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Toplines - California Budget Crisis - May 12, 2009

California Survey of 500 Likely Voters

Conducted May 12, 2009

By Rasmussen Reports

1* How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

39% Strongly approve

20% Somewhat approve

9% Somewhat disapprove

30% Strongly disapprove

2% Not sure

2* How would you rate the job Arnold Schwarzenegger has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

7% Strongly approve

26% Somewhat approve

29% Somewhat disapprove

38% Strongly disapprove

0% Not sure

3* To help eliminate the state’s budget deficit, do you favor or oppose raising California state income taxes?

18% Favor

73% Oppose

10% Not sure

4* To help eliminate the state’s budget deficit, do you favor or oppose raising the California state sales tax?

26% Favor

69% Oppose

5% Not sure

5* To help eliminate the state’s budget deficit, do you favor or oppose major cuts in the California state government’s spending?

69% Favor

16% Oppose

14% Not sure

6* If state legislators fail to approve a balanced budget, should they be prevented from getting a pay raise?

90% Yes

5% No

5% Not sure

7* Okay, if state legislators fail to approve a balanced budget, should they receive a significant pay cut?

70% Yes

22% No

7% Not sure

8* Which is a bigger problem in California—that voters are unwilling to pay enough in taxes or that the politicians are unwilling to control government spending?

8% The voters are unwilling to pay enough in taxes

84% That the politicians are unwilling to control government spending

8% Not sure

9* To help solve California’s fiscal problems, should the state legalize and tax marijuana?

45% Yes

46% No

9% Not sure

10* Which of the following deserves most of the blame for California’s budget problems—the state’s elected officials, labor unions and special interest groups, the economy, or the voters?

52% The state’s elected officials

15% Labor unions

11% Other special interest groups

12% The economy

3% The voters

7% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence