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THE TIMES POLL : Voters Growing Angry, Cynical About Legislature

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TIMES POLITICAL WRITER

For months now, Sacramento has boiled with animosity as Democrats and Republicans engaged in a protracted battle for control of the Legislature that left the genteel art of compromise in the dust. None of that, it turns out, has escaped the notice of Californians.

They are just about as disgusted with the Legislature as the Legislature seems to be with itself.

A new Los Angeles Times poll has found that by a 2-1 margin, voters describe themselves as “angry” at the goings-on in Sacramento, with 1 in 6 saying they are “very angry.”

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Three out of four people characterize the capital as a place that functions for the benefit of a few big interests. Only 16% feel that state government looks out for all the people and not just the few.

And now comes the big insult: In a state where one county has already declared bankruptcy and others are teetering on the brink, people, by a 3-1 margin, consider their county governments to be more efficient at spending tax money than legislators in Sacramento.

Thirty-four percent say they trust their county governments most of the time--not a broad endorsement but nonetheless a far better showing than for Sacramento or Washington. Both the state and federal governments are trusted most of the time by about one out of every five people--18% for the federal government and 20% for the state government.

And poll respondents strongly believe that counties, particularly the near-destitute ones, deserve more help from the state than they are getting.

Times Poll Director John Brennan said the poll results point to “an increasing tide of cynicism on the part of the public toward state government.”

The distaste toward Sacramento was bipartisan. Seventy-three percent of Democrats, 63% of independents and 65% of Republicans describe themselves as angry at Sacramento.

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When it came to characterizing state government as a tool of big interests, there is also unanimity. Eighty percent of Democrats, 81% of independents and 74% of Republicans share that view.

The public has clearly grown more cynical: When the Times Poll asked respondents in 1989 whether the state was run by big interests, 59% said yes, a full 15 points less than now.

The Times poll, conducted Sept. 7-10, questioned 1,343 California residents. The margin of sampling error is 3 percentage points in either direction.

Overall, the Legislature’s job approval rating was middling. Twenty-nine percent approve of the way it handles its job, while 56% disapprove. Democrats, Republicans and independents were united in their low opinion.

While that is a strikingly negative figure, it is far from the Legislature’s worst showing. That occurred in September, 1992, when 73% disapproved. Not coincidentally, that was the summer that the state budget was two months overdue because of haggling between Gov. Pete Wilson and the legislators.

The Legislature’s highest approval rating occurred 12 years ago, in October, 1983, when 43% said they approved of the way it did business.

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In its 56% negative job rating, the Legislature could find kinship with Wilson, whose negative rating is a slightly worse 60%.

Meanwhile, both of the state’s Democratic U.S. senators registered gains since March.

Barbara Boxer, who has made national headlines of late attacking Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood’s peccadilloes, raised her 34%-33% approval rating of last March. Now, 40% approve of her handling of the job and 32% disapprove.

Democrats give her a 56%-16% margin, while independents are split and Republicans are opposed to Boxer by more than two to one.

Dianne Feinstein, who is recovering from a grueling 1994 reelection campaign, improved dramatically, from 43%-40% in March to 49%-34%.

Historically the more popular of the Democratic duo, Feinstein wins approval of her party members by a 66%-20% margin, carries independents by a broad 52%-32% lead and wins the praise of 36% of Republicans, half again as much as Boxer.

The shifts in favor of the Democratic senators occurred even as their party struggled to narrow the Republican advantage when it comes to the party people consider best able to handle the state’s problems.

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Now, 33% say Democrats and 38% say Republicans are best equipped, a slight improvement for the Democrats from the spring, when the GOP ruled by a 41%-30% margin.

In other matters, the state’s residents signal that they not only want their money to be spent better--and closer to home--but they also are not nearly as knee-jerk anti-tax as the California stereotype would suggest.

Overall, almost two out of five people say that their county government is getting less than it deserves from the state, with only 4% saying that it is receiving too much.

To another question, 60% said it is better for California’s long-term interest to have the state help out financially burdened counties. Only 29% said the state should stay out of the situation. That number did not seem to be affected by whether the respondents’ own county was endangered; residents of teetering Los Angeles County had the same responses as people throughout the state.

At the same time, however, Californians made clear their reluctance to advance the state any more money. Asked which was the greater danger--that state spending cuts threaten essential government services, or that taxes have been raised to the point where people cannot handle the burden--55% cite the tax burden.

Only 33% fear the impact of spending cuts, perhaps because most believe that they will not be personally hurt by cuts in government services in the next year.

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Yet as concerned as they are about the tax burden, they refuse to embrace Wilson’s proposed 15% cut in income taxes.

Wilson has argued that the tax cut would spur the economy. But opponents contend that the state’s fiscal house is too rickety to accommodate a tax cut. The governor hopes to place the measure on the November, 1996, ballot.

Although the 15% cutback might be expected to find broad backing in a state where many still support tax-lopping Proposition 13, actually the proposal is a wash. Slightly more--47%--oppose the idea than the 44% who support it.

Further, when faced with the prospect that a tax cut would mean cuts in school funding, health care programs for the needy or prison budgets, there was broad disapproval.

Education was the highest priority, with 80% opposing a tax cut that would require cutting money for schools. Next came medical cuts for the poor--74% oppose tax cuts if it means that the indigent are denied health programs.

Perhaps surprisingly, given the anti-crime emphasis of the state in recent years, prison spending was the lowest priority of the three. A little more than half--54%--said they would oppose a tax cut if it meant that money for prisons would be affected.

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“Fear of tax increases still looms out there, but it doesn’t translate to a great desire for tax cuts at the price of cutting services,” Brennan said.

Voters did side with Wilson, however, when it came to other measures that may be on the California ballot in 1996.

By a 58%-35% margin, they back a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow non-unanimous verdicts in criminal trials. That measure has gained backers in recent years as a spate of high-profile California trials have ended in hung juries.

Voters continue to support the “California civil rights initiative,” which would outlaw affirmative action programs, by a margin of better than 2 to 1. Support for that measure has not changed since the spring.

And by a narrow margin, 50%-42%, voters disapprove of a measure proposed by Wilson that would change the law to allow a special election for governor if Wilson--or any future governor--were to leave office. Currently, the law requires that the lieutenant governor take over.

Wilson has proposed the change to mollify Republicans who are angry that his bid for the presidency could, if successful, force Republicans to turn over the governor’s office to an elected Democrat, Lt. Gov. Gray Davis.

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Times assistant poll director Susan Pinkus contributed to this story.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Poll contacted 1,343 California adults, including 1,065 registered voters, by telephone Sept. 7 through Sept. 10. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the state. Random-digit dialing techniques were used so that listed and non-listed numbers could be contacted. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The sample was weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and regional voter registration. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for certain subgroups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Poll results can also be affected by other factors.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

What the People Think

Californians are livid at their state government and increasingly think it’s run by a few big interests. Counties are viewed as the most efficient level of government are residents want the state to help bail out the ones in need.

Are you angry or not angry at all about the way the government in Sacramento is working?

*--*

All Dem Ind Rep Angry 65% 73% 63% 65% Not angry 31% 24% 31% 34% Don’t know 4% 3% 6% 1%

*--*

****

Would you say that the state government is pretty much run be a few big interests, or for the benefit of all the people?

*--*

All Dem Ind Rep 12/89 Run by big interests 74% 80% 81% 74% 59% Run for all the people 16% 12% 11% 17% 30% Don’t know 10% 8% 8% 9% 11%

*--*

****

Who does the best job of spending tax dollars in an efficient and constructive way: federal government, state government, or county government?

*--*

All Dem Ind Rep Federal 10% 12% 8% 4% State 15% 14% 10% 16% County 44% 39% 45% 55% Don’t know 31% 35% 37% 25%

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*--*

****

Some counties are facing financial hardship and funding for some social services will be cut and workers laid off. Is it in the long-term interest of the state to assist these counties?

*--*

All Dem Ind Rep In interest of state to assist 60% 72% 70% 46% Better for state to stay out 29% 16% 22% 39% It depends (Volunteered) 4% 6% 2% 6% Don’t know 7% 6% 6% 9%

*--*

Source: L.A. Times Poll

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