Voters hazy about ballot's bond package

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/18/6 | Lynda Gledhill

[SmithL]

Voters appear to be skeptical about spending more than $37 billion on infrastructure projects, and it may take a big push by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger if the four bond measures on the November ballot are going to pass.

Polls show that it may be the sheer size of the bonds -- which are to pay for transportation, housing, education and water projects -- that concerns voters. Television commercials in support of the measures are expected to begin airing today, said Paul Hefner, a spokesman for the bond campaign.

"As much as people would like to see improvements in transportation and schools, that level of expenditure over time seems very abstract to people," said Mark Baldassare, research director of the Public Policy Institute of California.

Democrats are more inclined to support the bonds than Republicans. The four propositions were put on the ballot by the Democrat-controlled Legislature and the Republican governor, but many GOP lawmakers balked.

"The governor is really the key," Baldassare said. "The governor has to convince Republican voters that this is a good investment."

Many conservatives believe the state should be paying for these projects out of the general fund, not through bonds.

"It's like a family that has a credit card and never gets a statement," said George Passantino, a senior fellow at the Reason Institute. "People don't understand how much these bonds will cost the state in the long-run."

[repubpub]

They'll get my yes vote when they have a final proposition to end all propositions. They try to cram way too many down the voters throats.

[NormsRevenge]

.. the sheer size of the bonds -- which are to pay for transportation, housing, education and water projects -- that concerns voters.

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Yup.

They do everything Big in Stinkymento , which is these days nothing more than a neomodern political sound stage that lately features a 'Socialista PassionPlay' with props wielded by Leftist Looneytoonistas and cartoon&comic book characters, all working together to drain every cent they can out of the pockets of current and future taxpayers, it's for the 'common good', yaknow..

[calcowgirl]

"The governor is really the key," Baldassare said. "The governor has to convince Republican voters that this is a good investment."

Good luck with that!

Just say NO!

[Amerigomag]

The governor has to convince Republican voters that this is a good investment.

You betcha Mark. That's an effective strategy.

Task a liberal to convince a generally conservative group to borrow the largest, state sponsored sum in US history and then convince them not to worry since their children will pay for it.

Brilliant, I'd say.