New Jersey Voters Want Spending Cuts Over Higher Tax Following Budget Deal
New Jersey voters support lower spending over higher taxes by almost three to one after the state passed a budget which cuts funds for welfare, mental health and in-home nursing care, a survey shows.
The state should “hold the line” on spending even if that results in cuts to “many” programs, according to 60 percent of the respondents to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind survey, released today. That compares with 22 percent who say the state should raise taxes to support services if necessary. Opposition to higher taxes, down about 12 percentage points from last year, has changed little since a March 30 poll, after Governor Chris Christie’s first budget speech.
“What’s interesting here is that this figure holds steady in the midst of so many budget cuts,” Peter Woolley, the survey director, said in a statement. “Second, there is agreement on this point among many different groups of voters.”
Among Democrats, 48 percent supported spending cuts over tax increases compared with 28 percent who preferred tax increases. Republican support for reduced outlays touched 78 percent, compared with 14 percent who favor higher levies.
New Jersey lawmakers in June passed a budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, closing a $10.7 billion deficit without raising taxes. The spending plan cuts $74 million from welfare and other social programs, $820 million in public school aid, and $445 million from municipal funding. The budget also skips a $3 billion payment to the state’s pension funds.
In today’s survey, Christie’s job-approval rating rose to 47 percent, the highest level since March 3, when it reached 52 percent, the survey said. In a May 25 poll, 44 percent held a favorable view of Christie’s job performance.
The survey of registered voters was conducted by telephone from July 27 through Aug. 2, with 801 respondents. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
To contact the reporter on this story: Simone Baribeau in New York at sbaribeau@bloomberg.net
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