[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

A poll released earlier this week shows 91% of Democrats, 85% of independents, and 61% of Republicans support strong state action to implement a reduction in greenhouse gases as required by the landmark bill passed by the legislature in 2006 and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. The clear findings of this poll show that likely California voters not only support this action, but that they feel reducing global warming is very important to the future of the state, and that candidates and legislators who oppose action may not fare too well with the voters this fall.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll has just released figures from their survey of registered voters, which they describe as “paradoxical views about the state deficit.”

This survey of over a thousand voters, gives us a big clue as to why we are in the mess we are in when it comes to the budget and getting our state’s fiscal house in order. In short, voters say that they prefer that the massive budget deficit be dealt with mostly by spending cuts over being dealt with by mostly tax increases. As a general principle, they say this overwhelmingly—63% to 26%. But when asked about making cuts in specific areas of the budget, by even larger margins they oppose cuts in the vast majority of these areas. And they have deep concerns about budget cuts in health, an area measured in some detail as to different kinds of health programs funded by the state budget.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday, on the 30th anniversary of the passage of Proposition 13, which limited property taxes and increases, in particular for those who have owned their property for a long time, the California Field Poll has released findings of a recent survey. We analyzed those numbers as to Proposition 13 in an article on these pages as showing broad support for Prop 13, but an opening for a split roll tax treating commercial property differently from residential property. All of Field’s findings are summarized in a four page document prepared for a conference held yesterday on Prop 13 at the Institute for Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

You can read this Field report which has a number of charts, diagrams, and data. I’ve also dived into the 62 pages of crosstabs,
which have a lot more of the data and have been published by the Sacramento Bee in their Capitol Alert.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Sometimes It’s How the Question is Asked That Makes a Big Difference

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll has just released today, on the 30th anniversary of Proposition 13, findings of a survey of registered voters. It shows strong support for Proposition 13 and that it would pass again if presented to the voters.

The generally available numbers at the moment are in a special digest from Field. To get a better understanding of the responses Field asked, which include questions on taxes in general as well, one must dive into the 61 pages of crosstabs, which are available through the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert.

There are no two ways about many of these findings. Let’s take a look.

First of all, how familiar do registered voters say they are with Prop 13?

Field asked: “Thirty years ago in 1978 California voters approved Proposition 13, which reduced local property taxes and limited the amount they could be increased each year. How familiar are you with Proposition 13 – very familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar or not at all familiar?”

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll released today shows that Barbara Boxer enjoys a net positive 17 point rating from California’s registered voters on their approval of her job performance. Field has the numbers at 48% approval and 31% disapproval with 21% having no opinion. Looking at the breakdown by party registration, Boxer does well with Democrats (70% to 12%) and does poorly with Republicans (20% to 62%). Most importantly, she does well with “non-partisan/others”—independent voters by 44% to 24%.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Californians Feel State Headed in Wrong Direction by 68% to 23%
• Legislature as a Whole Disapproved by Large Margin

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll has released results from their latest survey that show Arnold Schwarzenegger taking a precipitous tumble in his approval ratings from California registered voters. Schwarzenegger had approval ratings of 60% to 41% just six months ago. Today’s figures show that only 31% now approve of his performance as governor while 48% disapprove of it. This represents a swing from a positive net 19% to a negative net rating of 17%--a swing of 37 points within this short time period.

The state legislature as a whole has an approval rating of 30% to 57% disapproval, which is at a level it has generally be in for at least the last four years.

First the numbers from Field. Then an analysis of what they mean and how they square with other polling including the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

Schwarzenegger

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll has released late last night their latest survey showing that there has been a 21 point swing towards Obama since the February 5 primary and away from Hillary Clinton. Field shows Both Democratic candidates with a 17% advantage over John McCain in California. Obama has the highest favorable ratings by far of any candidate, especially with the state’s important non-partisan/other voters.

Don’t worry about California. All the signs are here for a big—I mean big Democratic year from the top of the ticket to local races. Democratic registration is up, compared with Republican registration, in every one of California’s 80 Assembly Districts—and that’s the trend since the February 5, 2008 presidential primary. Not only is Democratic registration up, Democrats are voting and turning out at the polls. And on top of that, voters who are in neither party, agree with Democratic positions and candidates in both Field’s polling and that of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), which released their own survey earlier this month.

Both Field and the PPIC polls buttress each other in many ways.