Posted on 02/04/2003 5:33:49 AM PST by Incorrigible
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
BY JEFF WHELAN
Star-Ledger Staff
[Trenton, NJ] -- Gov. James E. McGreevey's popularity has plummeted to an all-time low, with only one-third of New Jersey residents approving of his job performance while 46 percent disapprove, according to a new Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll.
The survey also finds overwhelming support for a tax increase on families earning more than $500,000. But residents are becoming increasingly divided over whether McGreevey should cut state services or raise broad-based taxes to address the state's budget crisis.
McGreevey's goal in his first year was to avoid the mistakes of the last Democratic governor, Jim Florio, who raised taxes by $2.8 billion in the face of an earlier budget crisis and then was booted out of office. The state budget plan McGreevey is scheduled to unveil today is packed with painful spending cuts but free of the increases in the sales and income taxes that were Florio's undoing.
But Cliff Zukin, director of the poll, said that approach has not been enough to insulate the governor from several missteps and the fallout over the budget problems he inherited from the Republicans, who controlled Trenton for eight years until his swearing-in last January.
McGreevey coasted to an easy election victory in 2001, and voters approved of his job performance by a 2-to-1 margin as recently as last June. Zukin called the drop in those numbers "precipitous."
"I think he's in a dangerous situation," he said. "He didn't make the mistakes of Jim Florio. But the question is, is that enough? The budget problem is sufficiently large enough that even without raising taxes, he may lose public support. I think we learned from this poll that there is also a downside to not taking action."
Micah Rasmussen, McGreevey's spokesman, said the governor is paying the price for some tough decisions to close an estimated $5 billion budget gap in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Over the past week, the administration has announced substantial cuts in higher education, senior citizen programs, economic development grants and property tax relief.
"I think it's a reflection of the fact that the governor has some extremely difficult problems on his plate and he is tackling them," Rasmussen said of the poll results. "As the governor demonstrates that he can fill a $5 billion budget hole and curb the state's rampant overdevelopment, I think people will come around on his policies."
The poll results are based on telephone interviews with 401 adults statewide from Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. The margin of error was 5 percentage points.
Harvey Hauptman, a 72-year-old North Brunswick retiree, said yesterday he understands McGreevey faces serious budget problems. But he said the governor lost his support through a series of missteps that include his expensive trade mission to Ireland and his controversial appointment of Joseph Santiago as State Police superintendent.
"I expected a little bit of a stronger start," said Hauptman, a life-long Democrat who says he has never voted for a Republican for governor. "I don't know if he's focused on the really important things."
McGreevey's relentless mantra about the scope of the budget crisis has sunk in, the poll shows. For the first time, a majority (55 percent) say the problem is "very serious," up 14 points since September.
But the state's residents have become more deeply divided over how to address the crisis, with 49 percent supporting service cuts and 34 percent supporting higher taxes. Last March, residents favored service cuts by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. Zukin said McGreevey's recent cuts may be souring the public, making his choices more difficult politically.
"On the one hand, support is building if he wants to raise taxes. On the other hand, he's going to alienate a substantial bloc of people whether he chooses to raise taxes or cut services. It's becoming less of a clear choice," Zukin said.
Charles Bibbins, a 70-year-old retired cosmetic executive from Maplewood, said he would rather see McGreevey raise state taxes.
"There is a limit to how much you can really cut state services because one of the major state services is property tax relief," he said. "Property taxes are the most out-of-line thing in New Jersey, not state taxes."
But Paul Thompson, a 44-year-old plumber from Budd Lake, disagreed. "I don't think raising taxes is the answer. I think we are already paying too many taxes. Giving the politicians more money to spend won't solve a thing." [Nomination for honorary FReeper]
The poll showed broad support for a proposal to raise the state income tax rate on families that earn more than $500,000 annually. Seventy-four percent backed the plan while 23 percent opposed it, with 3 percent undecided.
Assembly Speaker Albio Sires (D-Hudson) has pushed for the tax increase, saying it would provide $600 million that could be used for state aid to municipalities and schools. He said yesterday that support for taxing the wealthy may be building because many people see President Bush's tax cuts as a boon for the rich.
"I still think it's the way to go," Sires said. "And who knows -- this budget is so bad, it may be something we have to consider at the end of the process. There is just no money. This may be the least painful way of dealing with this budget deficit."
But Rasmussen, McGreevey's spokesman, said: "This is a recession-fighting budget and if you start raising sales, income and corporate taxes, that will only cost jobs."
Jeff Whelan covers politics. He can be reached at jwhelan@starledger.com or (609) 989-0379.
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
...The poll showed broad support for a proposal to raise the state income tax rate on families that earn more than $500,000 annually. Seventy-four percent backed the plan...
Seems like there's always broad support for looting someone else who's better off.
Even as Bush is maneuvering for tax cuts to all Americans, INCLUDING the rich, Democrat-controlled States like NJ are moving in to slurp it up.
Yes, democracy, as defined by democrats: two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for dinner. Majority rules.
I have a very liberal acquaintance with whom I get into long email arguments. I wrote, sarcastically, "Bill Gates has about 50 billion dollars. I'm sure he could live comfortably on one billion. Why don't we just take the rest and give it to the poor?" He thought that was an excellent plan.
If you really want to help the state, move the capital to Newark, New Brunswick or, better yet, someplace like Asbury Park so that half the state workers can't take their New Jersey taxpayer-funded salaries over the border into Pennsylvania, where they live.
That would be the smartest thing to do, but much of the non-essential gov't spending are political hobby horses. McGreevy could make some powerful enemenies by cutting boondoggle programs. Me thinks he doesn't have the spine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.