Gov. Jerry Brown battling sinking poll numbers in tax-hike campaign

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As Californians cast their ballots around the state, Gov. Jerry Brown is hoping his last-ditch campaigning reverses a steady slide in public support for his tax-hike plan.

The governor’s measure, Proposition 30, has steadily lost ground in the polls, falling below 50% support in the latest round of major surveys. However, Mark DiCamillo at the Field Poll said a close look at undecided voters provides some reasons to believe the election will break in Brown’s favor.

For example, DiCamillo said undecided voters tend to view the governor more favorably and they’re more concerned about the impact of budget cuts that would take effect if the taxes don’t pass. Proposition 30 would increase the sales tax by a quarter cent for four years and income taxes on the wealthy by one to three percentage points for seven years.

However, the poll, which was released Nov. 1, also had some troubling signs for Brown. A slight majority of undecided voters think government can provide the same level of services even if the budget is cut by nearly $6 billion.

‘There are too many people who think state government can provide us with the same level of services if they wanted to, if they just cut wasteful spending,’ DiCamillo said.

For its part, Brown’s campaign says its expecting a win.

‘I think we threaded the needle,’ said Dan Newman a spokesman. He said the campaign has weathered a barrage of opposition advertising and internal polls show the measure holding steady with more than 50% support.

ALSO: Second poll finds Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax plan losing support

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Support plunges for Prop. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative

-- Chris Megerian in Sacramento
twitter.com/chrismegerian