These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
62% Oppose Second Stimulus Package This Year
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Some in Congress are considering a second stimulus plan to fight the country's growing unemployment problem, but 62% of U.S. voters oppose the passage of another economic stimulus 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 29% favor a second stimulus plan this year.
These numbers are virtually unchanged from July when 27% supported a second stimulus plan while 60% opposed it . The majority of the Political Class, however, thought a second stimulus was a good idea.
But 61% of voters say it is at least somewhat likely that Congress and President Obama will try to pass another economic stimulus package this year. Twenty-four percent (24%) say it is very likely.
Twenty-eight percent (28%) think a push for a second stimulus package this year is unlikely, but just three percent (3%) say it's not at all likely to happen.
Confidence in the first economic stimulus package approved by Congress in February has reached a new high. Thirty-six percent (36%) of voters now say the $787-billion package has helped the economy, but 28% say it has hurt the economy and another 28% say it has had no impact.
Female voters are more strongly opposed to a second stimulus than men are. Voters earning under $20,000 per year are narrowly divided on the question, while those who earn more are overwhelmingly opposed.
A plurality (48%) of Democrats likes the idea of a second stimulus package, but 83% of Republicans and 69% of voters not affiliated with either party disagree and oppose such a plan.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of liberals favor passage of another economic stimulus package this year. Eighty-two percent (82%) of conservatives don't.
Yet while 63% of GOP voters and 64% of unaffiliateds think it's likely that the president and Congress will try to pass a second stimulus plan this year, just 56% of Democrats agree.
According to a Bloomberg News report on Monday, the president is "considering a mix of spending programs and tax cuts to respond to widening job losses that would amount to an additional economic stimulus without carrying that label."
The U.S. unemployment rate now stands at 9.8 percent, the highest level since 1983, and some are now projecting that it will reach 10.5 percent by the end of next year.
The most recent Rasmussen Employment Index finds that 26% of American workers now say their employers are laying people off, but that's the lowest number reporting layoffs since last November. Still, 30% are worried about losing their own job in the next few months, up 10 points from a year ago.
Voters have been skeptical about stimulus plans from the start. The week after the president signed the first plan into law, 34% of voters said it will help the economy , while 32% believed it will hurt and 26% said it will have no impact.
In June, 45% of Americans said the rest of the new government spending authorized in the first stimulus plan should be canceled. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagreed, and 20% were not sure.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of Americans said it is at least somewhat likely that a large amount of money in the $787-billion plan will be wasted due to inadequate government oversight , with nearly half (46%) saying it is very likely.
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To view the original report, please use this link: Enough Stimulation!