On Friday in this space, I reported
on a poll sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the
Small Business Action Committee that by a 3 to 1 margin voters wanted Governor
Jerry Brown to veto a last minute bill passed by the legislature to move all
initiatives to November ballots as well as move the scheduled 2012 vote on a
rainy day fund/spending limit to 2014. Voters are unhappy with the legislative
move in part because, as the poll showed, there is solid support for the rainy
day fund measure.
The poll of 603 registered voters by M4 Strategies showed the rainy day
fund/spending limit proposal with 47.6% support, 27.3% opposed, and 25.1% don’t
know or refused to answer.
The measure scheduled for the 2012 ballot came from the
legislature out of 2009 budget negotiations. While taxes were increased
temporarily in that budget deal, agreement was also reached that a measure to
create a rainy day fund to offset difficult budget times would be presented to
the voters.
With the sneaky last minute bill, SB 202, the rainy day fund
measure was put off. A valid question is raised if the majority party ever
intends for this measure to be presented to the voters or will legislatures
keep putting it off or killing the measure all together?
An option that is gaining steam in certain political circles
should the governor sign SB 202 is a referendum on the measure. If a referendum
successfully collects the necessary signatures, SB 202 would be frozen until
the voters get to vote on it in June. That means that all qualified measures,
including the rainy day fund, would appear on the June ballot.
Apparently, from the results of the poll, that is what the
people want.
In addition, the poll also revealed that voters think taxes
are too high in the state. Asking a straight-forward question, "Thinking just
about state taxes, are they too high, too low, or just about right?" the poll
results:
Too high 44.8%
Just about right 34.7%
Too low 11.1%
Don’t Know Refused 9.4%
These results means those supporting a tax increase by initiative have
their work cut out for them to convince the voters tax increases are necessary.
Here is the poll question on the rainy day fund:
Would you support or oppose
a state constitutional amendment called the "Rainy Day Budget Stabilization
Fund" that would cap state spending and limit future state budget deficits by
increasing the size of the state’s "rainy day fund." The amendment would require excess state tax
revenue be deposited into the rainy day fund to be made available during
economic downturns.