News & Updates - California Business Roundtable Releases Voter Survey Showing Job Creation and the State’s Budget Deficit Must Be Top Priorities
Sacramento, CA – As California policymakers in Sacramento prepare to tackle the state’s budget deficit and create jobs, a recent statewide poll shows that voters lack confidence in the state’s economic future, citing ongoing budget deficits and out-of-control government spending as significant inhibitors to expanding jobs and economic growth in the state.
The poll utilizing state of the art online technology was commissioned by the California Business Roundtable and conducted by M4 Strategies. The poll surveyed more than 1,500 likely California voters, not just business leaders, and found that for California voters the most challenging issues affecting the state are the budget deficit/state spending, jobs and the economy, and education.
The poll found that voters are engaged and aware of the fiscal struggles in Sacramento, with seventy-eight percent (78%) of those polled saying they are aware of the state’s budget deficit and seventy-four percent (74%) seeing the deficit as a “crisis.”
When it comes to job creation and the economy, sixty-four percent (64%) believe the state is losing more jobs than it is creating. When asked whether they would prefer to increase taxes on corporations and the rich or keep taxes where they are and limit government spending, sixty-two percent (62%) of voters would prefer to limit government spending and keep taxes where they are in order to keep jobs and businesses in California.
“This survey reinforces that voters want to bring fiscal discipline back to the state in order to create jobs and a healthy business climate,” said Jerry Carnahan, Chairman of the California Business Roundtable and President and CEO of Farmers New World Life.
When asked about solutions, seventy-six percent (76%) of voters prefer to restrict spending now and work to make government more efficient before raising taxes and sixty-five percent (65%) prefer to cut current spending to balance the state budget instead of increasing taxes (35%). Sixty-one percent (61%) feel California taxes are too high and many are highly distrustful of the legislature’s ability to manage any new revenue sources.
“This is one of several surveys to be commissioned by the Roundtable in the coming months. As thought leaders for our state’s major employers we constantly survey our members and other business leaders, what makes this effort unique is the technology we are utilizing to keep a pulse on voter attitudes with respect to the long-term viability of our business climate and to help us message to policymakers the need to strengthen our economy and create jobs,” said Carnahan.