The National Treasury Employees Union is trying to push back against Republican efforts to convince the public to support policies that would cut back on federal employees and government services.
Central to NTEU’s plan is a new survey they commissioned and released today, which found the vast majority of respondents think the government should put more resources and manpower behind food, medical device and nuclear safety, as well as border security and veterans assistance.
“Some would have you believe the American people have this desire for austerity, but that’s not true,” NTEU President Colleen Kelley said in a phone conference with reporters. “When the question [about cutting government spending and employees]is asked in a general way, the public may not think about what it means in their personal life. By putting a name to [the jobs that might be cut], they realize it would have a major negative impact.”
NTEU’s survey found more than three quarters of the 1,000 people surveyed think the wealthiest Americans “should pay their fair share towards deficit reduction and economic recovery,” and that two-thirds think the wealthy should be taxed more before cutting funding for public services like food and drug safety and border security.
NTEU also said most respondents had no idea that federal employees have already contributed $75 billion to deficit reduction over a decade through their two-year pay freeze and increased retirement contributions for future employees.
The union posted the survey results — conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs — on the They Work For U.S. site it launched to push back against misinformation about federal employees. Kelley said she is planning a series of radio and TV appearances to publicize the results of NTEU’s survey.
7 Comments
I think INCREASED GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS STUPID, FOOLISH and SELF DESTRUCTIVE. The NTEU is part of the problem…. this kind of idiotic thinking is what got Greece into the fiscal trouble it’s in….
Does anyone think the union is not guilty of misinformation? In general, the fed govt headcount is too high. Why? Because the fed over regulates and then hires based on factors other than ability. Then they have to hire more people to actually do the work. The fed govt does need to downsize, get rid of needless regulations, and yes, eliminate some services. Too many Americans want everything handed to them.
For those of us living outside of DC this survey is a farce. the fact is our government spends way too much. that must be reigned in. i’m not sure when “pay their fair share” became code words for “a free ride for freeloaders”, but everyone needs to pay federal income taxes. It’s not fair for only half of us to do so.
Sadly, the tax rate increase proposed on the wealthy will only generate a week’s worth of spending by our government. It doesn’t go to deficit reduction or paying down the debt. It’s just to add to spending.
We need cut spending, lower the tax rates and a broaden the base. There are safety nets, but they shouldn’t become lifestyles.
But as is the case with the NTEU, the fat lady always sings!
It is not that we WANT austerity, but that we NEED austerity or we will go bankrupt! And how would that work out for us?
Never saw that survey. What about the 40+% that don’t pay any taxes, is that their fair share of supporting our country? I say we thin out the supervision and management and let the workers do their job.
The survey no doubt targeted NTEU union employees. Isn’t it amazing how surveys can be worded and turned so that the conclusion is exactly what the surveyors wanted?
How mis-informed people are that the wealthiest don’t pay their share of taxes! Do they not know that the top 1% of the wealthiest people pay over 90% of the taxes collected in this nation?
I think we need to start addressing the millions of bottom feeders who pay NO taxes (and then get several thousand $ from the IRS every year because of all the breaks they get) and get a free ride on the backs of everyone esle who has to pay their FAIR share.
BTW, what is our fair share? No one can define what a person’s fair share really is. If we went to a flat tax or fair tax, then we could define ‘fair share’, and start collecting the ‘fair share’ of tax from EVERYONE.
Until then, it is the ‘we against them’ mentality of people that has divided and almost conquered this once great nation.
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