Thursday, January 15, 2004

Californians seem to be acting like grown-ups -- apparently they'd rather pay down their deficit themselves than force their kids and grandkids to do it:

...Six out of 10 likely voters say they favor tax increases as part of the solution to the deficit, according to the public opinion survey released today by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

... only 35 percent of likely voters say they would vote for [Schwarzenegger's] $15 billion March 2 bond measure if the election were held today.

...Nearly two-thirds -- 64 percent of likely voters and 67 percent of all adults -- say they would be willing to pay higher taxes to maintain current funding for public education, and smaller majorities would pay higher taxes to maintain current local government services.

The greatest support was for taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, and for raising income taxes on highest-income residents. Little support was found for a higher statewide sales tax or car tax....


--L.A. Daily News

Arnold Schwarzenegger does, however, have a 64% approval rating. But if the bond measure fails and, as expected, he and legislative Republicans resist tax increases, I assume that number will head south in a hurry.

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