| Governor Rell takes an unprecdented hit in the newest Quinnipiac poll, falling below 60% approval for the first time ever as voters are turning against her for her lack of leadership on the budget.
Her approval rating has nosedived from 73% in May to 59% now, while her disapproval rating has gone up from 20% to 34%. Voters disapprove of how she has handled the budget by a margin of 52-42.
By an even bigger margin of 56-34, Connecticut voters think that Rell "copped out" in refusing to either sign or veto the budget.
There are wide regional disparities among Connecticut voters on Rell: she is actually in or approaching negative territory in some areas - at 48/49 in Eastern CT and 44/44 in Litchfield County - but remains very popular in Fairfield County.
The estate tax cut is particularly unpopular, even among Republicans: voters disapprove of it by a margin of 66-28, and Republicans by a margin of 52-36.
The state legislature also takes a big hit for their handling of the budget, they receive a 33/55 approval/disapproval rating from voters.
Full results here.
Update (ctblogger): House Speaker Chris Donovan released the following statement regarding the latest poll results:
During especially tough times it is not unusual to see a range of public opinion. I am encouraged, however, by the vast majority of people who agreed with legislative Democrats that the wealthiest in our state need to be part of the budget solution.
Many also believe the Governor abandoned her responsibilities by refusing to act on the budget. I've spent the past two days at our public libraries and Family Resource Centers and I can tell you the people there do not believe we abandoned them. In fact, the staff, parents and others who need and use these resources thought we passed a terrific budget.
Update 2 (tparty): Jon Green, Executive Director of the CT Working Families Party, released this statement on the poll results showing that raising income taxes on households earning over $1 million per year is supported by a margin of 74-24, including among Republicans:
"Today's Q Poll confirms what public opinion polling has been telling us for years: Connecticut voters overwhelmingly support a more progressive tax structure, where those who can afford it best pay a little more. And we'll keep fighting for a fairer tax structure that will protect our economy and our quality of life." |
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