New poll suggests Brown's tax plan faces a tough road

California voters like the idea of the rich paying more taxes, but nearly two-thirds oppose raising the sales tax. Among likely voters, 41 percent think the budget problem should be solved through cuts and tax increases, but 41 percent think it should be mostly spending cuts. Such is the mish-mash of opinion in a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The governor's revenue-generating proposal, which includes taxing the rich and raising the sales tax, will likely be on the November ballot. When likely voters were read a summary of the plan, 48 percent were in favor and 46 percent were opposed. From press release:

"There remains a strong belief that the state government could spend less and provide the same services even as Californians notice local service reductions from state spending cuts and show early support for a tax increase," says Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO.