Monday, 24 September 2007 01:34
New Survey Released by Public Policy Institute of California Shows Growing Dissatisfaction
Californians are in a pretty bad mood these days
as pessimism about California’s economic conditions hits its highest point
since 2003, according to a
survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).
Housing woes and the spectacle of this summer’s budget battle are taking their
toll on residents’ economic outlook— and affecting everything from trust in
government to approval ratings of state and federal leaders. A strong majority, 59%, of residents expect
bad economic times in the coming year—a 10-point increase since June and a
20-point increase since January. According to PPIC, there has been a
significant shift in attitude this year—and it is very likely being driven by
bad news about the stock and housing markets.
Anxieties this personal are bound to spill over
into other areas, and the overall mood in the state is closely in step with the
economic outlook: Half of Californians today believe the state is generally
headed in the wrong direction—a 13-point jump since January. News about the
economy, and this summer’s very partisan budget clash, are also hurting
approval ratings of state leaders.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has had positive ratings from a majority of
residents since January, is now seeing a more lukewarm response: Half approve
of how he’s handling his job—an 8-point drop since January. Approval of
how he is handling the state budget has also dropped (40% approve today, 47%
approved in January). Notably, however, among “likely voters,” the governor’s
ratings on both overall and fiscal performance have not changed substantially. As
has been the case in recent years, the state legislature earns even lower
marks. Today, only 34 percent of all adults and 29 percent of likely voters
approve of how the legislature is handling its job.
