Rasmussen: 62% in Ohio Support Bush Tax Cuts

Sixty-two percent of likely voters in Ohio are in favor of extending the so-called Bush tax cuts that are scheduled to end Dec. 31, according to a new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey.

The level of support in Ohio is 8 points above the finding on the national level. Thirty percent of voters in the Buckeye State believe the tax cuts should expire at the end of the year.

Overall, 51 percent in Ohio believe letting the tax cuts expire at the end of the year would hurt the economy, which mirrors voter sentiment on the national level. And 27n percent believe allowing expiration would help the economy.

Given the choice, 52 percent of Ohio voters would prefer the government extend the tax cuts for all Americans, rather than excluding the wealthy.  Almost 40 percent would rather the government extend the cuts for everyone except the wealthy. Nationally, voters are a bit more evenly divided on this question.

Strong majorities of Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major political party in Ohio favor extending the tax cuts. Just over half of Democrats (54 percent) would prefer the cuts expire at the end of 2010.

While 66 percent of white voters in the state favor an extension of the tax cuts, 64 percent of black voters favor their expiration.

The statewide survey of 750 likely voters in Ohio was conducted on Aug. 16.