STATEWIDE – New Jersey voters are split in their evaluation of Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2012, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released today. While 45 percent are pleased with the budget, 48 percent are displeased, and 7 percent are not sure, according to a press release from Eagleton.
Negative evaluations of Christie’s budget appear motivated both by feelings that its proposals are unfair and by a dislike of the governor’s leadership style. Positive evaluations originate in the belief Christie is trying to drastically reduce spending and in favorable personal impressions.
“While the national media give the governor plaudits for making tough budget choices, Garden Staters are not completely pleased, showing the same polarized opinions that we’ve seen all along,” said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll and professor of political science at Rutgers University.
The poll of 912 New Jersey adults was conducted among both landline and cell phone households Feb. 24-26, with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points. This sample, weighted to match the demographics of adult New Jerseyans, includes 811 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points for this subsample, reported on here.