blog post Voters Favor New Water Bond. What Are They Missing? By Ellen Hanak, Mark Baldassare Aug 13, 2018 The PPIC Statewide Survey finds strong support for an upcoming state water bond among California likely voters. But bonds have some significant shortcomings in addressing key water needs.
Fact Sheet Law Enforcement Staffing in California By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 Law enforcement is funded largely at the local level, and almost half of California’s law enforcement officers work for municipal police departments. Staffing levels continued to drop in 2022, though losses vary across agencies.
blog post Money Measures and the November Ballot By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra Dec 12, 2018 Ballots across California in the November election featured 397 money-related questions, including taxes, bonds, and fees. Most of these measures passed (79%), though success rates varied across types of taxation or borrowing.
blog post Paying for Water’s “Fiscal Orphans” By Lori Pottinger Jul 9, 2018 Bonds don’t currently cover ongoing expenses for the projects they fund. We talked to Dean Misczynski about his proposal to change that.
Report Fiscal Effects of Voter Approval Requirements on Local Governments By Pedro Cerdan, Kim Rueben Jan 27, 2003 This report investigates the ways local governments in California have used the ballot box to raise taxes, assess fees, and pass bond measures. It notes sharp increases in school bond proposals, especially after 2000, when Proposition 39 lowered the voter approval threshold from two-thirds to 55 percent. It also shows how voter reaction to fiscal measures varies according to region, election timing, the type of measure proposed, and the service to be funded. Finally, it suggests that dedicated taxes for popular programs are more likely to garner voter support than a general tax, despite the fact that special taxes require a supermajority for approval. It also notes, however, that this approach may leave some traditional government services, such as libraries and parks, with inadequate funding.
blog post Videos Highlight Water Finance Event By Linda Strean Apr 14, 2014 The drought has focused attention on water supply and highlights the crucial role of funding in supporting our water system, said Ellen Hanak, PPIC senior fellow, at a half-day conference PPIC hosted last week at the Sacramento Convention Center.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus Jan 27, 2016 Some findings of the current survey: Californians are divided over Governor Brown’s budget plan—they are also split on how the state should use its budget surplus. Most prefer alternatives to the governor’s plan to fund transportation infrastructure projects by raising fees and taxes. Among Californians, Hillary Clinton has the highest favorability rating and Donald Trump has the highest unfavorability rating. A record-high share of Californians (43%) view terrorism and security as a big problem in the state. Crosstabs: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Senator Boxer [PDF] Senator Feinstein [PDF] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [PDF] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS] Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] U.S. Congress [XLS] Senator Boxer [XLS] Senator Feinstein [XLS] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [XLS] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [XLS] Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [PDF] Economic Outlook for California [PDF] Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [XLS] Economic Outlook for California [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation and the PPIC Donor Circle.
