Poll data for Satisfaction Levels, Concerns, Priorities (May 2005)
Social Safety Net
Despite their general unwillingness to pay higher taxes, preserving – or even expanding – the government social safety net is a priority for most Pennsylvanians.
The IssuesPA/Pew poll has consistently found Pennsylvanians believing that taxes are too high. Nonetheless, state residents value a strong social safety net. Fifty-three percent of all adults statewide think the government should do more to help the needy, even if it means taking on more debt or higher taxes, while 35 percent think government can’t afford to do anything more. And half (50%) feel that government benefits today don’t go far enough to help poor people live decently. Seven in 10 (69%) say they would favor government action to provide health insurance for everyone, if it means higher taxes.
Pennsylvanians are particularly opposed to serious cuts in Medicaid spending – if that is the price of keeping the recent federal tax cuts in place. By a margin of 72-20 percent, they would rather avoid serious cuts in Medicaid spending than keep the federal tax cuts. By a smaller margin of 53-38 percent, they would rather reduce the federal deficit than keep the tax cuts.
Regional Highlights: Roughly two-thirds (68%) of Philadelphia city residents think government should do more to help the needy, compared with about half in all other regions of the state.
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