Sixty-two percent (62%) of Americans now oppose federal government bailouts for states like California that are experiencing major budget problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 20% of adults favor bailing out financially troubled states. Nineteen percent (19%) are not sure which course is best.

These findings are largely unchanged from mid-May when California’s financial problems became national news.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of Republicans and 61% of adults not affiliated with either major political party oppose federal bailout help for states with budget problems. A plurality (42%) of Democrats agree, but 31% think bailing out the states is a good idea.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Americans say their state is experiencing a budget crisis, and 73% of that group say the way to deal with the problem is to cut spending. Only 18% say raising taxes is the solution.

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Among all Americans, 78% say it’s better to cut taxes when a state has a budget problem while 12% favor tax increases.

Twenty-one percent (21%) of Democrats favor raising taxes to meet state budget needs, a view shared by 13% of unaffiliated adults and just two percent (2%) of Republicans. But sizable majorities of all three groups prefer cutting government spending.

Twenty-four percent (24%) of adults report that their states are not having budget problems, but 17% aren’t sure.

The Wall Street Journal reports that states plan to use about half of the nearly $9 billion in economic stimulus money not linked to other specific needs to help meet their budget deficits. No other bailout money is forthcoming at this time.

Due to the downturn in the economy, states across the country are facing revenue shortfalls and growing budget deficits. This in turn has triggered legislative battles in California, Arizona and other states over spending cuts versus new taxes.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of voters nationwide say the unwillingness of politicians to cut government spending is a bigger problem than the public’s unwillingness to pay higher taxes.

Most voters (53%) believe increases in government spending hurt the economy. Voters are much more supportive of cuts in government spending and of tax cuts.

Roughly seven-out-of-10 California voters oppose raising income and sales taxes to meet the state’s massive and growing budget deficit.

Forty-four percent (44%) of American adults say, generally speaking, the government tries to do too much, but 31% believe it doesn’t try to do enough.

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