Poll Finds Little Support for Governor's Key Reform Measures
California voters are showing little enthusiasm for two of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's three special election proposals, according to a poll that also reveals continuing discontent with the governor's job performance.
The Public Policy Institute of California poll, released Thursday, is the latest in recent months to indicate the governor faces a tough task persuading voters to approve his slate of initiatives.
Voters said they are increasingly disenchanted with Schwarzenegger's performance, with just 34 percent saying they approve of the job he's doing. The poll also found growing signs of discontent with state government and a general feeling that the state is heading in the wrong direction.
"What this poll is telling us on all sorts of levels is that state government is not working very well," poll director Mark Baldassare said. "People are not happy with the governor, and they are not happy with the Legislature, either."
The poll is an early indicator of voter views heading into the campaign for the Nov. 8 special election, which Schwarzenegger called for as part of his "year of reform."
Researchers found a high level of interest in the election issues but also acknowledged that the campaigns on both sides have yet to begin in earnest. Even so, the poll shows Schwarzenegger will have his work cut out for him. Some results:
- Proposition 76, Schwarzenegger's plan to impose new limits on state spending and give the governor more control over the budget, has support from just 28 percent of likely voters; 61 percent are opposed, with 11 percent uncertain.
- Proposition 77, the governor's plan to take authority for drawing legislative and congressional districts away from lawmakers and give it to a panel of retired judges, has support of 34 percent of likely voters; 49 percent are opposed, with 17 percent undecided.
- Voters are leaning favorably toward the governor's third initiative, Proposition 74, which would lengthen the probationary period for public school teachers. It is supported by 49 percent of likely voters, with 42 percent opposed and 9 percent undecided.
"It's going to be a challenge for the governor to convince voters that he's got a set of proposals that will address the issues that are of concern to them today," Baldassare said.
Just one measure closely linked to the governor has majority support. Proposition 75, which would require unions to get their members' permission before dues could be used for political purposes, is supported by 58 percent of likely voters, with 33 percent opposed and 9 percent undecided. Schwarzenegger allies qualified the measure for the ballot, but the governor has not taken a position on it.
The telephone survey of 2,004 adults was conducted Aug. 8-15. Of those who responded, 1,556 were registered voters and 988 identified themselves as likely voters in November.
Todd Harris, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Team, noted that the governor's job-performance rating had remained steady since the last poll by the same group, conducted in July.
"Millions in union spending attacking him on TV aren't having an effect," he said. "People are getting tired of the big lie campaign that's being waged on the governor's record."
Even with the governor's stagnant job approval, the low opinion of his performance is making it harder for him to generate support for his initiatives, the poll found.
Those numbers have grown steadily worse for the governor since January, when he had approval of 58 percent of voters. The numbers have nearly flipped, with 54 percent of voters now disapproving.
Voters view the Legislature even worse, with 56 percent expressing disapproval. Just 27 percent approve of the way lawmakers are doing their jobs, with 17 percent undecided.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said the special election was adding to voters' perception that the state was heading in the wrong direction.
"We are heading toward a November election that's going to cost $55 million of taxpayers' money and we are not going to solve one single problem the state is confronting today," he said. "Of course we are heading in the wrong direction. We are not solving problems here in the Capitol like we need to be."
Baldassare said it may not be a coincidence that Schwarzenegger's approval rating began slipping in January, when he called for the election. He said the poll indicates that voters have never seemed to accept the need for the election, which will cost the state between $52 million and $55 million.
"Since the beginning of the year, questions have been raised by voters about why do we have to have an election and why these particular measures?" Baldassare said. "And so far, a convincing case has not been made."
The poll found that only 36 percent of likely voters believe it is better to have the special election in November rather than waiting until the next regularly scheduled election, which will be in June. Sixty percent of likely voters said it would have been better to wait until then, a notion supported by 76 percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans.
The poll had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for the survey of likely voters.