Poll Shows Wide Support For New Taxes On Bailed-Out Financial Sector

President Barack Obama
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A Rasmussen poll shows fertile ground for a populist initiative currently being pursued by President Obama: bank taxes and regulation.

The recent proposal to tax the 50-largest banks, as a way to recover losses from the bailouts, is favored by a margin of 56%-28%. A relatively heavier tax on larger banks and financial institutions was also favored by a margin of 49%-28%. Respondents also favored limitations on how big a bank can get, by a margin of 45%-33%, and approved of limits on the type of investments banks can make by a margin of 49%-29%. People also favored taxing bonuses paid by large financial companies, at a higher rate than other income, by 55%-25%.

From the pollster’s analysis: “These attitudes come from a nation angry about the bailouts. While Congress was debating the initial bailout funding, just 24% of voters liked the idea. Just 35% initially favored a bailout for General Motors and opposition to that bailout grew over time.”

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