A new poll finds two-thirds of Californians favor Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to ask voters for help solving the state’s budget mess.
But when asked specifically about Brown’s proposal to extend tax increases, only about half are in support.
The poll comes from the Public Policy Institute of California. It puts Brown’s approval rating at 41 percent, with about the same percentage undecided. Mark Baldassare with the PPIC said a more telling number is Brown’s disapproval rating, which is 19 percent.
“People are waiting and watching,” Baldassare said. “They’re at least giving him a chance to hear out what he plans to do before they have an opinion about whether they like or dislike him.”
Baldassare said the poll finds more than 70 percent of Californians are willing to pay higher taxes to avoid cuts to education. He said people are also more optimistic than they were last year about the direction of the state.
