PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Future, October 2006 (PPIC Publication)

Some findings in the current survey, two weeks before the Nov. 7 election:

Among likely voters, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lead over his Democratic challenger, State Treasurer Phil Angelides, increased one percentage point to 18 points, 48% to 30%, with 13% undecided. Schwarzenegger continues to pull much greater support from Republicans (86%) than Angelides does from Democrats (57%).
Likely voters continue to name immigration (21%) and education (19%) as the issues they most want the candidates for governor to discuss, followed by the state budget and taxes (10%), and jobs and the economy (7%). But most voters (60%), and at least half of Democrats (67%), Republicans (50%), and independents (60%), say they are dissatisfied with the attention that the gubernatorial candidates are giving to the issues.
Overall, Californians show more support for the general concept of using state bonds to pay for infrastructure than they do for any of the specific measures on the November ballot: 61 percent of likely voters think it is a good idea for the state government to pay for infrastructure improvements by issuing bonds, but 58 percent of likely voters say the $43 billion price tag for the five current bond measures is too much.
A majority of likely voters (59%) favors redistricting reform that would require an independent commission of citizens, not the governor and legislature, to adopt a new redistricting plan after each Census.

This is the 72nd PPIC Statewide Survey and the third in a four-part, pre- and post-election series, made possible with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.