75% Say Lack of Spending Cuts to Blame for State Budget Woes

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson A recent Rasmussen survey reveals that “most Americans report their state currently has a budget crisis, and they continue to blame politicians more than taxpayers for the problem.” How did the numbers break down? The article continues: The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Adults shows 75% say the unwillingness of politicians to reduce...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

A recent Rasmussen survey reveals that “most Americans report their state currently has a budget crisis, and they continue to blame politicians more than taxpayers for the problem.”

How did the numbers break down? The article continues:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Adults shows 75% say the unwillingness of politicians to reduce government spending is more to blame for current state budget crises than the unwillingness of taxpayers to pay more in taxes.

Only 13% take the opposing view and blame taxpayers’ unwillingness to pay more to the government. Another 12% are undecided.

Americans have expressed this level of skepticism toward their elected officials for some time now. In February, 83% blamed the federal budget deficit on politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending. In May of last year, 77% said politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending is the bigger problem in America today.

The majority of adults of all political affiliations blame politicians’ lack of spending cuts for state budget problems. But Democrats are slightly more inclined to criticize taxpayers for their unwillingness to pay more.

One-in-three government employees (33%) say taxpayers are to blame more than politicians.
Recent job reports show that government hiring is up, while layoffs are more common than hirings in the private sector. Many Americans believe government workers make more money than their counterparts in the private sector, and they don’t like the idea of the government hiring more workers.

In Illinois, while the state’s deficit continues to grow and bills go unpaid, state employees are getting raises–even as many of them already receive much higher compensation than their counterparts statewide. Check out our Budget Solutions 2011 for innovative policy ideas to trim Illinois’s budget. The full Rasmussen article is available here.