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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant: small-caps; color: black;">Report:
Cut Prison Spending, Spare Schools, Californians Say In PPIC Survey</span></b><div class="ecxSection1">
<span style="color: black;"> <br></span><BR><span style="color: black;">In
January 2010, the Public Policy Institute of California released its latest
statewide survey on Californians and Their Government. The survey was conducted
shortly after Governor Schwarzenegger's State of the State speech and the
release of his 2010 budget proposal. It includes findings on topics such as:
the 2010 elections; the overall mood and outlook for California; perceptions of
the state economy and approval ratings of state and federal elected officials;
the 2010 California budget, including perceptions of the seriousness of the
multibillion-dollar budget deficit and preferred methods for dealing with it;
Californians' willingness to pay higher taxes to maintain funding for major
state programs; attitudes towards cuts to major state programs; state and local
fiscal reforms; perceptions of the state's tax and public pension systems, and
knowledge of budget issues. <br></span><BR><span style="color: black;"><br></span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> According
to the findings:</span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
Most Californians would be willing to pay higher taxes to maintain current
funding for public schools and most favor spending cuts in prisons and
corrections.</span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
41 percent favor a mix of spending cuts and tax increases and 37 percent favor
mostly spending cuts (9% favor mostly tax increases). </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
When asked if they would be willing to pay higher taxes to maintain current
funding in K-12 public education: 66 percent said yes, 32 percent said no;
Higher education: 50 percent yes, 48 percent no; Health and human services: 50
percent yes, 47 percent no; Prisons and corrections: 11 percent yes, 87 percent
no.</span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
On the issue of long-term reform of the budget process, most (72%) Californians
believe that they -- not their leaders -- should make reform decisions at the
ballot box. </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
A majority (69%) of Californians favors strict limits on the amount that state
spending can increase. </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
Half (51%) favor lowering the two-thirds legislative vote requirement to pass a
state budget. </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
Most (84%) say major or minor changes are needed in the state and local tax
system, but 53 percent view the system as fair.</span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
A majority of Californians say the amount of money spent on the public employee
pension system is a problem (41% big, 35% somewhat of a problem), and the
percentage calling it a big problem has grown 10 points since January 2005. </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> -
Two in three (67%) would favor changing the system for new public employees
from defined benefits to one similar to a 401(k) plan. </span><BR>
<span style="color: black;"> More
information can be found at: </span><a href="http://www.ppic.org/">http://www.ppic.org/</a><span style="color: black;"> .</span><BR>
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