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New Elon poll: N.C. residents back millionaires tax

Friday, November 4, 2011
(Updated 3:25 pm)
By Emery P. Dalesio
Associated Press

RALEIGH (AP) — A university's poll of North Carolina residents finds President Barack Obama and Democrats are persuasive when they say millionaires should pay higher taxes.

The Elon Poll released today found that two-thirds of the people polled support raising taxes on Americans with incomes over $1 million per year, an idea Democrats have floated to pay for job stimulus and debt reduction. Nearly three out of 10 oppose the millionaire's surtax, while few are left undecided.

The poll has a sampling error margin of 4 percentage points.

The survey of 529 North Carolina adults was conducted between Sunday and Wednesday. Pollsters questioned participants who were at home and using either land-line or cell phones.

The poll does not measure eligible or likely voters, but takes a snapshot of general public opinion.

Accompanying Photos

Gerry Broome (Associated Press)

Photo Caption: In this Sept. 14, 2011, file photo, President Barack Obama holds up the American Jobs Act as he speaks at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

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Bosco

November 4, 2011 - 1:47 pm EDT

NC's a pretty much ignorant state.

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 2:07 pm EDT

I don't agree with that. What I do believe is what Charles Krauthammer said: "Let me write the question and I will get you any result you want."

Maryland enacted a millionaire's tax a few years back. The result was decreased revenue when the truly rich took their money and went elsewhere..

Tax the rich makes good political rhetoric but poor tax policy.

rooster8786

November 4, 2011 - 2:25 pm EDT

Looks like they got 529 "people" who were at home, so of course they would support increased taxes that may increase their checks. New York City raised a "millionaire" tax a while back. Guess what, the millionaires moved out of the city and revenues dropped. Millionaire taxes are like book smarts and real world smarts; theoretically the same but in actuality, vastly different...

infolit

November 4, 2011 - 2:35 pm EDT

You people kill me, really you do. Why are you so enamored by the rich? You'll never be one of them. And they certainly don't care about you. But for some reason you love to carry their water for them - why is that?

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 3:35 pm EDT

I am "enamored" by what they have been able to accomplish. The better question is why do folks like you hate the rich, when, if you had the opportunity, you would trade places in a nanosecond?

capricorn7nc

November 4, 2011 - 3:43 pm EDT

People like us don't hate the rich at all. We would love the opportunity to be rich one day, but when 1% controls and finds ways to stunt upward mobility for the rest, then we just recognize what is really happening. We're not blinded by shiny things, but face the reality that income inequality is real, rich people are getting preference in our tax code, and we are getting the short end of the stick when we are just trying to get out of poverty.

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 3:48 pm EDT

No one tries to stunt upward mobility. Provide an example if you can find one.

The constitution guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome. There will always be income inequality.

capricorn7nc

November 4, 2011 - 3:59 pm EDT

Allowing hospitals to charge whatever they want, allowing colleges to charge whatever they want, allowing banks to ripoff it's customers, and allowing the rich to get bailouts with no strings attached towards employment are all ways that have already stunted upward mobility. The debt students have is because of the ever increasing rates colleges charge for the same programs every year, the debt that health care causes for the country and citizens is because we allow hospitals and other medical facilities to charge whatever they want which caused Medicare/Medicaid to have such substantial expenditures, and the bailouts given to banks that were not used to help employment or pay for those toxic mortgages, but were used to buy other banks and lay off THOUSANDS of Americans to help fund these buyouts all stunt upward mobility. These are facts, not hearsay like you REPUBLICANS like to talk about.

newkid

November 4, 2011 - 9:28 pm EDT

Exactly!

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 10:14 pm EDT

Please share your plan for how you would change things.

Theo

November 4, 2011 - 11:03 pm EDT

Hey Capricorn....I don't understand why you blame this on the Republicans? The State of the Economy and the State of our Nation is based on the failed policies of both parties! It's time the Middle Class become a relevant factor in the Political process. Why must the majority take up sides with the Left & Right? The Republicans look out for the Rich and the Democrats look out for the Poor....Who looks out for the Average Joe/Jane? I do know the past 2 administrations have done a sorry job. I never thought anyone could do more poorly than GW until BO took over! I think the Rich get too many tax breaks and credits and I think the Poor get too much for doing nothing! We need the People's Party!

thinkingman

November 4, 2011 - 4:44 pm EDT

The Constitution doesn't guarantee equal opportunity. It grants equal protection of the laws. You're a fool if you think everyone has equal opportunity. That's the foundation of the "American Dream" but it's an outdated farce. Spend some time in low-income neighborhoods or talking to the victims of the economic downturn, talk to people suffering from long-term physical or mental disabilities, and come back and say they all have had equal opportunities to succeed (compared to someone born into a middle/upper class family in an area with superior schools or given a private education, money for college AND grad school, good physical/mental health, etc..., etc...).

The question more and more people are having is about the "equal protection of the laws". The Constituation grants us that, but do we really have it? Does the average citizen really have an equal voice in our representative government, or are we essentially second-class citizens to the corporate lobbyists and influence-peddlers? A democratic government can work for the people, but ours is working more and more for whatever special interest groups pay the most money to support political campaigns. Our voices matter less and less to those we elected to represent us...and that's why people begin to become upset, and start to move out onto the streets.

rmacz

November 4, 2011 - 6:27 pm EDT

This gibberish reminds me of one of Mayer Rothschild's quotes, "Give me control of the nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws"....ha!
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/Federal%20Reserve...

Panacea

November 4, 2011 - 11:28 pm EDT

thinkingman made a well reasoned argument. You don't seem able to refute his points.

rmacz

November 5, 2011 - 3:56 pm EDT

You're right, Mayer did...ha!

Alf42

November 4, 2011 - 9:47 pm EDT

How incredibly wrong your are. The economy is not a zero sum game. Because someone makes money does not mean it is taken from someone else. The wealthy employ a lot of people. I've never got a job from a poor person, I don't about you. You have been severely miseducated my friend.

Waldo Leidecker

November 4, 2011 - 7:57 pm EDT

Why do terminally greedy "people" like you take such joy in screwing over and spitting on the poor? Must be a Republinazi thing.

overtaxed

November 4, 2011 - 10:24 pm EDT

Hey Waldo, what happened to the "Hope and Change We Can Believe In" Obama promised us if he were elected?

He also promised to change the way "business is done in Washington by putting the interests of the people ahead of special interest groups" didn't he?

Looks to me like the only change in Washington is the increase of our tax dollars that end up in the hands of political donors..

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-09-18/news/ct-met-kass-0918-2011...

goncst8

November 4, 2011 - 2:22 pm EDT

Our citizens are so ignorant...

retiree

November 4, 2011 - 2:25 pm EDT

Yet another "poll" from Elon which slants to the left. If they only targeted people at home on land lines, they've missed lots of people who would have a different opinion . . .namely, those working. Their polls are becoming a joke.

infolit

November 4, 2011 - 2:34 pm EDT

WRONG retiree. People that are at home answering their phones are people like you - old, retired curmudgeons. Most people under 40 don't even have a landline anymore. DUH.

retiree

November 4, 2011 - 7:07 pm EDT

And just what makes you believe I'm old, my user name? How foolish of you to make assumptions since I'm still working and don't have a land line either. DUH!!!!!!!

thinkingman

November 4, 2011 - 2:46 pm EDT

I guess the opinion of those entrepreneurs working from home, and those who work nights or rotating shifts, and those who may be home on paid sick leave, or those whose spouse is successful enough to support a family on a single income, or those who worked 30+ years and are now enjoying their retirement, or those working part-time because that's all that's available, or those in school studying to become successful businessmen/lawyers/engineers.....all THOSE people are obviously lazy liberals who don't know anything and don't contribute anything of value to our economy or our society. Good thinking, retiree! And of course, if the poll catches a few ACTUAL unemployed folk in there, well they should definitely be discounted. After all, they're only 9% or more of the population!

Dogwood

November 4, 2011 - 3:41 pm EDT

Elon used to call my number when I lived in the 27455 zip code. Almost all the calls were in the evenings due to back then Elon students read the questions. Now I get frequent Public Policy Polling calls. They are mostly on Saturdays that I can remember. They are annoying because the recorded voice whips off questions and choices faster than is comfortable. I've received robo-calls from right-wing politicians but I've never received a polling call.

ManOfTheSouth

November 6, 2011 - 7:36 pm EST

You seem to lack the understanding of statistics and sampling. You might want to do some research before making such a statement to support you opinion. Also, a simple check of their website show they call both “landlines” and “cell phones” and the poll was conducted with calls during the day (Sunday) and in the evening (Monday thru Wednesday), covering two different time frames. You also should check out their methodology before misstating facts to push your opinion. Lastly, while the results of the poll do not align with your opinion, it is the option of the majority of North Carolinians and you cannot argue with that fact.

citywatcher

November 4, 2011 - 2:26 pm EDT

Who ever believes the tax burden belongs to the worker class while the rich get breaks is ignorant.

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 3:40 pm EDT

Accurate comment. Nearly 50% of the people filing tax returns pay no federal income tax. The vast majority of income taxes paid in this country are paid by the "rich" already. As I stated earlier, "tax the rich" makes good political rhetoric.

bcparsons

November 4, 2011 - 3:26 pm EDT

to you two who feel we are so ignorant: have you not yet realized there is no fence around nc? please feel free to move on.

capricorn7nc

November 4, 2011 - 3:40 pm EDT

This is news? They didn't need a poll. They just needed to go to the Duke Energy rate hike meeting or follow the fight over the landfill or follow any other issue that put the citizens against corporations in this state. WE know that it's not fair to keep giving the 1% breaks on everything, but leave the other 99% with nothing to work with. Students are being riddled with debt, our for-profit health care system that still didn't change after the buzzword "Obamacare" passed needs to change, and cuts to programs that help the most vulnerable to pay for breaks for the 1% are prime examples of the fact that Republicans are on the wrong side of the argument. They have been on the wrong side all along, and unfortunately there are people who are actually listening to the wrong side.

johnodrake

November 4, 2011 - 3:43 pm EDT

Pit the citizens against corporations. What would you like? No Corporations? Unprofitable corporations? Come on, provide a solution not just rhetoric.

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