Monmouth U Toll Poll and what the media ignored

Many people in the state read stories of a Monmouth University poll on January 17. Much was made of the fact that 70% of the public was leaning or outright opposed to the plan with only 24% inclined to support it. The other most often cited statistic was that 57% of respondent were aware of the Toll Plan. This amounts to serious lack of support for Corzine's plan. But there is more to this poll that is quite interesting.

Opposition to the plan is widespread among both Republicans (68%) and independents (57%), but the governor cannot even count on his fellow partisans for support. More Democrats oppose (48%) than favor (19%) this plan.

Oops. That means the Governor cannot rely on his party's majority in the legislature to ram this thing through like he did the school spending plan.

About two-thirds (65%) of New Jersey residents part ways with the governor on this point, saying they do believe it is possible to find a further $1 billion in spending cuts and waste reduction. Majorities of Republicans (77%), independents (69%) and Democrats (55%) alike believe that it is possible to find enough spending cuts to balance the budget without the toll plan.

Despite Corzine’s assertion that “pigs will fly over the Statehouse before there’s a realistic level of new taxes or spending cuts that can fix this mess,” only 22% of the public agree that further spending cuts should be off the table “One take-away message for the governor from this poll is that state government’s performance over the past few years has done little to convince the typical New Jersey taxpayer that Trenton is not rampant with pork, flying or otherwise,” Murray said.

The net here is that a significant number of people in this state think the Governor has no credibility when it comes to fiscal discipline. This is the penalty for two Governors (Corzine and McGreevey) who believe that the first answer to any problem is more taxes.

The poll report is good reading. You can read it here.

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