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Saturday, January 15, 2005
Lowering the bar on mandates
Posted by Tim TagarisGood news and bad from a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll just released. The good news is that people seem to think President Bush is handling Social Security poorly. They also believe imposing a retirement tax (AKA privatization) is a bad idea.
The bad news is that the public is buying into Republican frames of "crisis" and the need to act immediately to save social security. Unfortunately, I fear these numbers are a precursor to growing support for privatization as fear mongering continues to take hold.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling Social Security?" N=1,008 adults, MoE ± 3
Approve: 41%
Disaprove: 52%
Unsure: 7%
"As you may know, one idea to address concerns with the Social Security system would allow people who retire in future decades to invest some of their Social Security taxes in the stock market and bonds, but would reduce the guaranteed benefits they get when they retire. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea?" N=1,008 adults, MoE ± 3
Good Idea: 40%
Bad Idea: 55%
Unsure: 5%
"Which of these statements do you think best describes the Social Security system: it is in a state of crisis, it has major problems, it has minor problems, or it does not have any problems?" N=1,008 adults, MoE ± 3
Crisis: 18%
Major Problems: 53%
Minor Problems: 24%
No Problems: 3%
Unsure: 2%
"Do you think the federal government should make major changes in the Social Security system to ensure its long-term future in the next year or two, within the next 10 years, or do you think major changes are not needed within the next 10 years?" N=1,008 adults, MoE ± 3
Next Year or Two: 49%
Within 10 Years: 39%
Changes Not Needed: 9%
Unsure: 3%
Posted at 10:37 PM in Economy | Technorati
Comments
I dont see the crisis notion as a bad thing. Democrats have been talking about this for a while havent they? Wasn that what Gore's 'lock box' was about in 2000? we just need to come up with an alternative to corporatization of SS, which Republicans want to do.
Posted by: T at January 16, 2005 05:09 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment