Most voters want less government bureaucracy, see it as bad for jobs and democracy

A new poll shows voters in Wisconsin have a dim view of government bureaucrats when it comes to both jobs and democracy.

The Institute for Reforming Government is out with new polls this week that ask voters about Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to give people $25,000 for home loans down payments and whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to vote in Wisconsin elections.

The polls say voters don’t support the Harris plan when told by the pollster it would likely increase inflation, and voters overwhelmingly don’t want illegal voting.

Currently, non-citizens are not allowed to vote in Wisconsin elections.

But it’s the poll from earlier in the month that is getting more attention.

IRG’s Executive Vice President Chris Reader said Thursday that voters in Wisconsin see government bureaucracy as both bad for business and bad for democracy.

“People are having two jobs, wages are not keeping up with inflation, and they are really seeing that one of the biggest obstacle, if not the biggest obstacle, to entrepreneurs and job creators being able to help our economy and our families move forward is the bureaucracy,” Reader said on News Talk 1130 WISN.

The IRG Poll states “In June, 62% of voters wanted less regulation if more businesses could be created.”

The poll also notes that when asked, ”which is the greater threat to democracy right now,”

● 49% picked bureaucrats that exercise too much control over individuals’ lives, whereas only

● 23% chose elections that are not fair and secure, 14% chose hostile foreign governments

● 4% chose assassination of our political leaders

“They chose government bureaucracy as being the biggest threat to democracy,” Reader said.

Reader said everyday voters may not be thinking about government rules and red tape, but he said they understand that is real. And they are frustrated by it.

“Bureaucrats that are sitting in Madison and in Washington that have never built the business themselves, that have never worked in a business probably, right they've worked for the government most of their lives. ‘They know best,’ and so they are putting up barriers and doing what they can, maybe they think they're doing the right thing, but they are stopping people from succeeding,” Reader said.