newjerseynewsroom.com

Findings in new Quinnipiac poll

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Half of New Jerseyans see Gov. Chris Christie as a leader.

And the other half see him as a bully.

A Quinnipiac University poll made public Thursday finds New Jerseyans are split on how they see the governor after five months in office.

Forty-four percent approve of him as a "leader,'' while 43 percent describe him as a "bully."

New Jerseyans also say 52 to 38 percent that he is "confrontational," rather than "honest and refreshing."

A total of 75 percent of New Jerseyans are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with life in the Garden State, the worst satisfaction rating ever in New Jersey, the poll finds.

New Jerseyans disapprove of other leaders: 62 to 19 percent disapprove of the way state legislators are handling their jobs. More specifically, 43 to 32 percent disapprove of the job their local Assembly members are doing. Forty-four to 40 percent disapprove of the job their local state senator is doing. Forty-seven to 40 percent give U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) his worse approval rating ever, and 43 to 38 percent give U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) his highest disapproval rate ever.

"Like him or not, it's clear Governor Christopher Christie has brought a New Jersey bounce to the governor's office,'' Maurice Carroll, the poll director, said. "A leader (hurrah) or a bully (boo, hiss)? We're divided about the governor. Men sort of like his feisty attitude; women sort of don't.

"Republicans like Christie a lot, Democrats dislike him a lot and the result is a job-approval split,'' Carroll said. "More voters find Christie confrontational than honest and refreshing. Is that good or bad? New Jersey is a confrontational place."

New Jerseyans oppose many of Christie's ideas for balancing the state budget: 53 to 41 percent disagree with layoffs for 1,300 state workers; 76 to 16 percent are against closing state psychiatric institutions; 61 to 35 percent are against an $820 million cut in aid to public schools, and 55 to 39 percent are against cutting state aid to towns and cities.

Residents do support by 53 to 43 percent suspending until May 2011 a property tax rebate, but voters say 61 to 33 percent that Christie should have signed a bill to increase taxes on millionaires.

Christie's proposed constitutional amendment to limit property tax hikes to 2.5 percent has the support of New Jerseyans by 67 to 25 percent. His proposal to limit salary increase for public employees such as police and teachers to 2.5 percent is a "good idea," New Jerseyans say 60 to 33 percent.

"Almost none of the deficit-cutting things that have been talked about – except the millionaire's tax that Christie vetoed – win much support," Carroll said.

New Jerseyans like their teachers 56 to 26 percent, but by a 50 to 24 percent margin they have a negative opinion of the teachers' union. Residents with children in public school like their teachers 65 to 23 percent, but dislike the teachers' union 53 to 22 percent. While 45 percent trust the union more to make the right decisions about teacher contracts, 43 percent trust Christie more.

The New Jersey Education Association, the statewide teachers' union, is doing the wrong thing in refusing to freeze wages or make other concessions, residents say 64 to 29 percent. New Jerseyans oppose 65 to 31 percent property tax increases to avoid cutting teachers and school programs in their district.

"Voters like their kids' teachers but they sure don't like the teachers' union,'' Carroll said. "Voters with kids in school like their teachers more and like the union even less."

Christie's intention to change what he sees as the "historically liberal" state Supreme Court is a bad idea, New Jerseyans say 47 to 41 percent. They disagree 36 to 29 percent with his decision not to reappoint Justice John E. Wallace to the court, with 35 percent undecided. Residents also say 41 to 31 percent that Christie's refusal to reappoint Wallace is interfering with the judiciary rather than restoring balance.

From June 10 to Tuesday, Quinnipiac surveyed 1,461 New Jersey voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.