Americans think tax cuts are benefiting 'someone else'

WASHINGTON -- After receiving 86 million tax rebate checks worth almost $40 billion in the past year, Americans still have doubts about who gains, an Associated Press poll says. In fact, four in five think cuts generally benefit someone else.

Respondents also favored congressional candidates who support a balanced budget over those who prefer tax cuts, according to the poll conducted for the AP by ICR of Media, Pa., a few weeks before the annual mid-April deadline for filing taxes.

"I don't think tax cuts are helping any of us very much," said Betty Perry, a 75-year-old retiree from Spokane, Wash. "I don't know if we ever see them."

The number who said tax cuts generally benefit somebody else, 80 percent, is higher than the 61 percent who said in a September 2000 survey that they felt that way about "targeted tax cuts."

During the presidential campaign, George W. Bush repeatedly said tax cuts should include everyone, and the administration worked hard to draw the public's attention to last year's mailing of tax rebate checks.

The public also is decidedly more sympathetic to congressional candidates who place a higher priority on balancing the budget than they do on cutting taxes -- with three-fourths preferring the budget-balancers and only a fourth supporting the tax-cutters.

"As the baby boomers get toward their older years, Social Security and Medicare are going to become more important to us," said Dave Tipple, 52, a graphic designer from Columbus, Ohio. "If we keep deficit spending, it will put all that in jeopardy."

Congressional leaders apparently are aware of public sentiment on the issue. GOP leaders expressed worries this winter about the reaction of voters in November if lawmakers do not pass a balanced budget. Both parties are looking for approaches that would balance the budget, while dealing with numerous spending pressures.

A year ago, a third of Americans thought their taxes would not go down at all as a result of the tax cuts proposed by President Bush. More than half say now their taxes will not go down at all even after Congress passed tax cuts.

The telephone poll of 1,008 adults was taken March 22-26 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Half the Republicans polled say they expect their taxes to go down, while a third of Democrats and about four in 10 independents feel that way.

Republicans were three times as likely as Democrats -- by 27 percent to 8 percent -- to say tax cuts were aimed more at them and not someone else. Just over one in 10 independents felt that way.

"They're going in the right direction if they're cutting taxes," said 42-year-old Monique Maddox, an insurance agent from Cumming, Ga., who usually votes Republican.

"If it's a true tax cut, it would help people."

Lee Long, a 29-year-old highway department worker from Sparta, Mo., said he wants politicians to strike a balance between cutting taxes and balancing the budget.

"I think they've got to do both," he said. "They've got to keep the budget in balance, but they've got to help the people now and then."

Six in 10 expect to get a tax refund this year, about the same number who expected one in AP polls in recent years.

Additionally, just over half said they were unwilling to give up deductions to simplify the tax system, while a third were willing to give up some. About six in 10 adults from ages 18 to 44 were willing to give up deductions, while just over four in 10 adults over 45 were willing to make the trade-off.

"I would trade some deductions if they gave me the option," said Tipple, the Ohio graphic designer. "A flat tax would be the best thing that ever happened."

Despite efforts to give everyone a stake in tax cuts, the public apparently still has doubts about who's getting the most help, the poll suggests.

"There always seems like there is a loophole for people who really don't need the tax cut," said Christina Ledbetter, a retiree from Franklin, N.C.