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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> hwsanborn@comcast.net
[mailto:hwsanborn@comcast.net] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, December 16, 2008 4:30
PM<BR><B>To:</B> plymouth-p-j@yahoogroups.com<BR><B>Cc:</B> seahom@comcast.net;
leeloe@igc.org; annbrag@prodigy.net; crush@frii.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Fwd:
Public opinion is often ignored<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<P>Very encouraging. Hugh</P>
<P><BR>----- Forwarded Message -----<BR>From: "Bert Golding"
<bert.golding@gmail.com><BR>To: "*Bert Golding"
<bert.golding@gmail.com><BR>Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 9:54:09 PM GMT
-07:00 US/Canada Mountain<BR>Subject: Public opinion is often
ignored<BR><BR><BR>Sarah van Gelder of Yes Magazine is credited with the
following list<BR>of poll results on current American beliefs, indicating "an
agenda<BR>that the majority of Americans support, whether they vote red,
blue,<BR>green or something else."<BR><BR>It's interesting to note how often
politicians respond to small<BR>groups, often allied with major donors, who are
very active in<BR>opposition to many of these issues. Actual public opinion
needs<BR>organized support and publicity before politicians pay
attention.<BR><BR>Bert <BR> <BR>67% favor public works projects to create
jobs.<BR> <BR>55% favor expanding unemployment benefits.<BR> <BR>76%
support tax cuts for lower- and middle-income people.<BR> <BR>71% say
unions help their members; 53% say unions help the economy
in<BR>general.<BR> <BR>80% support increasing the federal minimum
wage.<BR> <BR>59% favor guaranteeing two weeks or more of paid
vacation.<BR> <BR>75% want to limit rate increases on adjustable-rate
mortgages.<BR> <BR>58% believe a court warrant should be required to listen
to the<BR>telephone calls of people in the U.S.<BR> <BR>59% would like the
next president to do more to protect civil<BR>liberties.<BR> <BR>79% favor
mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions.<BR> <BR>90% favor higher
auto fuel efficiency standards.<BR> <BR>75% favor clean electricity, even
with higher rates.<BR> <BR>72% support more funding for mass
transit.<BR> <BR>64% believe the government should provide national health
insurance<BR>coverage for all Americans, even if it would raise
taxes.<BR> <BR>55% favor one health insurance program covering all
Americans,<BR>administered by the government, and paid for by
taxpayers.<BR> <BR>81% oppose torture and support following the Geneva
Conventions.<BR> <BR>76% say the U.S. should not play the role of global
police.<BR> <BR>79% say the U.N. should be strengthened.<BR> <BR>85%
say that the U.S. should not initiate military action without<BR>support from
allies.<BR> <BR>63% want U.S. forces home from Iraq within a
year.<BR> <BR>47% favor using diplomacy with Iran. 7% favor military
action.<BR> <BR>67% believe we should use diplomatic and economic means to
fight<BR>terrorism, rather than the military.<BR> <BR>86% say big companies
have too much power in politics<BR> <BR>65% believe attacking social
problems is a better cure for crime than<BR>more law
enforcement.<BR> <BR>87% support rehabilitation rather than a
"punishment-only" system.<BR> <BR>81% say job training is "very important"
for reintegrating people<BR>leaving prison. <BR> <BR>79% say drug treatment
is very important.<BR> <BR>56% believe NAFTA should be
renegotiated.<BR> <BR>64% believe that on the whole, immigration is good
for the country.<BR> <BR><BR></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>