NC voters ok with higher taxes...if someone else pays them

We asked North Carolina voters on our poll over the weekend whether the state's budget gap should be filled completely with spending cuts or a combination of spending cuts and new taxes, and by a 51-32 margin they said completely with spending cuts.

Then in the next question we asked whether they would support raising income taxes on folks who make more than $200,000 a year...and 60% of them said yes. Previous polling also showed voters in support of hikes to the cigarette and alcohol taxes.

Why do voters say they're opposed to any tax increases in general, but then support the specific proposals? It's probably because they're fine with other folks getting their taxes raised. The reality is that most voters don't make 200k. Most voters these days don't smoke. Most voters don't buy so much alcohol that an increase in that tax would really hurt them. People are worried about their economic situation much more so than that of their neighbors, and if taxes are raised in a way that doesn't hurt their bottom line they really don't have a problem with it.

And I'm sure House Democrats knew that when they rolled out their revenue package last week.

69% of the state's moderate swing voters support the income tax increase on wealthy people, and even 40% of Republicans do with 79% of Democrats and a slight majority of independents in favor as well.

Full results here