Americans Want Government Out of GM, Chrysler Quickly, Poll Says
By Michelle Krebs June 17, 2009Eight of 10 U.S. voters want the federal government to sell its stake in General Motors and Chrysler as soon as possible, according to a telephone survey done by Rasmussen Reports.
The federal government owns 60 percent of GM and 8 percent of Chrysler.
In fact, 64 percent of the 1,000 likely voters surveyed over last weekend said they favor a proposal that would force the government to sell their stake in the auto companies within a year. Only about 11 percent of the 1,000 likely voters surveyed over the weekend said they wanted the government to retain ownership.
What's not clear is if those surveyed considered what the worth of the stock in the auto companies at that point: would it be enough to payback the government's full investment, make a profit or show a loss?
What's also not clear to those surveyed is what the government should do with the stock -- give it to the American people or sell to private investors? About 42 percent think it's a good idea to give the stock directly to all Americans; slightly more than a third disagree; 23 percent aren't sure what to do with it.
The same voters feel nearly as strongly about government holding a stake in financial institutions. The poll showed 71 percent believe the Obama administration should sell that ownership to private investors as soon as possible.
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