Latest Quinnipiac Poll on Health Care Doesn’t Add Up
Listening to CSPAN on my way into work this morning, I had to push my eyes back into place, because the lack of common sense from Americans who took this poll disturbed me.
The head of the polling institute at Quinnipiac was explaining the results this morning and taking questions at the National Press Club. He discussed that nearly 69% wanted a government health care system competing with private health care. However, 26% opposed a government-run program. Therefore, it seems to me that people don’t understand that the government, when it competes with anything, wins. My jaw dropped in that instant. How can you be skeptical of a government run (universal) program, but want the government to compete with private industry?
On top of the 26% who agreed with a universal program (no private industry) only 53% said they would want to use a government option should one exist. Many want to keep their own private insurance! Yet again, there is no logic in how people are answering this poll. I am utterly dumb-founded! 85% of those who responded and already had private insurance, said they were satisfied with what they already had…
There was also a lot of confusion regarding the responses to pay for health care. Many were willing to have the rich and corporations pay more for their health care and only 49% said they would be willing to pay more for insurance to cover costs for others. 72% of those who said they would pay a little more, would only pay up to $500 more. That’s about the cost of a slice of pizza/week – how will that pay for a program that will cost upwards of over $1 trillion? The answer: It Won’t!
The breakout of demographics who wanted government health care and who would pay more comes as no surprise. Democrats overwhelmingly would pay more, but as discussed above were only willing to pay out of their own pocket; up to $500 extra, but were more than willing to have others cover for them. Over 70% of blacks want a government-run health care program, approx. 53% of Hispanics want one and White voters were against the program. Young individuals, 18-34, were also more willing to pay higher taxes for a govt. run program… I know that most in this age bracket, especially until they begin having families, do not realize the true consequences of high taxes or government control.
This poll also looked at 3 classes of voters; Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. Republicans and Democrats left no surprises. Independents did show that depending on how health care goes, Obama could lose a lot of his independent support, which helped him over that 50% hurdle last election.
63% of Americans disagree with taxing health care benefits, which the White House is considering. Health care benefits do not get taxed currently.
I would have enjoyed seeing a little more information as to the respondents of this poll. I would especially like to see the tax brackets that each respondent falls into and the range of taxes they pay annually, for example. I find that these polls leave out important variables that could really put the entire sentiment of the country into a better perspective.
I’m still waiting to get polled… tick tock.
