Californians support vote on tax measure: poll

California Governor Jerry Brown introduces his budget proposal in Sacramento, California January 10, 2011.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A majority of Californians back Governor Jerry Brown's plan to ask them to extend tax increases to help close a $25.4 billion state budget gap, poll results released on Wednesday showed.

Brown, a Democrat sworn in to a third term earlier this month as leader of America's most populous state, wants lawmakers to help him put a measure to voters in June that would propose extending tax increases that expire this year to raise money for California's cash-strapped government.

Revenue from tax extensions, $12.5 billion in spending cuts and other moves would balance the state's books under Brown's budget proposal.

Revenue from tax extensions would also go to bolster the state government's finances in future years.

California's government, like many other state governments across the nation, is struggling to balance its books in the face of weak revenue caused by the worst recession since the Great Depression.

The survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found two-thirds of Californians in favor of a special election on Brown's tax measure and 58 percent saying they were generally satisfied with his overall budget plan.

"Brown's proposed special election on a tax and fee package to prevent further budget cuts is a good idea, according to 67 percent of adults," the survey report said. "Among likely voters, 66 percent say a special election is a good idea."

That is much stronger than the 50 percent who thought a special election in 2009 championed by previous Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers was a good idea. The state's leaders had hoped voters that year would approve a slate of budget-related measures, including a measure for an extension of tax increases. Voters did not.

"The voters in this case see the need to go to the ballot and they also, I think, are weighing the consequences very carefully," said Mark Baldassare, chief executive of the California Public Policy Institute.

The institute's survey report said 53 percent of adults and 54 percent of likely voters "favor the general plan they would be voting on, which would extend tax and fee increases and divert some revenues from state to local governments."

The institute conducted its telephone survey from January 11 through January 18, contacting 2,004 adult residents of California.

Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all adults, plus or minus 3.7 points for registered voters and plus or minus 4.2 points for likely voters.

(Reporting by Jim Christie; Editing by Peter Cooney)