Thread: 55% Say Better for California To Go Bankrupt Than Bailed Out

55% Say Better for California To Go Bankrupt Than Be Bailed Out

Monday, January 04, 2010

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly intends to ask this week for a federal bailout to keep his state from going bankrupt. But most voters have never been fans of any kind of federal bailout, and most continue to oppose a bailout for California, even when told what specific budget cuts may be necessary.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows just 27% of voters nationwide believe the federal government should provide bailout funding for California. Fifty-five percent (55%) think the federal government should let the state go bankrupt instead. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

No matter how you frame the choice for voters, bailing out California is unpopular.

Schwarzenegger himself has said that California may seek $8 billion in federal funding assistance. When we ask about that request without mentioning the trade-off of filing bankruptcy, only 16% of voters nationally favor the bailout. Sixty-eight percent (68%) oppose an $8-billion bailout for California, with another 16% undecided.

Without the federal bailout, Schwarzenegger has said California will have to cut back the state’s main welfare program and reduce health care services for the disabled and elderly. He also says a 14% cut in pay for state workers may be necessary.

Just 33% of voters nationwide favor a bailout to avoid these cuts on the state level. However, 53% say the state should cut back on welfare programs, health services and the state payroll. Fourteen percent (14%) aren’t sure.

When asked about what should be done if their own state ends up in a bind like California, 49% opt for cutting back on services, 28% say the state should raise taxes, and 9% say bankruptcy is the best course of action.

As is often the case, the divide is a huge divide between Mainstream America and the Political Class on these topics. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the Political Class favor a federal bailout for California, while 68% of Mainstream voters say the state should go bankrupt instead.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of male voters say it’s better to let California go bankrupt, a view shared by 45% of women.

Nearly two-thirds of both Republicans (66%) and voters not affiliated with either party (64%) say bankruptcy is the better option. Democrats are evenly divided on the question.

Voters have taken a dim view from the start of the bailouts proposed for General Motors and Chrysler and for the financial industry.

A plurality (38%) of voters nationwide say the $787-billion economic stimulus plan has hurt the economy.

The president has indicated that he hopes to use money still unspent from the stimulus plan to fight the nation’s 10% unemployment rate, and one of the ideas on the table is to channel money to states to keep them from laying off public employees. But a majority of voters oppose using the stimulus money for that purpose and also are against a second economic stimulus plan.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters say more jobs would be created if the remaining spending planned in the first stimulus plan was cancelled right away.

Just last month, 58% of all voters opposed giving federal bailout money to states like California with serious budget problems. Twenty-two percent (22%) thought it was a good idea. These findings remain largely consistent from a survey in May when California’s budget programs began grabbing headlines.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... bailed_out

No Money for any Sanctuary States or Cities! Not even for the one I live in.