll	Date	More than fair share	Less than fair share	About fair share	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	March 23-31, 2004	40%	14%	41%	5%	500	± 4.0

1 "In general, do you think most people in the United State pay more than their fair share of federal taxes, less than their fair share, or about their fair share?"

Fairness of Federal Tax System

Poll	Date	Fair	Not Fair	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	March 23-31, 2004	39%	58%	3%	500	± 4.0

1 "Overall, would you say the federal income tax system is basically fair, or not?"

Federal Flat Tax

Poll	Date	Good idea	Not good idea	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Badger Poll¹	March 23-31, 2004	39%	47%	12%	500	± 4.0

1 "There have been proposals to simplify the tax system by charging everyone the same flat rate of their income, but eliminating almost all the deductions, exemptions, credits and so on. In general, do you think this would be a good idea or not?"