The Nation : Deficit Viewed as Threat

A growing number of Americans view the current deficit as a serious threat to the nation, the Gallup Poll found. In a mid-November survey, 61% characterized the deficit as a “very serious” national problem and an additional 23% called it “fairly serious.” Merely 3% said it is “not serious,” while 13% were undecided. A year ago, 54% of those polled by Gallup thought the deficit was very serious. Almost three in 10 (29%) would approve of raising personal income taxes to reduce the federal deficit. Both the House and Senate have approved legislation that would gradually lead to a balanced federal budget beginning in the early 1990s.