Additional details on the Prop J survey, the proposed parcel tax in the San Diego Unified School District (see today’s earlier post by Steve Rider).
The polling was conducted by Competitive Edge Research during the second week of August. (When this firm surveys, no need to wonder whether they asked likely voters, by the way.)
The question was posed as follows, with a sample of 482:
The Emergency Teacher Retention and Classroom Education Measure will be on the November ballot. It reads: To prevent Math, Science and English teacher layoffs, protect neighborhood schools from state budget cuts, prevent cuts to essential academic programs, job and college preparation, and preserve small classes, shall San Diego Unified School District levy a temporary 5 year emergency annual tax that Sacramento can NOT take away of $98 per single family home, and taxes on other types of parcels, exempting low income seniors, with independent audits and no money for administrators’ salaries? If the election were held today, would you vote “yes” to approve or vote “no” to reject this measure?
Here are is the top-line percentages:
Yes, definitely 24.9
Yes, probably 15.0
No, probably 14.8
No, definitely 34.3
Unsure (Not Read) 11.0
Comments 1
In case anyone has forgotten, the Prop J parcel tax requires a TWO-THIRDS majority vote to pass. It might get close to 2/3 — but if so, it will be 2/3 AGAINST the parcel tax. It has ZERO chance of passage.
But Prop D (SD city sales tax increase) requires only a 50+% to pass. It’s got a shot, though I’d bet against it’s passage.
Fortunately, Prop J COMBINED with Prop D is going to piss off a lot of San Diego voters who are tired of being treated as ATM machines. Multiple tax increases in the same election seldom do well. Ironically, Prop J could very well be the deciding factor in the defeat of Prop D.