Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Voter Survey: Smokers' Tax Losing Support, Brown Tax Proposal Remains Strong

The nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California has released its latest survey on the opinions of likely California voters. Covered are a host of issues coming to the ballot, including Proposition 29, a proposed $1.00/pack cigarette tax increase, and a measure of the latest favorability ratings of presumptive presidential nominees Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Support for Prop 29, the proposed tobacco tax, has fallen sharply since the campaign season began in earnest. In March, 67 percent of likely voters were in favor, yet only 53 percent say they’re supportive today. Opposition, meanwhile, has grown from 30 percent to 42 percent.

“The large drop in support for Proposition 29 speaks loudly about how a well-funded opposition is able to raise voters' doubts and distrust in state government, even when a tax increase is viewed favorably,” said Institute president and CEO Mark Baldassare in response to the shift, given heavy advertising from the measure’s opposition, largely funded by tobacco industry money.

Support for Proposition 28, which would impose new term limits on state legislators, remains strong, though backing for the measure has fallen from 68 percent in March to 62 percent today. The measure would reduce the total amount of time an individual could serve in state legislature from 14 years to 12, but would allow for the entire period to be served in either the state senate or assembly.

Support for the hybrid tax proposal, which combined the “Millionaire’s Tax” and Governor Jerry Brown’s push for a sales tax increase, continues to hold the support of about 56 percent of voters, similar to a survey conducted in April. Support for increased taxes on the rich (65 percent) remains much stronger than for the increased sales tax on everyone (58 percent are opposed).

A 2010 law change to “open primaries,” where the top two recipients of votes, regardless of party, proceed to the November ballot, enjoys its largest support among self-described political independents. Proponents of primary “reform” say it opens the door for moderate politicians, while detractors worry that districts that lean heavily Democratic or Republican will leave many voters disenfranchised and presented only with two disagreeable options. 49 percent of independents believe the new system reflects a positive change, as compared to 43 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of Republicans.

California, a reliably “blue” state, currently holds a favorable/unfavorable rating of President Obama at 52 percent to 45 percent. Romney’s splits sit at 40 percent favorable, 52 percent unfavorable. Obama’s recent vocalization of support for extending the right of marriage seems to have had little effect, with 49 percent saying their opinion of him remains unchanged, 25 percent saying they like him more, and an equal 25 percent saying their opinion has soured on the president because of his views.

Satisfaction among voters with the choice of presidential candidates has been steadily improving, from 49 percent overall in December to 57 percent today, but there remains a wide party gap – 75 percent of Democrats view the Obama/Romney matchup favorably, while only 46 percent of Republicans are happy with this choice.

Obama’s job approval ratings in California are, predictably, harshly divided along party lines, with the president garnering an 82 percent approval rating among Democrats and a 77 percent disapproval among Republicans. 51 percent of independents approve of Obama’s performance, compared to 38 percent who disapprove. A full 78 percent of voters, with strong majorities across the board, have a negative assessment of the performance of Congress.

The Institute’s full report is available for review here.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Gonzo Report: Stinkfoot Orchestra conjures Zappa at Winstons

His music is a blend of technical excellence and not-so-subtle humor
Next Article

Not enough Readers in Mission Beach

Mayor Todd Gloria's skin color

The nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California has released its latest survey on the opinions of likely California voters. Covered are a host of issues coming to the ballot, including Proposition 29, a proposed $1.00/pack cigarette tax increase, and a measure of the latest favorability ratings of presumptive presidential nominees Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Support for Prop 29, the proposed tobacco tax, has fallen sharply since the campaign season began in earnest. In March, 67 percent of likely voters were in favor, yet only 53 percent say they’re supportive today. Opposition, meanwhile, has grown from 30 percent to 42 percent.

“The large drop in support for Proposition 29 speaks loudly about how a well-funded opposition is able to raise voters' doubts and distrust in state government, even when a tax increase is viewed favorably,” said Institute president and CEO Mark Baldassare in response to the shift, given heavy advertising from the measure’s opposition, largely funded by tobacco industry money.

Support for Proposition 28, which would impose new term limits on state legislators, remains strong, though backing for the measure has fallen from 68 percent in March to 62 percent today. The measure would reduce the total amount of time an individual could serve in state legislature from 14 years to 12, but would allow for the entire period to be served in either the state senate or assembly.

Support for the hybrid tax proposal, which combined the “Millionaire’s Tax” and Governor Jerry Brown’s push for a sales tax increase, continues to hold the support of about 56 percent of voters, similar to a survey conducted in April. Support for increased taxes on the rich (65 percent) remains much stronger than for the increased sales tax on everyone (58 percent are opposed).

A 2010 law change to “open primaries,” where the top two recipients of votes, regardless of party, proceed to the November ballot, enjoys its largest support among self-described political independents. Proponents of primary “reform” say it opens the door for moderate politicians, while detractors worry that districts that lean heavily Democratic or Republican will leave many voters disenfranchised and presented only with two disagreeable options. 49 percent of independents believe the new system reflects a positive change, as compared to 43 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of Republicans.

California, a reliably “blue” state, currently holds a favorable/unfavorable rating of President Obama at 52 percent to 45 percent. Romney’s splits sit at 40 percent favorable, 52 percent unfavorable. Obama’s recent vocalization of support for extending the right of marriage seems to have had little effect, with 49 percent saying their opinion of him remains unchanged, 25 percent saying they like him more, and an equal 25 percent saying their opinion has soured on the president because of his views.

Satisfaction among voters with the choice of presidential candidates has been steadily improving, from 49 percent overall in December to 57 percent today, but there remains a wide party gap – 75 percent of Democrats view the Obama/Romney matchup favorably, while only 46 percent of Republicans are happy with this choice.

Obama’s job approval ratings in California are, predictably, harshly divided along party lines, with the president garnering an 82 percent approval rating among Democrats and a 77 percent disapproval among Republicans. 51 percent of independents approve of Obama’s performance, compared to 38 percent who disapprove. A full 78 percent of voters, with strong majorities across the board, have a negative assessment of the performance of Congress.

The Institute’s full report is available for review here.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.