>New Jersey has doubts about state budget plan, poll finds
Posted by pcox May 04, 2009 06:23AM
A poll found many New Jerseyans aren’t sold on the proposed state budget.
The Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll released Sunday found more than 80 percent of respondents have heard about the spending plan. Nearly half of them say it does too little to cut spending, while 17 percent say it cuts too much.
Patti Sapone/The Star-LedgerHundreds of New Jerseyans protest April 23 at the State House to keep our public lands open, including at least nine parks that have been slated for closure due to the Governors proposed budget cuts.
However, respondents overall differed on how to address the state’s fiscal woes.
Seventy-five percent support plans to boost income taxes on those earning more than $500,000 and 69 percent back higher taxes on cigarettes and liquor. But 68 percent don’t want state aid cut to municipalities and 63 percent oppose cutting arts funding.
The poll also found 53 percent oppose ending property tax rebates for those earning more than $75,000, while 45 percent support it.
The telephone poll was conducted April 23-27 with 803 New Jersey adults and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.