By Dianna Dauber, AmericaSpeaks
AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy participants sent a clear message to our leaders: The people of this country do understand that we can’t keep spending more than we have once our economy recovers. And they expect leaders to take action.
A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken of Richmond, Virginia residents reinforces that message.
Richmond, a bellwether city and capital of a purple state, was also among the 19 main sites that took part in the national discussion in June.
A strong majority of participants in the NBC/WSJ poll were willing to take a hard look at cuts and reforms to Medicare and Medicaid. Our Budget, Our Economy participants were also willing to make hard choices about health care, with 58% of participants back at least a 5% cut in health care spending:
In both the national discussion and the NBC/WSJ poll citizens displayed a willingness to consider new revenue options.
Poll participants also expressed the same concerns for public well being that echoes value statements from Our Budget, Our Economy.
One poll participants, a Republican leaning independent, worried about cutting service programs too sharply: “You hurt people. There are people living on Social Security. If you start taking that away or lowering it, you’re impacting a person’s life.”
Our Budget, Our Economy participants held similar concerns and expressed a deep desire to care equally for current and future generations:
While there were many similarities within the two groups, there was also an interesting area of divergence in regards to defense spending. Those taking part in the NBC/WSJ poll rejected, by a large margin, making cuts to defense spending. Our Budget, Our Economy participants, both in Richmond and nationally, overwhelmingly favored at least a 5% cut.
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