Poll: Taxpayer money is misspent
TEXT OF STORY
BILL RADKE: If you think your taxes are being misspent, you’re not alone. A BBC poll asked people in 22 countries about how well their governments are tackling the big economic challenges these days. And they had pretty strong views on how wisely governments use taxpayer money.
From London, the BBC’s economics correspondent
Andrew Walker reports.
ANDREW WALKER: Should governments spend more to stimulate their economies? Most of the 22,000 people surveyed worldwide by the BBC say yes, they should. But in some countries which have had stimulus programs — the U.S., France and Germany — a clear majority of people are against any further such government action.
Americans are more in line with the rest of world, though, in thinking that most of the money they pay in taxes is poorly spent.
Martin Captain works for a restaurant chain in India.
MARTIN CAPTAIN: Considering the billions that are being paid for taxes I wouldn’t say they are being utilized effectively. The infrastructure as far as roads, police networking and emergency services — that’s a disaster.
On the subject of financial regulation, most people in nearly all the 22 countries want more. But again the U.S. is one of the exceptions. Over half of Americans surveyed are opposed to more regulation, even though new legislation is already clamping down on Wall Street.
In London, I’m the BBC’s Andrew Walker for Marketplace.
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