Just 28 percent of
California voters believe the state should raise taxes again to address the
budget problem, according to a new Rasmussen
Reports telephone survey. A separate poll released by the Public Policy
Institute of California had conflicting results, and indicated that 41 percent
of Californians favor a mix of spending cuts and tax increases, while 37
percent favor mostly spending cuts and just 9 percent favor mostly tax
increases.
The Rasmussen poll
found that 43 percent prefer cutting back on state services, 15 percent favor
state bankruptcy, and 14 percent are not sure. (Cal-Tax: Bankruptcy is not a legal option for the state, but the
public's support for this option is interesting nonetheless.)
The results show a
major change since last January, when Rasmussen found that voters were evenly
divided on whether taxes should be raised or spending should be cut (with each
option getting the support of 45 percent of the respondents). The results may
reflect public awareness that in February, taxes indeed were increased to
address the budget problem.
In addition to the
general question about whether the budget should include tax increases,
registered voters were asked whether they would support tax hikes to support
specific areas of state spending. The results of these questions and others:
·
63
percent prefer cutting the pay of state workers by 14 percent rather than
raising taxes.
·
In the
only question where a majority of respondents supported a tax increase, 52
percent favored raising taxes rather than eliminating the state's main welfare
system and cutting back on health services for the disabled and the elderly.
·
59
percent agree with the governor's proposal to raise revenue by allowing
offshore oil drilling.
·
42
percent believe the federal government should provide bailout money to
California, while 36 percent disagree and 22 percent are not sure.
The PPIC poll,
released January 28, found that most Californians support higher taxes for K-12
education (66 percent), higher education (50 percent) and health and human
services (50 percent). However, support for taxes declines (to 62 percent, 46
percent and 45 percent, respectively) when only likely voters are polled. The
poll also found that only 11 percent of the respondents would be willing to pay
higher taxes to fund prisons.
Respondents polled
by PPIC did not know how the state spends its money. For example, 80 percent of
likely voters did not know that K-12 education accounted for California's
largest spending area. Instead, these respondents said they believed the state
spent the most money on prisons and corrections.
The PPIC poll also
found that Californians are tired of gimmicks and borrowing, and that they want
a balanced budget. A total of 98 percent of likely voters believe it is not
"okay to borrow money and run a deficit" to solve the state's budget
problems.
In response to the
PPIC poll, Joel Fox, president of the Small Business Action Committee and
editor of the Fox & Hounds Daily
blog, said: "If people think education is shortchanged by the budget, then
it is not surprising that they tell the pollster they support a tax for
education. If the voters knew that education far outstrips the other services
funded by the state, the poll results on taxes for schools undoubtedly would not
be the same, especially in this difficult economy." (Sources: Rasmussen Reports, January 23; Public
Policy Institute of California poll, January 28.)
Cal-TaxReports, February 1, 2010
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