April 23, 2011|By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
California voters agree with Gov. Jerry Brown that tax increases should help close the state budget deficit, and they want to vote on his plan for raising the revenue, according to a new Times/USC Dornsife poll.

The Democratic governor has been traveling the state to tout his proposal for a balance of spending reductions and tax increases since it stalled in the Legislature last month amid a bitter battle with Republicans. He had wanted an election in June on a renewal of several tax increases that will have expired by July 1, but he now hopes for a vote in the fall.

Sixty percent of those surveyed, including majorities of both Democrats and Republicans, said they back such an election. The alternative being pushed by most GOP lawmakers — forgoing an election and balancing the budget by cutting more from state services — was supported by just 33%.

Support for the cuts-only approach dropped to 25% when voters were informed that it would probably require reductions in school funding, according to the survey conducted for The Times and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

The findings reflect a significant shift in Californians' attitudes about how to approach the deficit. In November, 44% wanted the budget balanced with spending cuts alone.

"It looks like Jerry Brown has successfully reframed the discussion," said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and a former GOP political consultant. "Spending cuts are OK to people in the abstract, but when you get specific they start to get scared."

Voters clearly do not want the taxes extended without their say, however. A majority, 53%, said they opposed reinstating the levies through legislative action alone, an approach suggested by Democratic leaders. The Legislature and governor do not need voters' consent to raise taxes, but Brown has promised to seek it.

Brown and lawmakers have already reduced a $26-billion deficit by about $11 billion, largely by cutting programs. The governor wants the taxes to fill most of the remaining gap.

Brown "seems to be reflecting the mood of the state pretty well in terms of how to handle the deficit," said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, one of two firms that conducted the bipartisan poll.

How about 40% for those earning over one million, 45% over 10 million, 50% over 50 million, 55% over 100 million, and 60% over 250 million? I'm right on board with you regarding corporate tax deductions.

The Green Git wrote:The *POINT* is that we cannot trust the Federal government with our money any longer.

Mannahnin wrote:I had another fun idea while driving in the car last night:

A new tax rate of 66.66% for anyone making over, say, 5 or 10 million a year. One third is kept by the person, one third goes to the government, and one third is divided evenly among all employees at that person's company making under, say, $75,000 per year on their own pay.

Mannahnin wrote:
Since there is NO alternative to the Federal government spending our tax money (unless you'd like to move to another country), what's your actual suggestion? In theory Tea Party fiscal conservatives were elected in droves last November to restore fiscal responsibility. We're getting some more of that now. Sometimes no thanks to the actual Tea Partiers (you should see the idiocy they're proposing and supporting in our State Legislature), but this is how representative democracy works. Call and write to your representatives. Vote for the people who represent the policies you support.

sexiest_hero wrote:Different things. Her man bought her stuff for her birth day. Maybe she had a job and lost it. Nobody knows. Before I got re activated The economy crashed and me and my wife lost our jobs. We had bills and after selling all my gaming systems to keep the lights on, we sold some food stamps to my out of work Chinese neighbor so his family could eat and We could afford diapers. Me and my wife just cut down to two small meals a day. Oh on the outside we looked to do well but times were tough at home.

Point is people look ok but you never know what goes on in the home.

Kilkrazy wrote:The reason why the US is in a hole now is because Bush spend billions on overseas adventures while giving tax cuts to generate new income by the Laffer Curve. Which didn't work.

Frazzled wrote:Cut spending first then we'll talk.

Mannahnin wrote:Is this a wilful distortion of reality, or do you genuinely believe this? Clinton (and the Congress) DID get the deficit under control. We had a budget surplus when Bush Jr. took office...(insert Bush bashing here).

The Green Git wrote:It's a tough stretch to call the most massive tax increase up until that date and a one year near surplus "under control". It was an anomaly, a blip and it was mostly accomplished with sleight of hand.

The Green Git wrote:Who's willfully distorting reality? The guy who recognizes the big picture or the guy rooting for the home team because they fit his own agenda better?

The Green Git wrote:Open your eyes, the Federal government is stealing from you, your children and your grandchildren.