CA: (Field) Poll: Calif. voters oppose election plan (penny wise,pound foolish)

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 2/24/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California voters overwhelmingly oppose Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to call a special election later this year to amend the state constitution when they learn how much it will cost, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Field Poll found voters approve of the idea of a special election 51 percent to 45 percent until they're told it would cost $50 million to $70 million. Then they oppose it more than 2-to-1 - 67 percent to 30 percent.

The Republican governor has promised to call a special election to enact constitutional amendments on several topics. The amendments would change how the state draws legislative and congressional districts, base teacher pay on merit instead of seniority, replace public-employee pensions with investment plans, and require across-the-board state budget cuts when spending exceeds income.

Voters support the teacher merit pay proposal 60 percent to 36 percent and give narrower backing to the redistricting, pension and budget cut proposals.

The plan to take redistricting away from the Legislature and give those duties to a panel of retired judges was supported by 48 percent of voters and opposed by 40 percent.

Replacing guaranteed pensions for new public employees with 401(k) plans was supported by 51 percent and opposed by 38 percent, and the automatic budget cuts were backed by 51 percent and opposed by 42 percent.

The poll, conducted by phone Feb. 8-17 with 404 registered voters, had an error margin of 5 percentage points.

[NormsRevenge]

registered , not likely voters.

The media is spinning the cost of a special election angle for all its worth.

To do nothing will costs billions and billions, but a special election to try and get a grip on arunaway political process is too expensive. Go figure.

Hence the DUmbification process has worked well in making the sheople content to sleep with wolves that devour them at will.

[free_european]

"Replacing guaranteed pensions for new public employees with 401(k) plans "

This would be great - undercuts the political stunting of the teachers and state employee pension funds!!

[CAluvdubya]

I would approve a special election on merit-based pay for teachers alone! Education needs an over-haul and this is a good place to start. Probably pay for itself cutting out the salaries of the deadwood.

[goldstategop]

It sounds familiar - the legacy media template of running stories frightening voters about how much its going to cost them to fix things. Funny - you never ever hear them run a story on how much big government itself costs the voters.

(Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News.")

[goldstategop]

Oh yes - if this Field Poll line sounds depressingly familiar - could be because We heard it before?? YES! The last time California had a special off-year election was the 2003 recall election to remove Gray Davis from office. The legacy media and the Left fought it at every turn. When they didn't get the ACLU to keep the election from being held with the assistance of the Nine Circus, they ran stories warning voters the recall election was a waste of taxpayer dollars. Well we all know how it turned out, didn't we? This is the same old liberal playbook. These people never change and we know them like every square inch of our naked bodies.

(Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News.")

[NormsRevenge]

The leftist media that was a major player in actually doing its own 'lobbying', unwittingly or otherwise , that was a key and active player in the continuation of ruinous policies, legislation and initiatives, is at it again.

Deja vu.. all over again.