Gov. Brown's plan to temporarily boost income and sales taxes to help ease the state's fiscal pain is running into voters' uncertainty -- a growing number of them haven't decided whether to support the Nov. 6 proposal, which the Field Poll says is clinging to a bare majority.
From the Chronicle's Wyatt Buchanan: "The number of California voters who are undecided on how to vote on two competing tax measures has increased with fewer than seven weeks left before the November election, and Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 is barely hanging on to a majority, according to a new poll."
"The poll shows that Prop. 30 has the support of 51 percent of Californians while Proposition 38, a tax-raising measure pushed by multimillionaire Molly Munger, has 41 percent of voter support. Both measures need a majority vote to pass."
"While support dropped slightly for both propositions from a July survey, that decrease was within the margin of error of the survey. The survey was conducted by the Institute for Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley-Field Poll. Another poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California showed similar levels of support and opposition."
Speaking of the PPIC poll, those surveyed appear to support the root issues involved.
From News10's John Myers: "A new statewide poll suggests that Californians support some of the underlying themes pushed by backers of two tax increase propositions and a measure to impose major limitations on political spending for organized labor - yet only one of those measures is actually ahead."
"Wednesday night's survey from the Public Policy Institute of California (here) generally confirms what's been seen in smaller tracking polls: Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 tax hike holding on to the support of a slim majority of likely voters - 52 percent. Proposition 38, the income tax hike earmarked for K-12 schools, is a split decision in the survey - 45 percent support, 45 percent oppose - and thus still not in a position to pass."
"PPIC finds even less support for Proposition 32, the November initiative to ban political contributions to state candidates and all political money raised by paycheck deductions. 42 percent of likely voters said they'd vote for Prop 32, 49 percent said they oppose the measure. (The poll has a 4.4 percent chance of sampling error for likely voters.)"
The feds have formally approved the first-phase construction of California's $69 billion bullet-train project. The decision came as no surprise, but for supporters of high-speed rail the ruling was good news indeed.
From the Mercury News' Mike Rosenberg: "Even though Congress and President Barack Obama previously approved enough funding to split the cost of the initial stretch of track, U.S. officials still needed to ensure the project met federal environmental laws. Wednesday's 41-page ruling said that while the bullet train will have "significant" negative impacts on the environment and community -- from loud noises to reducing property values -- it's still worthwhile..."
"But don't expect shovels to start hitting the ground tomorrow."
"Through November, private construction firms will be bidding against each other for the first $2 billion contract, and the winner will need until spring to put together the crews and blueprints necessary to start construction. But prep work such as demolition and moving utility lines could begin later this year if the state survives a bevy of court challenges."
Some foodies may gag on California's foie gras ban, but not a federal judge who rejected an attempt to block it.
From the LAT's Marc Lifsher: "A federal judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday denied a request brought by U.S. and Canadian foie gras producers to hold up enforcing the law, which took effect July 1, while it's challenged on constitutional grounds."
"State lawmakers passed the prohibition in 2004 and gave farmers who raise the ducks and restauranteurs seven years to phase out the delicacy in the Golden State. The bill was signed into law by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson denied a request for an injunction while the lawsuit continues."
There are winners and losers in the governor's actions on bills, and one of the losers this time is a group of newly formed cities in Riverside County.
From the Press-Entperpise's Jim Miller: "Assembly Bill 1098 would have reversed a deep budget hit to Jurupa Valley, Eastvale, Menifee and Wildomar, with supporters of the bill saying that Jurupa Valley otherwise needed to begin to disincorporate as early as next month. It would also have allocated $4 million to cities that had recently annexed populated areas, such as Fontana."
"But in a veto message Wednesday evening, Brown said the bill would have undermined the 2011 services realignment and “created a hole in the General Fund to the tune of $18 million.”
“Given the current fiscal uncertainties, this is not acceptable,” Brown said."
"The measure had sped through the Legislature on the final night of session after Democratic leaders gave it their blessing. The governor didn’t linger over AB 1098 -- he still has hundreds of bills on his desk to weigh before a Sept. 30 deadline."
