Although the governor's approval rating is hardly rosy, RI GOP chairman Giovanni Cicione is citing the results of the latest Brown poll as evidence of support for the Carcieri program:
The poll found more than half of the respondents would seem to agree with the Governor’s policies on three important themes: reducing the number of state workers and reforming some of their pay and benefit provisions; reducing the amount of time welfare recipients can remain on the rolls; and third, holding the line on any new income or sales taxes.
“There is no question this latest Brown poll is a rebuke to the Governor’s critics’ about the kind of difficult reforms he’s trying to make,” says Chairman Giovanni Cicione.
“The majority of regular Rhode Islanders seem to know we’re in trouble, that we have a state workforce that’s too large and costs too much, that we provide overly generous welfare benefits we can’t afford, and that new taxes are not the answer. This poll shows that even if the Democrat leadership on Smith Hill doesn’t recognize all this, the majority of Rhode Islanders are finally getting it.”
The poll found that 52% favor the lay-off plan of state workers, and about 70% favor reforms to their pay and benefit packages, including making co-pays to health benefits, and working a 40-hour, rather than 35-hour work week.
It found 71% favor imposing a two-year limit-- rather than 5-year presently-- on welfare benefits, as the Governor favors.
It found 55% agree that some privatization of certain state services in certain departments or institutions would be prudent, as the Governor has proposed.
Most significantly, it also finds a majority being against any new income or sales taxes nor do they favor any rollback of the reduction in the capital gains tax rate.
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