54 Percent Expect New Tax Revenue to Increase Spending, Not Close Deficit
A recent Public Notice survey asked respondents what they thought the government should do with revenue raised from President Obama's proposed tax increase on households making at least $1 million per year. 71 percent said the government should pay down the debt and deficit and 16 percent wanted to increase spending on government programs.
Instead, Congress will likely enact "spending cuts" that are merely decreases in the growth of actual spending, if a cut is made at all. Americans are not ignorant of this government tendency. As such, a majority (54 percent) expects the president will use increased revenue to increase spending on government programs, and only 27 percent believe he will pay down the debt and deficit.
Source: Public Notice Survey, conducted by the Tarrance Group, 800 registered likely voters, April 9-12, 2012. Margin of error +/- 3.5%.