Jerry Brown’s tax initiative has broad support, poll finds

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An overwhelming majority of California voters support Gov. Jerry Brown’s idea of hiking taxes to raise more money for schools, but they’d much rather he ask somebody else to foot the bill.

A new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 68% of likely voters said they support Brown’s idea to raise taxes on sales and upper incomes for five years. Brown is hoping to sell those ideas to voters in a ballot initiative this fall.

But in a separate question, the same voters said they dislike key pieces of Brown’s proposal. While 68% of likely voters said they support raising income taxes for high earners, 64% of those surveyed said they oppose raising the sales tax.

Brown’s tax plan includes both.

The survey reflects data that Brown considered when crafting his tax proposal. Voters are more likely to support tax increases, for example, if those new revenues are earmarked specifically for public schools.

The poll also found that voters oppose Brown’s plan to cut money from public schools if his tax measure is rejected. Of the likely voters questioned, 75% said they opposed the “trigger cuts” Brown outlined in his budget plan earlier this month.

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--Anthony York in Sacramento