Latest Q-Poll Rates Malloy,

State Employee Sacrifices, Paid Sick Leave

HAMDEN — Connecticut voters give Governor Dannel Malloy a negative 38-44 percent approval rating, meaning 38 percent approve of his job as governor and 44 percent disapprove. The negative rating is apparently driven by 43 percent who are “dissatisfied” with the new state budget and another 16 percent who are “angry” with the budget, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released June 15.

Only 36 percent described themselves as “enthusiastic” or “satisfied” with the budget.

Those results compare with a negative 35-40 percent approval rating for Gov Malloy in a March 9 survey by the independent Quinnipiac University poll.

While voters dislike the governor’s policies 50-37 percent, they like him as a person 48-18 percent. Jodi Rell was a better governor, 32 percent say, while 20 percent say Gov Malloy is better and 37 percent say they are about the same.

Voters disapprove 52-36 percent of the way Gov Malloy is handling the state budget. Voters also disapprove 50-35 percent of the new state budget itself.

Only 17 percent of voters say the new state budget spreads tax increases fairly across income groups, while 67 percent say taxes should be higher on those with higher incomes.

“Gov Dannel Malloy should be doing better in a blue state like Connecticut, but he gets only a 52 percent approval rating among his base of Democrats,” said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, PhD.

“His low approval rating is a reflection of how voters feel about his budget. Many voters are dissatisfied and some even say they are angry. They think the budget relies too much on tax increases and not enough on spending cuts. They also think the middle class is paying more than its fair share while those with higher incomes aren’t paying their fair share.”

“Gov Malloy might be jealous of New York Gov Andrew Cuomo’s high 61 percent job approval rating, but Cuomo is the exception. Malloy can take some solace from the fact that other new governors who also are dealing with big budget deficits have similar low job approval ratings,” Dr Schwartz added.

Connecticut state employees are making less than their fair share of sacrifices under the new budget, 36 percent of voters say, while 21 percent say workers are doing more than their fair share and 35 percent say they are doing about their fair share.

Public employee wages and benefits are too high, 46 percent of voters say, with 8 percent saying too low and 39 percent saying wages and benefits are about right.

Connecticut voters approve 53-44 percent of the job President Barack Obama is doing, up slightly from 49-47 percent in a March 8, 2011, Quinnipiac University poll. President Obama deserves reelection, voters say 51-43 percent, and they would vote for Obama 46-35 percent over an unnamed Republican in 2012.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal gets a 54-25 percent approval rating, while voters disapprove 45-41 percent of the job US Senator Joe Lieberman is doing.

Connecticut voters support 72-25 percent a new law that requires large companies to offer five days of paid sick leave per year to employees. Support is 84-14 percent among Democrats, 50-44 percent among Republicans, and 72-26 percent among independent voters. Men support the measure 63-34 percent while women back it 79-17 percent.

Voters also support 66-31 percent a law to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Support is 77-21 percent among Democrats, 49-45 percent among Republicans, and 66-31 percent among independent voters. Support is slightly stronger among men, 69-28 percent, than among women, 64-33 percent.

From June 8 to 13, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,311 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points. Live interviewers call landlines and cellphones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research.

For more data, www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml or 203-582-5201.