Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The NYT: 12% is a "Significant Number" of Americans
If 12% of the American people said that aliens were real, they would be called "a slim minority of nuts."
But when 12% agree that the federal gas tax should be raised, the dunces at The New York Times believe they are a "significant" number of people.
Uh, no, they are not.
Americans Are Cautiously Open to Gas Tax Rise, Poll Shows
How interesting - 85% oppose raising the tax, but if you "couch" it in new terms (it will help this, it will help that), then support goes up.
Of course, the nuts behind the poll could have asked, "If dropping the tax means more money in your pocket, should we do it?" and gotten a 90% agreement. So, it all depends on how you ask the question.
Here is the graph accompanying this phony baloney story:
The question still stands: do you want the federal gas tax increased? 85% said no.
The Times, however, titles the story, "Americans Are Cautiously Open to Gas Tax Rise, Poll Shows."
The real title should be, "Americans Widely Against Raise in Federal Gas Tax."
Unless you are a liberal, open to new tax raises, that is.
If 12% of the American people said that aliens were real, they would be called "a slim minority of nuts."
But when 12% agree that the federal gas tax should be raised, the dunces at The New York Times believe they are a "significant" number of people.
Uh, no, they are not.
Americans Are Cautiously Open to Gas Tax Rise, Poll Shows
Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to a higher federal gasoline tax, but a significant number would go along with an increase if it reduced global warming or made the United States less dependent on foreign oil, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
[...]
Eighty-five percent of the 1,018 adults polled opposed an increase in the federal gasoline tax, suggesting that politicians have good reason to steer away from so unpopular a measure. But 55 percent said they would support an increase in the tax, which has been 18.4 cents a gallon since 1993, if it did in fact reduce dependence on foreign oil. Fifty-nine percent were in favor if the result was less gasoline consumption and less global warming. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
How interesting - 85% oppose raising the tax, but if you "couch" it in new terms (it will help this, it will help that), then support goes up.
Of course, the nuts behind the poll could have asked, "If dropping the tax means more money in your pocket, should we do it?" and gotten a 90% agreement. So, it all depends on how you ask the question.
Here is the graph accompanying this phony baloney story:
The question still stands: do you want the federal gas tax increased? 85% said no.
The Times, however, titles the story, "Americans Are Cautiously Open to Gas Tax Rise, Poll Shows."
The real title should be, "Americans Widely Against Raise in Federal Gas Tax."
Unless you are a liberal, open to new tax raises, that is.
