1st District Democrats support ‘Buffett rule’

Last week, a survey of Republican voters in south Arkansas stated their overwhelming opposition to an increased tax on individuals making more than $1 million annually. Democrats in Arkansas feel quite differently.

President Obama and Congressional Democrats have touted a plan known as the Buffett rule, named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who says wealthy Americans need to be taxed at a higher rate.

The proposal did not receive enough votes to qualify for debate in the U.S. Senate recently, in part due to a vote against consideration by U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

Pryor was the only Senate Democrat who opposed the measure. He issued a statement that the plan was   and he called for a more comprehensive tax reform effort.

Democratic voters in the First Congressional District support the Buffett Rule, however, and its supposition is part of a plan U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, has suggested, which drew the ire of elements from his conservative party base. Crawford has proposed a millionaire’s income surtax charge tied to passage of a Congressional balanced budget amendment.

In the latest Talk Business-Hendrix College Poll, conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday April 24-25, 2012, a majority of 497 likely Democratic primary voters in Arkansas’ First Congressional District said the Buffett Rule was worthy of support.

Q: The U.S. Senate recently sought to consider a bill called “The Warren Buffett Rule,” which would place a higher income tax on those making more than $1 million a year. Would you support the Buffett Rule becoming law?
52% — Yes
29% — No
20% — Don’t know

Contrast this result with data from the Fourth Congressional District GOP poll taken last week:
Q: The U.S. Senate recently sought to consider a bill called “The Warren Buffett Rule,” which would place a higher income tax on those making more than $1 million a year. Would you support the Buffett Rule becoming law?
23% — Yes
66% — No
11% — Don’t know

Dr. Jay Barth, with the Hendrix College Department of Politics and International Relations, helped craft and analyze the poll.

“It appears that Congressman Crawford, still relatively unknown in the district, will be able to make some cross-party appeal with his stance on the Millionnaire’s Tax,” Barth said. “Still, based on what we know from Republican voters in the Fourth district, it is likely to be a very unpopular stance in his own party.”

“Pryor, who voted against the measure last week, is likely to face questions from his own partisans on the issue as he moves into his re-election campaign,” Barth added.

Link here for more about the survey and the poll methodology.