Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: August 17, 2007             No. 18

Little Statewide Interest in Late Budget 

Even though the Capitol community, schools, and vendors to the state are well aware of the continuing stalemate on the State Budget, the broader public is showing little interest. A survey released by the Field Poll reveals that, of the registered voters surveyed, only one in eight say that they are paying a lot of attention to the Budget standoff. Another one-third acknowledge that they are paying some attention, while just over half are paying little attention (34%) or no attention at all (17%). 

On the question of whether the delay is a serious problem, party affiliation appears to influence opinions. Among Democrats, 46% indicate that the delay is a serious problem, while 43% of the Republicans and 40% of nonpartisan voters share this opinion. 

Because a delayed State Budget is no longer a rare event, but becoming a common occurrence, the public seems to be viewing the current delay with less concern than in the past. In a similar survey taken in late August 2002, with the Budget still unresolved, a similar survey indicated that 57% felt that the delay was a very serious problem in contrast to 43% who hold that opinion of the 2007 delay. Similarly, only one in ten felt that the delay was not a serious problem in 2002. In 2007, 17% hold that opinion. 

Finally, does the public view one party in the Legislature as doing a better or worse job in getting a Budget in place than the other?  The Assembly has passed a Budget on a vote of 56 to 23 (54 aye votes are needed for passage), with nine Republicans voting in support. However, in the Senate, the measure has failed passage by 26 to 13 (27 aye votes are needed for passage), with only one Republican aye vote. Yet the Field Poll shows that there is little distinction among voters as to which party is working harder to get a Budget agreement. The poll found that 29% of those surveyed felt that the Democrats were doing a poor/very poor job of trying to resolve the Budget standoff, while 32% felt that the Republicans were doing a poor/very poor job. Thus far, compared to the Legislature, the Governor appears to be escaping the public’s harsh judgment, with only 24% viewing his job performance on the Budget as poor/very poor. 

—Robert Miyashiro