A mid-August poll by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that 57 percent of 989 likely voters would vote in support of the housing infrastructure bond on the November ballot if the election were held today.
The August 16-23 survey focused on four of five infrastructure bonds on the November ballot, and showed the following levels of support:
- Prop. 1B (transportation): 50 percent sup- port vs. 38 percent oppose, 12 percent undecided
- Prop. 1C (housing): 57 percent support vs. 32 percent oppose, 11 percent unde- cided
- Prop. 1D (education): 51 percent support vs. 39 percent oppose, 10 percent undecided
- Prop. 1E (water facilities & levee repair): 56 percent support vs. 35 percent oppose, 9 percent undecided
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. The survey did not ask voters about their support for Proposition 84, the Clean Water, Parks and Coastal Protection Initiative.
The 57-32 percent support for the housing infrastructure bond, Proposition 1C, was encouraging news for the League and other organizations concerned about the need for additional funding to pay for housing-related infrastructure. A July Field poll had shown only 33 percent in support, vs. 42 percent opposed and 25 percent undecided.
The PPIC poll showed stronger support for the bond measures among Democrats than GOP voters; 50 percent or more of the latter do not support any of the bonds, compared to more than 60 percent support by Democrats. However, 59 percent of all questioned view the total bond package of $42 billion as too much debt for the state to take on.
PPIC Director of Research Mark Baldassare discussed portions of the survey findings at the League of California Cities’ annual conference in San Diego. At a September 7 session entitled "Financing Infrastructure Improvements in Cities," he reported that California city officials and voters are at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding how bond money should be spent.
Seventy-five percent of California city officials polled in the PPIC survey indicated that transportation – highways, roads, bridges, ports and airports – should be the top infrastructure priority for local and state works projects. By contrast, 50 percent of California voters polled in the survey chose schools and universities to top the list.
