Half of California registered voters consider the state budget deficit an “extremely serious” problem, and 57% believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. The survey was conducted days before Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled an outline of his $291.5-billion spending plan for the next fiscal year and plans to address the $37.9-billion deficit projected by his administration. However grim, Newsom’s shortfall estimate is rosier than a December projection from the Legislative Analyst’s Office of a $68-billion budget hole. “Voters are concerned about it, and they’re going to hold it against the governor and the Legislature to do something about it,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley poll and a longtime California pollster.
